October 5, 2023
Why is team Ford shortchanging healthcare?
This morning during question period, France Gélinas, MPP for Nickel Belt, asked the Premier why his government continues to sit on money budgeted for health services?
” Speaker, yesterday the Financial Accountability Officer confirmed what we already knew: this government is starving our public health care system by spending $1 billion less then what was promised. Instead of strengthening our public health care system – and supporting people who are sick or injured and in need of care this government hides health care money in slush funds. Will the Premier listen to the people of Ontario telling him that their health care system matters, and they want him to keep his promise and spend the money on the care they need?“
“During the first 3 months of this year, this conservative government spent $1 billion less on health care than what they promised. While Emergency rooms continue to close, while 2 millions Ontarians do not have access to primary care while thousand of children are on wait list for surgeries. This government did not spend the money they had allocated to health care. What will it take for this government to go from word to action, stop sitting on the money allocated to health care and get people the care they need?”
Based on information provided to the FAO, the government spent $2.6 billion less than the province had planned to spend during the first quarter of 2023-24. By sector, lower-than-planned spending was led by health.