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Steph Paquette

Anti-Replacement Worker Legislation
Une loi anti-travailleurs de remplacement

March 29, 2023

NDP MPPs Re-introduce Anti-Replacement Worker Legislation

Today, NDP MPP France Gélinas introduced the Anti-Scab Labour Act, 2023 in the Ontario legislature with co-sponsors MPPs Jennifer French, Wayne Gates, Lisa Gretzky and Jamie West. The MPPs were joined by workers from Windsor and Oshawa who are presently on strike and can see firsthand the effects scab labour (replacement workers) has on negotiations. Ontario banned scab labour in 1992 when NDP Labour Minister Bob Mackenzie amended the Labour Relations Act; the ban on replacement workers was repealed in 1995 under legislation introduced by the Mike Harris government.

“My community faced a yearlong strike from 2009 to 2010 at the Vale-INCO in Sudbury. During that strike replacement workers were used,” Gélinas said. “Many of the replacement workers who crossed the picket line not only put their own safety at risk but also faced hardship for years after the strike.   Scab labour hurts people, families and communities. The use of scab labour leads to longer strikes and lockout. The time has come to close this loophole and ban the use of replacement workers like they did in Quebec and British Columbia decades ago” stated Gélinas. “This is the 16th time the NDP has introduced this bill and it’s time to make it the law.”

The anti-Scab labour Act, 2023 would prohibit the use of replacement workers during a strike or lockout, except in the case of emergencies. It is being introduced this week in recognition of the 10th anniversary of the death of MPP Peter Kormos (Welland 1988-2011). Mr. Kormos was known around Ontario as a champion of working-class people and collective bargaining. “To allow corporate bosses to circumvent, to avoid, collective bargaining at the table by importing scabs is an outrage” Mr. Kormos once stated. Peter Kormos passed away ten years ago on March 30th 2013, he was 60 years old.

“Ontario workers demand and deserve anti-scab legislation. It is appalling that in Ontario we still have a system that allows employers to lock out workers then hire replacement or scab workers to take their jobs. It undermines workers’ rights to a fair and free collective bargaining process. Recently, Highbury Canco in Leamington used scab workers to drag out a labour dispute for 23 days, most of which the employer wouldn’t bargain with the union,” stated MPP Lisa Gretzky. “Workers deserve to be respected and protected. We must bring in anti-scab labour legislation in Ontario. It will shorten labour disputes, reduce safety risks at workplaces and make the bargaining situation fair for everyone involved. I am honoured to represent Windsor, a strong labour town with an incredible work force. I know they, and workers across the province, will benefit from this anti-scab legislation.”

MPP Jamie West shared his experience of walking a picket line where replacement workers were allowed to cross. “Our bill prevents an employer from replacing striking or locked-out employees with scab replacement workers because bringing in replacement workers lengthens these labour disputes and undermines the effectiveness of workers who collectively agree to withdraw their labour.  I come from a union town and I’m proud of my blue-collar, working-class background. I know what it’s like to be on strike and I witnessed our Labour dispute unnecessarily extended because of the use of scab replacement workers. My community still bears the scars from workers in Sudbury and Nickel Belt being pitted against each other for almost a year during the 2010 USW strike. There is no doubt that, if the company was prohibited from using replacement workers, an agreement could have been reached much sooner. It’s not just the immediate impact during a specific Labour dispute. Using scab labour takes advantage of desperate people. It uses them to create divides in our communities and then leaves them behind. We will continue to stand alongside workers and stand for the right to collective bargaining. We encourage others to support our workers in voting in favour of this vital bill.”

“I have been a member of the labour movement for 40 years. Over and over again I have seen workers’ rights trampled on when workers are locked out and employers use scab labour to do their jobs. There is no incentive for employers to bargain in good faith, or at all, if they can simply replace locked out workers with scab workers. The Ford conservative government spends a lot of time saying they stand up for workers. Now is the time to do that and pass this bill,” MPP Wayne Gates stated.

