Community News Update - October 28, 2020
Dear Community,
It has been another busy day in Ontario politics, with scandals swirling around the Conservatives once again.
From the further discoveries about notorious bigot Charles McVety getting special treatment from the Ford government, to MPP Sam Oosterhoff’s reckless behaviour going unchecked, there is certainly a lot to be cynical about right now.
However, today I am going to highlight first something positive that we can get done after many years of trying. We can pass the Time to Care Act, a bill that has been tabled four times by the Ontario NDP. While it is likely to pass its second reading tomorrow, it still needs to pass third reading and receive royal assent to become law, and we must ensure that the Ford government allows it to pass fully into law as quickly as possible.
The Time to Care Act is a very simple piece of legislation. It would mandate a minimum level of one-on-one care for every resident in long-term care at 4.1 hours per day.
This would mean that long-term care homes would need to increase their staffing levels, and we could guarantee a higher quality of care.
If you want to help us pass this bill, please add your name here.
This is the fourth time that the Ontario NDP is introducing this legislation, and this time, hopefully the Conservatives and Liberals in the house will rally with us to get it done.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic arrived in Ontario, it has had an immense impact on women, and to date, I have been very frustrated by the inaction from the government to prepare a plan to support women through the recovery that lies ahead.
On Monday, I took the time to make sure the Ford government heard exactly where their plan is falling short, with a five-minute speech in the Legislature. I spoke to the facts of COVID-19’s impact, highlighting the reality that many of the hardest hit sectors (education, healthcare, service industry, etc.) primarily employ women, that child care rates have gone through the roof, and more.
If you are interested in checking out the full speech, you can see it here.
Here in Toronto-St. Paul’s, I want to give a shout out to the great team at Yellow Gazebo, for welcoming me for a visit yesterday! Yellow Gazebo Clinic is a fantastic locally owned natural health care centre. It was great to speak with local small business owner Richard Lobbenberg about the challenges he’s faced during COVID-19, and how we can fix some of the holes in our health care system.
Next, I am amplifying a call out for support from our friends at Humewood House, where they are in need of items for infants, toddlers and young parents. Specifically, they are asking for donations of pull-up diapers, larger sized diapers (size 5 or 6+), purses, backpacks and more. You can find the full list of supplies they are looking for by clicking here. If you are able to support, please call 416-651-5657 to coordinate a drop-off.
Finally today, we saw another 800+ cases of COVID-19 today in Ontario, and we all need to maintain our commitments to each other to reduce the spread of COVID-19. So please remember to wear your mask, wash your hands frequently, and make sure that you are keeping a safe distance from anyone you don’t live with.
In Solidarity,
Jill Andrew