Horwath pledges to keep standing with families against Ford as legislative session ends

QUEEN’S PARK—On the last day of the spring session, 364 days after an Ontario election that saw the NDP claim Official Opposition status, NDP Leader Andrea Horwath vowed to keep standing up for everyday families and putting their priorities first.

“Since taking office, Doug Ford has put his friends and insiders ahead of Ontarians,” said Horwath. “One of his first orders of business was to settle old scores, cut Toronto’s city council and cancel regional chair elections that were already underway. He spent months awarding his friends and insiders with million dollar appointments, while cancelling a pay raise and protections for our province’s most vulnerable workers.

“His callous cuts and backroom schemes have cost us dearly, with services being ripped away from classrooms, families of children with autism and deep cuts to municipal services like child care, public health and land ambulances. Yesterday, Mr. Ford was at it again, plowing ahead with a wage cap that will set the stage for disruptions to critical public services that families count on every day.”

Horwath said that while the year was marked by Ford’s deep cuts to public services and insider-driven schemes, New Democrats partnered with families to push back against Ford and together, achieved important victories since June 2018.

Horwath highlighted actions New Democrats have taken on the issues that matter most to Ontarians, like:

• Declaring a climate change emergency in Ontario
• Formally adopting the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
• Protecting municipalities from meddling and bullying by Doug Ford, or any other Premier
• Fighting for truly universal health care, starting with pharmacare
• Protecting auto insurance customers and preventing postal code discrimination
• Pushing for a French-language university and a French Language services commissioner
• Fighting for a new hospital in Brampton, long-term care beds in Durham, GM jobs in Oshawa, and broadband connections in rural and northern Ontario.

“Despite Doug Ford’s attacks, Ontario families aren’t backing down,” said Horwath. “Now, more than ever, people are coming together, partnering with New Democrats and pushing back against Mr. Ford’s backwards priorities.”