“At a recent labour dispute in our community, Unifor 222 cleaners on strike made it clear to me how unsafe it was for replacement workers to be cleaning laboratories without training, health and safety protocols or proper protective equipment. Those replacement workers were dropped off in unmarked vans to run through residential neighbourhoods to get to the worksite. They had no protections. Employers using people as pawns to prolong strikes and disrespect their own workers is gross.  This government never sides with workers or safety, maybe today they will” Said MPP Jennifer French.

Quotes

During the labour dispute at Highbury Canco the employer used scab workers to do bargaining unit’s work. This included management and new hires. It was extremely disheartening for all three shifts of picketers to see the scab workers being bused in. It became more and more dangerous on the picket line as drivers became more and more aggressive while they waited their five minutes in line. The OPP were called 8 times over the course of the strike, fortunately no one was hurt. With the assistance of our union president, Shawn Haggerty, and the Government conciliator, we were eventually able to get back to the bargaining table with the employer and hammer out an agreement. Tempers did rise on both sides and even though we are now back to work , we are still dealing with the fallout created by this. We are still struggling daily with the animosity and chaos this labour dispute created and I imagine it will continue.

Scott Jackson, Chief Steward Highbury Canco UFCW 175

When employers bring in replacement workers during a strike or lockout all it does is extend Labour disputes. The employer can simply walk away from the bargaining table, with the idea they can simply continue to run operations using scabs.

Brother Roopchand Doon, Vice-President of the Steelworkers’ Toronto Area Council

Les député.es néo-démocrates réintroduisent une loi anti-travailleurs de remplacement

29 mars 2023

La députée France Gélinas a présenté la Loi de 2023 sur les briseurs de grève à l’Assemblée législative de l’Ontario, coparrainé par les député.es Jennifer French, Wayne Gates, Lisa Gretzky et Jamie West. Les député.es ont été rejoints par des travailleurs de Windsor et d’Oshawa qui sont actuellement en grève et qui constatent l’effet des briseurs de grève (travailleurs de remplacement) sur les négociations. L’Ontario a interdit les briseurs de grève (travailleurs de remplacement) en 1992 lorsque le ministre du Travail du NPD, Bob Mackenzie, a modifié la Loi sur les relations de travail; l’interdiction des travailleurs de remplacement a été renversé en 1995 par le gouvernement de Mike Harris.

« Ma communauté a fait face à une grève d’un an de 2009 à 2010 à Vale-INCO à Sudbury. Pendant cette grève, des travailleurs de remplacement ont été utilisés. Bon nombre des travailleurs de remplacement qui ont franchi la ligne de piquetage ont non seulement mis leur propre sécurité en danger, mais ont également fait face à des difficultés pendant des années après la grève. L’utilisation de briseurs de grève fait du mal à long terme aux gens, aux familles et aux communautés. L’utilisation de briseurs de grève entraîne des grèves et des lock-out plus longs. Le temps est venu de fermer cette échappatoire et d’interdire le recours aux travailleurs et travailleuses de remplacement comme le Québec et la Colombie-Britannique l’ont fait il y a des décennies », a déclaré Madame Gélinas. « C’est la 16è fois que le NPD présente ce projet de loi et il est temps d’en faire une loi. »

La Loi sur les anti-briseurs de grève interdirait le recours à des travailleurs de remplacement pendant une grève ou un lock-out, sauf en cas d’urgence. Elle est présentée cette semaine en reconnaissance du 10è anniversaire du décès du député provincial Peter Kormos (Welland 1988-2011). M. Kormos était connu partout en Ontario comme un champion de la classe ouvrière et de la négociation collective. « Permettre aux patrons d’entreprise de contourner, d’éviter la négociation collective à la table en important des briseurs de grève est un scandale », a déclaré un jour M. Kormos. Peter Kormos est décédé il y a dix ans, le 30 mars 2013, il avait 60 ans.

