QUEEN’S PARK –– Ontario NDP Shadow Minister for Education Chandra Pasma (Ottawa West––Nepean) is continuing to call on Doug Ford and his Conservative government to throw out their school supplies deal with American-owned Staples, following news that the retailer is charging Ontario educators higher-than-retail prices through the provincial portal:
“This was a bad deal from the beginning,” said Pasma. “Forcing Ontario teachers and education workers to rely on one American-owned corporation for school supplies never made sense. To now find out that Staples was charging them more through the provincial portal would defy belief if it weren’t so on-brand for the Ford government.
“Doug Ford and Minister Calandra never made this deal to help Ontario’s classrooms, they did it to help corporations pump up their bottom line at the expense of our kids and educators. It’s interesting how their tough talk against the United States doesn’t extend to an American corporation price-gouging Ontario’s educators and taking money out of our classrooms.
“The Ford government needs to get serious on Buy Ontario First mandates, and on education. Give our schools the funding they need, and let our educators stand up for Canada by giving them the ability to shop local. Better yet, they should actually invest in our classrooms so teachers and education workers aren’t scrambling to buy supplies.”