PC government’s cuts to education and health care let families suffer while big business profits, says Ontario Federation of Labour.
“The PC budget puts profits over people at every turn, leaving Ontarians facing cuts to the public services they depend on,” said Ontario Federation of Labour President Chris Buckley. “Focusing on tax rebates instead of meaningfully funding publicly-delivered child care spaces, and focusing on efficiencies that will mean job losses, rather than putting real dollars in the pockets of people who need them, are mistakes with dire consequences for this province.”
Ontario has the highest cost for child care in Canada, and spends the lowest amount on public services per person of any province.
“This province has seen major auto manufacturing closures in the last year, and now the government has presented the people with a budget that does not include a robust auto strategy. It’s a tremendous oversight that will hurt thousands of workers and communities in this province,” said Buckley. “As well, reducing regulations across sectors puts the lives of Ontarians at risk in our health care system, in child care, and in the construction trades, at the same time as our education and health care systems are facing deep cuts. Cuts to the Ministry of Indigenous Affairs will further reduce access to services. Ontario needs greater oversight not less. Ontario needs more funding not less.”
The OFL advocates for strong public services, including publicly-funded child care that delivers high-quality, well-regulated care that families can trust. It also continues to call on the province to cancel plans for a health care “Super Agency” that will hurt health care in all regions, reverse its plan for cuts to education, to properly fund long-term care beds and create a budget that will build equality in Ontario instead of handing benefits and tax credits to rich corporations while leaving low-income families struggling.
“The government’s changes to education will hurt students at every level, and cuts to health care will mean disaster for many families in the province,” said Buckley. “The people of this province are the majority, and they are already speaking up loud and clear. When 30,000 people are on your doorstep calling for you to stop cuts to education, it’s time to change course and stop the cuts.”
“The government’s focus on cosmetic changes like license plate slogans is a distraction from the reality that the government is shirking its duty to the people of this province and making life harder in Ontario,” said Buckley.
“When this government does right by the people of this province, they’ll hear about it. Until then we will not stop fighting this full-fledged attack on the people of Ontario,” said Buckley.
The OFL Power of Many is a campaign by the Ontario Federation of Labour and its allies in communities across Ontario, working together to protect and win decent work laws, strong public services, along with equality and justice, as well as safe and healthy communities for all.
The OFL represents 54 unions and one million workers in Ontario. For information, visit www.OFL.ca and follow @OFLabour on Facebook and Twitter.
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For more information, please contact:
Meagan Perry, Director of Communications
416-894-3456
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