« Les travailleurs et travailleuses de l’Ontario exigent et méritent une loi anti-briseurs de grève. Il est épouvantable qu’en Ontario nous ayons encore un système qui permet aux employeurs de mettre des travailleurs en lock-out puis d’embaucher des briseurs de grève pour prendre leur emploi. Ceci porte atteinte aux droits des travailleurs et travailleuses à un processus de négociation collective juste et libre. Récemment, Highbury Canco à Leamington a utilisé des briseurs de grève pour prolonger un conflit de travail pendant 23 jours,», a déclaré la députée Lisa Gretzky. « Les travailleurs et travailleuses méritent d’être respectés et protégés. Nous devons adopter une loi anti-briseurs de grève en Ontario. Cela raccourcira les conflits de travail, réduira les risques pour la sécurité sur les lieux de travail et rendra la situation de négociation équitable pour toutes les personnes concernées. Je suis honorée de représenter Windsor, une ville ouvrière forte, dotée d’une main-d’œuvre incroyable. Je sais qu’à Windsor et dans toute la province les gens bénéficieront de cette loi anti-briseurs de grève.

Le député provincial Jamie West a partagé son expérience sur une ligne de piquetage où les travailleurs de remplacement ont été autorisés à traverser. « Notre projet de loi empêche un employeur de remplacer des employés en grève ou en lock-out par des briseurs de grève parce que faire venir des travailleurs de remplacement allonge ces conflits de travail et nuit à l’efficacité des travailleurs qui s’entendent collectivement pour arrêter leur travail. Je viens d’une ville syndicale et je suis fier de mon passé de col bleu et de classe ouvrière. Je sais ce que c’est que d’être en grève et j’ai été témoin de l’extension inutile de notre conflit de travail à cause de l’utilisation de briseurs de grève. Ma communauté porte encore les cicatrices des travailleurs de Sudbury et de Nickel Belt qui se sont affrontés pendant près d’un an lors de la grève des Métallos en 2010. Nul doute que s’il était interdit à l’entreprise d’avoir recours à des travailleurs de remplacement, une entente aurait pu être conclue beaucoup plus tôt. Ce n’est pas seulement l’impact immédiat lors d’un conflit de travail spécifique. L’utilisation de briseurs de grève abuse des gens désespérés. Ils sont utilisés pour créer des divisions dans nos communautés, puis on les laisse derrière. Nous continuerons à nous tenir aux côtés des travailleurs et travailleuses et à défendre le droit à la négociation collective. Nous encourageons les autres député.es à soutenir nos travailleurs et travailleuses en votant en faveur de ce projet de loi vital. ”

« Je suis membre du mouvement syndical depuis 40 ans. Maintes et maintes fois, j’ai vu les droits des travailleurs et travailleuse bafoués lorsque les employeurs utilisent des briseurs de grève pour faire leur travail surtout durant les lock-outs. Rien n’incite les employeurs à négocier de bonne foi, voire pas du tout, s’ils peuvent simplement remplacer les travailleurs et travailleuses en lock-out par des briseurs de grève. Le gouvernement conservateur Ford passe beaucoup de temps à dire qu’il défend les travailleurs. Il est maintenant temps de le faire et d’adopter ce projet de loi, la loi 2023 sur les briseurs de grève », a déclaré le député Wayne Gates.

« Lors d’un récent conflit de travail dans notre communauté, les nettoyeurs d’Unifor 222 en grève m’ont clairement fait comprendre à quel point il était dangereux pour les travailleurs de remplacement de nettoyer des laboratoires sans formation, sans protocoles de santé et de sécurité ou sans équipement de protection approprié. Ces travailleurs de remplacement ont été déposés par des camionnettes banalisées pour traverser les quartiers résidentiels pour se rendre sur le chantier. Ils n’avaient aucune protection. Les employeurs utilisant ces gens comme des pions pour prolonger les grèves et démontrer leur non-respect à leurs propres travailleurs, c’est grossier. Ce gouvernement ne se range jamais du côté des travailleurs et travailleuses ou de la sécurité, peut-être qu’aujourd’hui ils le feront », a déclaré la députée Jennifer French.

