Federal funding won’t fix Ford government failures on healthcare

February 9, 2024

GUELPH — Ontario Greens leader Mike Schreiner released the following statement in response to the signing of a healthcare agreement between the governments of Ontario and Canada.

This long overdue deal will not be the silver-bullet solution to solving Ontario’s healthcare crisis if the Ford government continues to disrespect healthcare workers and privatize public services.

Federal funding alone will not solve the problems plaguing the province’s healthcare system, especially when the Ford government has spent the past five years gutting Ontario’s public healthcare system to the point of collapse.

Now, with hospitals at breaking point, they’re scrambling to do damage control.

If this government truly wants to solve Ontario’s healthcare crisis, it can start by:

• Immediately halting the privatization of our public healthcare system;
• Implementing a worker retention strategy that includes permanent raises and better benefits and working conditions for all healthcare workers; and
• Properly funding all healthcare sectors – primary care, long-term care, home and community care, mental healthcare and hospital care – to bring our per-capita healthcare funding up to national standards.”

-30-