Our COVID-19 Policy Proposals
Where They Stand
As Ontario Green MPP and party leader, Mike Schreiner has worked hard and across party lines to secure the following changes to help people through the pandemic.
Re-open community gardens
After they were initially closed, we led a campaign for community gardens to be deemed an essential food service, permitted to open with safe distancing guidelines. Our petition ultimately worked.
Status: Green Success
Save small businesses from eviction
With one-third of Ontario small businesses facing permanent closure, Mike Schreiner led the charge at Queen’s Park to secure a commercial eviction moratorium and fix the rental assistance program for small businesses.
Status: Green Success
Restore full environmental protections
Greens sounded the alarm when the Ford government partially suspended the Environmental Bill of Rights, removing mandatory public consultation on environmental decisions. After multiple letters from Mike Schreiner, the government restored protections and promised transparency.
Status: Green Success
Pause construction to keep workers safe
When the government allowed construction sites to continue operating despite the rapid increase of COVID-19 cases, Mike Schreiner called for a 1-2 week pause of all activity so that physical distancing measures could be implemented.
Status: Green Success. The government halted non-essential construction.
Raise social assistance and disability rates
With low-income Ontarians and people with disabilities disproportionately affected by COVID-19, by not fully eligible for CERB, Mike Schreiner called on the Social Services Minister to boost their rates and end clawbacks of emergency income.
Status: Still working on it. The Minister has only partially ended CERB clawbacks and not boosted rates.
Boost hospital capacity to restart essential surgeries
Mike was inundated with concerns from Ontarians whose essential medical procedures were put on hold during the height of the pandemic. After Mike advocated for more hospital resources, the province released a plan to resume surgeries.
Status: Essential non-COVID surgeries have resumed.
Improving access to PPE
At the beginning of the pandemic, when gloves, masks and other PPE were in short supply, Mike Schreiner echoed the call from medical professionals for priority access for the front-line workers who need it most.
Status: Access to PPE has begun to improve.
Emergency money for municipalities
Mike Schreiner amplified the call from Ontario’s large urban mayors who are asking for urgent provincial funding to offset the massive loss of revenue at a time when cities are also shouldering additional burdens to help vulnerable populations.
Status: The government has announced $250 million in funding, which is not enough.
Funding to help small businesses go digital
Mike Schreiner endorsed a call from downtown business associations across Ontario to scale up funding for a program that helps small businesses improve digital services and stay viable during these challenging times.
Status: The government increased funding for the Digital Main Street program.
Overhaul long-term care
We are calling for a complete overhaul of long-term care to put the dignity of seniors ahead of cost-cutting and profits. Mike Schreiner supports a full public inquiry, with an immediate injection of $1.8 billion to increase minimum standards of care and hire more nurses and personal support workers.
Status: The government has announced a government-controlled commission and has not announced increased funding for long-term care.
Limit LTC staff to one home
When other jurisdictions were getting ahead of outbreaks in long-term care by limiting staff movement, we called on the Premier to take the same urgent action, while guaranteeing wage compensation for staff.
Status: After weeks of delay, PSWs were finally limited to one facility.
Expand eligibility to Pandemic Pay
With one-third of hospital employees excluded from COVID-19 wage top-ups, Mike Schreiner advocated for the pandemic pay to be extended to staff at private facilities, midwives, lab technicians and all frontline health workers.
Status: Eligibility has not been expanded.
Boost funding for childcare
When the Ford government announced that childcare centres could re-open, it did so without announcing any new funding to comply with public health regulations, passing the costs onto providers and parents. Mike Schreiner called for immediate funding.
Status: $200 million has been announced for social services as a whole, but there has not been dedicated funding for childcare to ensure that providers can survive.