Déclaration :

Pendant le conflit de travail chez Highbury Canco, l’employeur a utilisé des briseurs de grève pour faire le travail de l’unité de négociation. Cela comprenait la direction et les nouvelles recrues. C’était extrêmement décourageant pour les trois équipes de piqueteurs de voir les briseurs de grève se faire emmener en autobus. Cela devenait de plus en plus dangereux sur la ligne de piquetage alors que les chauffeurs devenaient de plus en plus agressifs pendant qu’ils attendaient leurs cinq minutes en ligne. La Police provinciale de l’Ontario a été appelée 8 fois au cours de la grève, heureusement personne n’a été blessé. Avec l’aide de notre président syndical, Shawn Haggerty, et du conciliateur du gouvernement, nous avons finalement pu revenir à la table de négociation avec l’employeur et conclure une entente. On vit une augmentation de l’agressivité des deux côtés et même si nous sommes maintenant de retour au travail, nous sommes toujours confrontés aux retombées créées par cela. Nous luttons encore quotidiennement contre l’animosité et le chaos que ce conflit de travail a créés et j’imagine que cela va continuer.

Scott Jackson, délégué syndical en chef Highbury Canco TUAC 175

Lorsque les employeurs font appel à des travailleurs de remplacement pendant une grève ou un lock-out, cela ne fait qu’étendre les conflits de travail. L’employeur peut quitter la table de négociation, avec l’idée qu’il peut simplement continuer à gérer ses opérations en utilisant des briseurs de grève.

Roopchand Doon, vice-président du Conseil régional des Métallos de Toronto

Make Healthcare More Accessible
Faciliter l’accès aux soins de santé

March 28, 2023

Less Healthcare for Ontarians coming April 1st

France Gélinas, MPP for Nickel Belt, and NDP Health critic is concerned changes coming April 1st will make eye care less accessible for seniors and access to any health care next to impossible for people experiencing homelessness.

“Yesterday I and the minister received thousands of emails calling on the provincial government to ensure continued access to medically necessary services to people living in Ontario. These people are Ontarians like you and I, Speaker. They are not able to get an OHIP card because of systemic barriers. How is a homeless person supposed to go to Service Ontario with a proof of address? They are homeless, but they deserve care. What is the minister going to do in the next three days to ensure that she removes barriers, so that every Ontarian who qualifies for a health card gets one?” asked MPP Gélinas.

The Ford government’s changes to vision care for seniors is also quite concerning. While those over 65 previously qualified for an eye exam every 12 months, seniors will now receive one exam every 18 months. “How can the minister justify her decision to reduce access to eye care for vulnerable seniors with deteriorating vision? What is the body of evidence that supports the cut to health care services that this government is doing?” asked MPP Gélinas.

Duty to consult with First Nations
Obligation de consulter les Premières nations

March 22, 2023

Ontario is ignoring its duty to consult First Nations

France Gélinas, MPP for Nickel Belt, rose in the legislature this morning to point out the Ford government’s duty to properly consult with the First Nation’s communities based in Ontario.

“Speaker, this morning, I was on the phone with Gimaa Craig Nootchtai, the Chief of Atikameksheng Anishinabek. His people’s traditional territories are home to almost all the mines in Nickel Belt; mines that play a big part in paying for this government’s upcoming budget. Gimaa Nootchtai and his council were invited to an information session on Bill 71: The Building More Mines Act. They put a lot of time and efforts preparing for this information session, as Bill 71 will have multi-generational implications for their people. Gimaa Nootchtai and his team were shocked when the government declared after the start of the information session that this virtual meeting was actually a consultation session. That meeting was the government’s idea of satisfying its duty to consult with First Nations on Bill 71. Gimaa Nootchtai said, and I quote: “I told them that “consultation” should have started when the proposed changes were first conceptualized so that we could truly participate in drafting legislation that directly affects our lands and rights.”

