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TORONTO, Oct. 30, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The Ford Conservative government released its Fall Economic Statement today, outlining its priorities for the coming months. The Ontario Federation of Labor (OFL) says the update offers no real benefit to Ontarians who are feeling the pain of ongoing health care, housing, and affordability issues.
“Today’s update includes Ford’s plan to issue one-time $200 checks to even the wealthiest Ontarians,” said Laura Walton, President of the Ontario Federation of Labour. “This one-time payment is clearly a voter strategy before the election, not to solve the real problems that people face as they try to make ends meet every month.”
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A $200 rebate program that will cost the province $3 billion. OFL has put together a list of ways the province can use $3 billion to address critical issues facing Ontarians:
- Compensation for 35,875 new advanced nurses for one full year
- 5000 new long-term care beds to facilitate health care in corridors
- Access to services for 54,000 children waiting for Autism Services
- Recruit and retain Early Childhood Educators to fill the expected shortfall of 8,500 ECEs by 2026.
- Fill the funding gap for 49 of Ontario’s 53 Children’s Aid Societies, which are facing a budget shortfall of $67 million this year.
- Increase rates for recipients of Ontario Works and the Ontario Disability Support program
“Instead of addressing the pressing issues facing our province, the Ford government has repeatedly used public money – our money – to benefit themselves, donors, and the wealthiest Ontarians,” Walton said, “of $225 million spent to breach the Beer Store contract, a convenience store costing millions of dollars, to $4.3 billion to fight labor in court over Bill 124.”
Today’s update did not provide information on what the Ford government is doing to hire and retain the best health workers or complete corridor medicine and did not provide progress or timelines for the completion of infrastructure projects. After adjusting for inflation and population growth, the projected cost of the program released in today’s statement is less than $1,093 per Ontarian by 2026.
Walton added: “It’s clear that this government is only thinking about the next election cycle, not about building the Ontario we need.”
Ontario Federation of Labor represents 54 unions and one million workers in Ontario. For information, visit @OFLabour on Facebook and X.
For more information, please contact:
Melissa Palermo
Director of Communications
Ontario Federation of Labor
mpalermo@ofl.ca l 416-894-3456
cj/COPE343
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