Premier withholding funding for health care, autism services

March 4, 2020

TORONTO — Mike Schreiner released the following statement after the FAO reported the province is spending less than planned on health care and social services:

“This report is further evidence that the Premier is underfunding services for the most vulnerable.

Last month the FAO exposed how Ford’s tax breaks are disproportionately benefitting high-income earners.

And now we learn the province is spending less than what has been allocated to health care and services for vulnerable families and children.

Patients are stuck in hallways and seniors are desperately awaiting long-term care spaces. But the Premier is keeping the lid on health care funding.

Spending $0.5 billion less to repair and build hospitals is no way to solve the hallway healthcare crisis.

Children and families are bearing the brunt of Ford’s decision to withhold funding, with a $336 million drop in planned spending on support services.

And for all the noise the Premier made about increasing autism funding, we now have proof that less than 50% of this money has actually been spent.

Families deserve answers about why the Premier continues to withhold essential funding for therapeutic services.”

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