This government has a duty to consult First Nations, why are they not taking their responsibilities seriously? Why is it, that this government seems bound and determined to continue to treat First Nation people with such disrespect? This must change, when will this government consult with Atikameksheng Anishinabek on the changes to the mining act?”
According to the Ford government Bill 71, Building More Mines Act, 2023 will make opening a new mine faster and cheaper.

Pay Equity for Midwives
Équité salariale pour les sages-femmes

March 8, 2023

Will the government give midwives pay equity?

During question period MPP France Gélinas (Nickel Belt) asked the Premier if the government will listen to the courts and tribunals, and give midwives pay equity?

“You will remember in 1994, the NDP brought midwifery to Ontario. We gave Ontario families access to midwives for free and we paid the midwives respectfully. After 16 years of Conservative and Liberal governments (year 2000), midwives faced a $100,000 pay equity gap. No matter the analysis that the midwives presented, the Liberal and the Conservative governments refused to listen to these women. So the midwives launched multiple appeals in the courts and in the human rights tribunal. You know what, Speaker? They won each and every one of those appeals. The tribunal sided with the midwives and ordered the government to pay. Yet, we are now in 2023. It is International Women’s Day. Will this Conservative government do the right thing, respect the tribunal, respect midwives and give them pay equity?” Gélinas asked.

The Ontario Court of Appeal ruled in favour of midwives pay equity on June 13, 2022, a decision which the government stated it would not appeal at the Supreme Court of Canada. The decision came after nine years of appeals in courts and tribunals.

Concerns about Schedule 2 of Bill 60
Préoccupations concernant l’annexe 2 du projet de loi 60

March 7, 2023

Bill 60’s schedule 2 more than concerning

This morning in the Queen’s Park Media Studio MPP France Gélinas and the Executive Director of the Ontario Health Coalition spoke with reporters about their concerns with Schedule 2 of Bill 60; the Ford government’s bill to move surgeries into corporate controlled for-profit surgical suites.

“Currently the titles of physician, nurse, registered practical nurse, respiratory therapist, laboratory technician are all protected titles for health professionals that are supervised by a health college. The college ensures that the title is held by a professional with prescribed level of education, experience and is registered’’ Gélinas stated. “Schedule 2 of Bill 60 allows these titles to be used by people who are not registered members of a regulatory health college.”

Schedule 2 of Bill 60 states “physician” means a legally qualified medical practitioner who is lawfully entitled to practice medicine in Ontario or another prescribed person. The government has yet to release any draft regulations that would indicate who that another prescribed person would be. In order for people to receive quality care they need to trust that the physician or the nurse or the respiratory therapist in front of them have the knowledge and the skills of that profession.

Merha said “This legislation is already, in our opinion, horrible legislation as it brings in the privatization of core services from our public hospitals; however, there was no real need for this legislation as the government already had tools to make these changes. This schedule (2) is a shocking deregulation of a range of health care providers, from surgeons and physicians, through every class of nurses, x-ray technologist, respiratory therapists, and laboratory technologist. They’ve deregulated all those professionals and will leave it to regulations to prescribe who can call themselves a surgeon, who can call themselves a nurse and so on.”

Bill 60 has passed second reading and will be brought before the Ontario Legislature’s Social Policy Committee for public comment on March 20th and 21st.

Overcrowding Hospitals affects patient care
La surpopulation des hôpitaux affecte les soins aux patients

March 7, 2023

Overcrowding in our hospitals affects patient care

This morning during question period MPP France Gélinas (Nickel Belt) asked the Minister of Health, Sylvia Jones what the government has to say to families who have suffered because of the overcrowding of Ontario’s hospitals.

“Since the Ford’s government came into power, they have talked a whole lot about solving the overcrowding problem in our hospitals. Unfortunately, last week in Collingwood, a 32-year-old father was seriously injured at work. He fell victim to the overcrowding problem the government has not dealt with. It took almost eight hours from the time of his accident until they were able to locate a hospital with a vacant ICU bed to care for him. What does the government have to say to the families who are victims to the overcrowding problem they promised to fix 5 years ago?’’ Gélinas asked.

