NDP calls on Ford to reverse health cuts
Article content
Citing concern over the ongoing coronavirus threat, Ontario NDP Leader Andrea Horwath is calling on the province to roll back healthcare cuts.
“The reviews from the SARS outbreak made very, very clear the need for a strong provincial role in the funding of public health,” Horwath said during a Wednesday morning press conference at Queen’s Park.
Recommended Videos
tap here to see other videos from our team.
NDP calls on Ford to reverse health cuts Back to video
tap here to see other videos from our team.
“We should be investing in public health, not cutting it.”
Horwath said she’s calling on the Doug Ford government to halt public health cuts and roll back funding to 2019 levels.
“Instead of going ahead with those cuts, I’m asking the government to go ahead with a review to determine what provincial funding and resources are needed to keep Ontarian safe in the future,” she said.
“Let’s make sure we can promise Ontarians going forward that we are doing everything we can to protect them and their families.”
tap here to see other videos from our team.
While the province’s overall health spending has increased under the Tories, changes to funding and cost-sharing structures mean municipalities are on the hook more services.
The changes, for example, will cost Toronto $14 million a year.
Travis Kann, spokesman for Health Minister Christine Elliott, took issue with Horwath’s assertion that the government isn’t prepared for outbreaks like the coronavirus.
“Ontario’s expert public health officials have been unanimously clear: Ontario is prepared to effectively respond to the 2019 novel coronavirus, something Andrea Horwath herself acknowledged,” he said.
“It’s disappointing then that she would seek to score political points by calling into question the province’s preparedness to keep the public safe.”
tap here to see other videos from our team.
On Wednesday, the province reported 43 patients were under investigation for possible infection — up from 34 on Tuesday.
The number of confirmed negative cases also rose from 90 to 96 since Tuesday, with eight listed as ‘presumed negative.’
The number of confirmed cases in Canada remains at four.
bpassifiume@postmedia.com
On Twitter: @bryanpassifiume
Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion. Please keep comments relevant and respectful. Comments may take up to an hour to appear on the site. You will receive an email if there is a reply to your comment, an update to a thread you follow or if a user you follow comments. Visit our Community Guidelines for more information.