Horwath Wants Legislature To Return Immediately To Get To Work Protecting People From Second Wave
Ontario NDP and Official Opposition Andrea Horwath in St. Catharines this August 8th to press for more resources to safeguard province’s long-term care homes
HAMILTON, Ontario — “Doug Ford is waving the white flag in the fight against COVID-19, and just waiting for a vaccine now,” said NDP Leader Andrea Horwath.
On Tuesday (December 8th), Doug Ford ended the session of the legislature early — and Horwath said that’s despite the fact that Ford hasn’t done the things people need to stay safe until the vaccine is delivered. She’s calling for the legislature to return immediately, so MPPs can pass more protections and support for people, who likely still have to get through months before vaccines are available to all.
“Sending MPPs home to have a holiday break at the height of the pandemic is wrong,” said Horwath.
“Seniors are dying in long-term care. COVID-19 has infected thousands of children and schools, with about a hundred more getting sick every single day. Small business owners are boarding up their shops for good. We all know the vaccine is the light at the end of the tunnel. But Doug Ford is condemning people to more agony and more tragic loss before we get there.”
According to the independent Financial Accountability Officer, Ford is withholding $12 billion in COVID funds.
The legislature should immediately get to work using that money to put more protections and supports for people in place, including:
- * Hiring thousands of personal support workers and putting infection prevention and control experts in all long-term care homes
- * Guaranteeing paid sick days for all workers
- * Doing more in-school testing and capping class sizes to stop the spread of COVID-19 in schools
- * Banning residential evictions
- * Banning commercial evictions and providing support to small businesses
- * Overseeing the implementation of a transparent, well-communicated vaccine roll-out plan, which is way behind schedule
“The only things Doug Ford has accomplished this session are favours for his pals, including letting his developer buds pave over wetlands and giving Charles McVety the right to grant degrees,” said Horwath.
“For months, Doug Ford has been doing the bare minimum because he didn’t want to spend the money. Now, Mr. Ford wants to go home to wait around for a COVID-19 vaccine that he doesn’t have a plan to roll out. This pandemic will be deeper, longer and more painful than it needs to be unless we get back to the legislature and start putting the COVID funds to good use helping people make it through.”
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