On March 1st Global news reported a small business owner from Angus, On. fell onto concrete while working in Collingwood. No hospital anywhere closer than London had an ICU bed available leading, to an eight hour wait to receive necessary urgent care. The surgery was unsuccessful, and the man did not recover.

“The health care workers crisis in our hospitals is real, the overcrowding of our hospitals is real. They have a direct impact on the care available to people. This time the consequences are a dead worker, a young widow and a fatherless 2 year old son. How many more families will be broken before your government address the health care workers crisis in our overcrowded hospitals?”

On February 7, 2023, a report from the Financial Accountability Office of Ontario showed that $6.8 billion allocated in the Provincial Budget is not being spent on the services it was designated for, like healthcare and education.

Lifelabs allowed to fail Ontarians
Lifelabs : un échec pour les Ontarien-nes

Why is LifeLabs Allowed to Continually Fail Ontario’s Patients?

December 6, 2022

During question period MPP France Gélinas (Nickel Belt) asked the Minister of Health, whether LifeLabs is providing good service to Ontario’s patients?

“Linda Luyt from Sudbury is an endometrial cancer survivor. She requires annual PAP tests by her oncology team. She had her test done on October 18. Usually, it takes 3 sometimes up to 6 weeks for the results to come in, but last week, when she called her doctor, she was told results are now taking 6 months to come in.

Minister is 6 months an acceptable amount of time to wait for a cancer diagnostic test result?’’

A recent report from the CBC shows that women across Ontario are waiting months for results from PAP tests. The Medical Laboratory Professionals’ Association of Ontario confirms that private for profit laboratories are short-staffed.

“When cancer patients must wait six months for test results it often means much more intensive and expensive treatments as well as increased risk of harm. Ontario laboratory services are now dominated by LifeLabs, a private for-profit company. In my riding LifeLabs offers terrible customer service. They let frail elderly people wait outside in minus 20 weather, they have minimum staffing, minimum hours of operation and huge delays for test results.

Does the Minister agree that privatization, of our lab services, has made services worst?”

In her 2017 report Ontario’s Auditor General stated there was no provincial target, data collection or monitoring of wait times for laboratory services. She also stated that laboratory service providers set their own wait-time targets.

Protect our Blood Supply
Protéger nos réserves de sang

December 1, 2022

Minister Jones Must Protect Our Blood Supply

MPP France Gélinas (Nickel Belt) rose in the legislature to make a statement on World AIDS Day, reminding the government of the Krever Commission and the importance of protecting Ontario and Canada’s blood supply.

“Speaker, today, December 1st is World AIDS Day. The most important message AIDS taught Canadians is the importance of protecting our blood supply. The AIDS virus in our blood supply unknowingly infected hundreds of Canadians who received blood transfusions in the 1980s, leading to the “Royal Commission of Inquiry on the Blood System in Canada” better known as the Krever Inquiry. The report concluded “that blood is a public resource, that donors should not be paid, that Canada must increase self-sufficiency in all blood and blood products and that no part of the national blood operator’s duties should be contracted out.”

In 2014 a private company was preparing to open paid plasma collection centres in Toronto and Hamilton. Recognizing the threat, the previous government passed the Voluntary Blood Donations Act. I was proud to vote in favour of that bill, along with our current Minister of Health, Minister Jones and eight members of the current government, to shut these clinics down.

Now, 8 years later, Canadian Blood Services (CBS) has signed a deal with Grifols Pharmaceuticals that contracts out plasma collection to that for-profit company. We must remember the Canadians who got sick, all those who died and the recommendations of the Krever Inquiry. The Ontario Minister of Health is the lead supervisor of Canadian Blood Services. She has a duty to act right now to protect Ontarians and Canadians by shutting down this deal. For profit plasma collection put people’s lives at risk, will the Minister act now before it is too late.

