September 27, 2023
Ontarians have spoken, Stop Privatizing our Healthcare System
France Gélinas, MPP for Nickel Belt, rose in the legislature this morning to relay to the Ford government the message the Ontario Health Coalition and thousands of people brought to Queen’s Park.
“Speaker on Monday the Ontario Health Coalition brought almost ten thousand people on the front lawn of our legislature. The entire NDP caucus was present but not one member of the conservative party wanted to hear their message. The thousands of people who came, spoke with one voice their message to the government on behalf of millions of Ontarians is clear:
Stop Privatizing our healthcare system.
Many shared personal stories of being charged at private clinics for services that should have been free. Of having to pay $200 to a nutritionist before they could get the free colonoscopy they needed. Or having to pay $1000 for the lens their ophthalmologist prefers to use but is not covered by OHIP. The auditor Outpatient Surgeries report’s findings are not pretty but not surprising. Her report shows private clinics over charge, many double bill and there is no accountability for their actions. Yet the Premier and Minister of Health are giving millions more money to private clinics; clinics who poach staff from our public system and make the health care staffing crisis worse.
I am from the party of Tommy Douglas the father of Medicare: a program that defines us as Canadians as Ontarians, where care is based on needs not on the ability to pay. Ontarians are united they want the government to stop the privatization of our health care system. We live in a democracy I hope the government starts listening to the people of Ontario, not just the donors who show up to their fundraisers.”