Horwath opposes Wynne bill that opens health care privatization

Ontario NDP Leader Andrea Horwath criticized the Wynne Liberals Tuesday for trying to open the door to the further privatization of Ontario’s health care system.

Wynne’s health care privatization omnibus bill, Bill 160, includes a plan to clear the way for private, for-profit health care – making it harder for ordinary families to get the health care they need.

“Year after year, we’ve seen this Liberal government – and the Conservatives before them – making cuts in hospitals and pushing more health care services into private clinics,” said Horwath. “We’ve been on the wrong path in this province, asking families to pay instead of making public health care stronger and faster.”

Now, there are over 1,000 for-profit private clinics in Ontario taking scarce health care dollars and medical professionals out of the public system, which is already understaffed and underfunded. Wynne’s plan to repeal the Private Hospitals Act removes the 44-year ban on future private hospitals in Ontario.

“Kathleen Wynne is opening her arms to more private, for-profit health care when we know that private clinics only make it harder for ordinary families to get the care they need,” said Horwath. “Why is this government doing exactly what we expect from the Conservatives and privatizing the health care people count on?”

Horwath has called for a boost to public health care spending, saying that an NDP government would implement a moratorium on the firing of any more frontline hospital staff and would ensure that hospital funding always keeps up, at a minimum, with the rate of inflation, population growth, and to meet the unique needs of communities. After years of funding freezes and cuts to health care, Wynne is shortchanging hospitals by $300 million this year.

“Kathleen Wynne privatized Hydro One without the consent of the Ontario people, and it looks like she wants to do the same to health care,” said Horwath. “It’s time for a premier that gives Ontario families hope for better care and shorter waits, knowing they will never be forced to pay out of pocket for it.”