It was announced in September that CBS had signed an agreement with Grifols, a company headquartered in Spain, to meet national targets for plasma supply by collecting paid-for plasma. In 2014, Minister of Health Sylvia Jones, Minister of Housing Steve Clarke, Minister of Energy Todd Smith, Minister of Agriculture Lisa Thompson, Speaker of the House Ted Arnott, MPPs Bailey, Hardeman, Scott and Yakabuski all voted in favour of the Voluntary Blood Donations Act.

Stop Stalling on Emergency Services
Cesser de bloquer les services d’urgence

November 29, 2022

Ford Government’s Stalling on Emergency Services Leaves Ontarians Waiting

This morning during question period MPP France Gélinas (Nickel Belt) asked the Premier what Ontario was doing to improve emergency services across Ontario.

“Lately in the City of Greater Sudbury, 40% of a paramedic’s time is spent waiting to offload patients to Health Sciences North overcrowded emergency department. The City of Greater Sudbury is huge, if an ambulance and the paramedics are stuck at the hospital, that leaves the good people of Beaver Lake, Wahnapitae First Nation or Levack up to one hour away from emergency services.

Does the Premier think it is OK to leave the people of my riding waiting up to one hour for paramedical emergency care to arrive?’’ Gélinas asked.

Greater Sudbury Paramedic Services is responsible for seamless coverage of approximately 9,221 square kilometres and respond to about 32,000 calls per year. They provide pre-hospital care for illness and injury, community Paramedicine, medical assistance at large events and gatherings, community outreach and education.

“Paramedic effectiveness is directly linked to the quality of the dispatch system which sends them to the call. Did you know that Ontario is the only province that doesn’t have 911 everywhere? Every year in my riding people in distress find that out 911 is not available. The paramedics are there but you need to dial a 1-800 number that nobody knows.

When is the premier going to modernize our province’s emergency dispatch system to ensure 911 service is available everywhere in Ontario?”

A 2018 Coroner’s Jury Inquest recommended modernization of Ontario’s 9-1-1 system in the interest of saving lives; many areas in Ontario still require the dialing of a different 10-digit number to access fire, police or paramedic services.

Paying Out of Pocket to Gain Access to Care is Wrong
L’injustice c’est de payer des frais pour l’accès aux services de santé

November 28, 2022

$290 For a Child to Gain Access to a Physician is Wrong!

During question period MPP France Gélinas (Nickel Belt) asked the Minister of Health her rational for letting private enterprises charge high fees to people in order to gain access to physician’s phone consultations as emergency rooms are backlogged and overwhelmed?

“On November 21st, the government sent a letter directing Primary Care Organizations to offer clinical services 7 days a week, including evenings due to “high-volume pressures across our health system”. But starting this Thursday people with sick children will have to pay. Here is what Gail Kirk had to say: “I guess my Christmas presents to my 4-year-old granddaughter and my 4-month-old grandson will be a $290 annual subscription to KixCare. Gramma who lives on CPP and OAS will have to do the government’s job of ensuring access to health care. If this is your idea of improving access, then get out of politics.” What would the minister like to say to Mrs. Gail Kirk?”

Last week CBC Toronto reported a virtual pediatric clinic which had previously provided services without charge was changing their business model to a subscription-based service.

“Mrs. Gail Kirk is not the only one worried about the change coming on December 1st. Sara from Nickel Belt lives with a disability she wrote to me concerned with these changes. She writes “my kids are away at school, my parents are elderly and live in a rural area with no wifi; I can’t emphasize enough how much we depended on phone GP appointments. I’m really concerned my very ill parents will contract COVID at their doctor’s office, and that seems unnecessary and ludicrous.”

Speaker, is decreasing access to telephone consultations during a time of “urgent system pressures” ludicrous, or is it another proof that the Minister is trying to push patients to private services where they pay out of pocket to gain access to the care they need?”

On November 28, the Ford government voted down a bill sponsored by MPP Gélinas which would have increased oversight of clinics who charge unfair fees for access to healthcare services.