Doug Ford spent his first six months on cuts, back-room deals and sowing division

Legislative session ends Thursday

Ontario NDP Leader Andrea Horwath says that Doug Ford and his Conservatives spent their first six months in the legislature making things worse for everyday people.
“The Liberal government let us down,” said Horwath. “But, in six months at Queen’s Park, Doug Ford has made things even worse for people. This is a government that makes decisions in back rooms, with and for their insiders.
“While Doug Ford is telling everyday people the cupboards are bare, he is making sure that his friends, and the most wealthy Ontarians are more than taken care of.”
In just a few short months, Doug Ford and his Conservatives have already:

• Denied minimum wage earners the raise they were counting on
• Cancelled paid sick days for workers
• Ripped $100 million in repair funds away from schools
• Slashed $330 million a year from mental health funding
• Cut increases to already meager social assistance rates
• Scrapped the basic income pilot program that was showing promise when it comes to lifting people out of poverty
• Walked away from thousands and thousands of good auto jobs in Oshawa, without even putting up a fight

At the same time, the Ford government has saddled everyday Ontarians with the bills for their insider-driven moves, by:

• Giving the highest income earners a $275 million tax break
• Appointing multiple friends of Ford to cushy jobs with lavish salaries, while facing allegations that Ford has abused his office’s power to do so
• Paying as much as $500,000 in severance because Ford wanted to stick it to a political enemy at OPG
• Paying out $103 million US dollars as a direct result of Ford’s meddling in Hydro One, on top of the $9 million dollars he sent the Hydro One CEO home with
• Using public money to finance his own bogus news network, and pay for useless border signs

Horwath also noted that what many people will remember from the past six months is how Doug Ford has used his power to try and divide Ontarians.
“We have watched him attack our Courts and the media, and axe vital independent watch dogs,” said Horwath. “We’ve watched him attack members of the public visiting Queen’s Park, and vow to override people’s Charter Rights.
“It’s the kind of politics that’s designed to make some people feel like they matter less than others. People deserve better.”
In contrast to Ford’s agenda of cuts, division and back-room dealing, New Democrats have focused on making life better for people. This session, the NDP tabled bills and motions that would have:

• Built a new hospital in Brampton
• Restored the Milton, Markham and Brampton university plans
• Made it easier and quicker for veterans to get a placement in long-term care
• Restored the French Language Services Commissioner and the Francophone University
• Made take-home cancer drugs free for those battling the disease

The Ford government blocked every one of those, and more.