Premier must restore eviction ban and financial supports to ease lockdown pain

November 20, 2020

QUEEN’S PARK — Green Party of Ontario Leader, Mike Schreiner, released the following statement after the Premier’s press conference:

“I support the measures announced today even though they are weeks behind schedule.

I know these decisions are hard, but the Premier’s dithering has forced us to play catch-up.

This indefinite lockdown is confirmation that the Ford government failed to prepare us for the second wave over the summer.

It could have been avoided if Ford had kept his hands on the wheel instead of putting public health on the backburner.

When the Premier should have been hiring nurses and boosting testing and contact tracing, he was instead rolling out a weak COVID plan that was opposed by health experts.

Now our attention must turn to the people who will be most affected by the shutdown of non-essential activities – small businesses, low-wage workers, people with disabilities, and the homeless.

You cannot bring down the hammer without reinforcing the social safety net.

So I’m calling on the Premier to restore the ban on residential evictions and get money flowing immediately to vulnerable Ontarians.

And Buy Local must be more than a catchphrase.

The Premier must implement a small business first retail strategy that creates a level playing field and provides direct financial support for local businesses in lockdown.”

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