|
QUEEN’S PARK – MPP Catherine Fife (Waterloo), NDP Finance critic, released the following statement in response to the Financial Accountability Office (FAO) of Ontario’s Economic and Budget Outlook for Spring 2023:
“Ford is well known for creating huge slush funds with public money – but the FAO’s projection of $22.6 billion in excess funds is outrageously irresponsible, even for this government. Budgets are a reflection of priorities and choices – and Ford should be choosing to invest that money in public services that benefit us all.
Rural emergency rooms are closing, school funding has been cut, resources for firefighters have been slashed – all as life is getting harder for Ontarians. Our daily lives could be improved by bolstering existing programs and introducing new initiatives that would make life easier for people. But with Ford in charge, even when the money is there, Ontarians see no benefit”.
Just a few things an NDP government would invest in:
- Fund our publicly available health care services to prevent ER closures and shorten wait times
- Provide strategic resources to Emergency Services to end ambulance code reds and blacks
- Restore funding to rural firefighting crews to help stop Northern wildfires
- Offer competitive wages for early childcare educators
- Partner with municipalities to build new affordable and supportive housing
The FAO report can be found here.
|