FAO report shows Ford is sitting on $6.7 billion in COVID-19-fighting funds

WATERLOO — An FAO report on federal and provincial COVID-19 measures released Thursday has revealed that Doug Ford is sitting on $6.7 billion in money he promised to use to fight COVID-19. That money could be used to stop the spread of the virus — from ensuring kids are safer in schools to getting hospitals ready for a second wave — but Ford is choosing to horde it to help his bottom line, instead.

“Kids are being packed into crowded classrooms in the middle of a pandemic. With new COVID-19 infections climbing, long-term care homes are still short-staffed and hospitals haven’t been shored up to deal with any COVID-19 and flu waves coming,” said Catherine Fife, Ontario NDP critic for Economic Growth and Job Creation. “Doug Ford shouldn’t be withholding money to make his bottom line look better — he should be getting that money out the door to make students and staff safer in schools, and stop the second wave of COVID-19 outbreaks before people again experience the anguish of loved ones getting ill, job losses and further economic damage.”

The $6.7 billion in remaining unallocated provincial funds includes $3.5 billion in cash transfers from the federal government. Because Ontario isn’t spending the money it promised to, COVID-19 spending for Ontarians has, so far, been 97 per cent provided by the federal government and just three per cent by the provincial government.

“Doug Ford never believed in investing in schools, hospitals, long-term care homes and public health. Those are all things he was cutting and squeezing before the pandemic,” said Fife. “Now, he’s quietly squirrelling away money meant for those things. This premier just doesn’t believe it’s his job to make education and health care better.”

Fife said Ford’s refusal to get aid money out the door is a troubling signal that his government seems to be returning to its agenda of squeezing and cutting services that matter.