Community News Update - October 4, 2024
Ontario's 2023 Budget
Dear Community,
The 2023-2024 Ontario budget was tabled today by the Conservatives and let me tell you: the forecast is not looking very sunny for Ontarians! I wish I could say I was surprised.
Budgets are about priorities, and with this budget Ford and his cronies have revealed their hand: PROFIT over PEOPLE.
Here's what your Ontario NDP is fighting for:
- Substantial investments in public health to eliminate egregious hallway health care. This includes retaining and hiring more nurses and other health care professionals.
- Real affordable housing. Investing in community, non-profit, and co-op housing, building on existing land rather than carving up the Green Belt, bringing back real rent control and protections for tenants and home owners.
- Steps to make life more affordable for everyday Ontarians. Doubling ODSP/OW rates, legislating 10 permanent paid sick days, and boosting wages.
Every provincial budget is an opportunity to make this province more livable for current and future residents. Unfortunately, this government has other plans.
Here's the future Doug Ford's promising:
- Funneling public money into private health care facilities. Ontarians can expect longer wait times and fewer nurses and health care professionals.
- No real rent control. This budget sets us on the wrong course heading even further away from affordable housing for all, and they're building even fewer homes than promised, to boot.
- No help for cost of living. No minimum wage increase, a paltry 5% increase to ODSP, and no pay increases for health care, childcare, or education workers.
- No funding for education supports, which means teachers get laid off and classroom sizes balloon.
Doug Ford is saying NO to Ontario!
Ultimately, what has Doug Ford offered the people of Ontario? A hefty number ofNOs.NOpromise of a more affordable Ontario.NOpromise of a sustainable climate future.NOinvestments to help equity-deserving folks.
These decisions will have far-reaching consequences (some of which we're already seeing today!) and will further burden some of the most vulnerable members of our communities: women, folks experiencing poverty and homelessness, folks with disabilities, BIPOC, newcomers, children, and seniors.
The people of this province deserve a government that says YES to their needs. That shows up for their communities. This isn't cutting it.
