Horwath says Ford’s agenda doesn’t match Ontario’s priorities

Best path forward is to withdraw Bill 31, says NDP Leader

QUEEN’S PARK — Official Opposition Leader Andrea Horwath will join NDP MPPs in the legislature at midnight - but said the fact that they’ll only deal with Doug Ford’s meddling in Toronto’s municipal election shows that Ford’s priorities don’t match the priorities of Ontario people.

“Under Ford, 80,000 Jobs were lost in Ontario last month. Health care wait times and hallway medicine are only getting worse. Ford’s cuts to things like mental health funding are going to impact people’s well-being. That’s what we should be focused on at Queen’s Park — not Doug Ford’s grudge against the City of Toronto,” said Horwath.

“The best chance of allowing Toronto to hold a fair, democratic election this fall is for Bill 31 to be withdrawn. That would end the uncertainty for Toronto, preserve Ontarians’ protections under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and allow the legislature to refocus on the things that families desperately need us to fix.”

Ford’s recall of the legislature for midnight tonight is only to try to ram through his second attempt to meddle in Toronto’s municipal election, this time called Bill 31. Ford’s first attempt, Bill 5, was ruled unconstitutional by the Superior Court.

“Doug Ford has dragged our entire province into his personal grudge match against Toronto. He’s trampled our Charter rights, attacked our courts and now routinely sees members of the public thrown out of the legislature for daring to oppose him,” said Horwath.

“And all for what? An attack on Toronto that won’t make anyone’s lives better.”

Horwath said the Official Opposition NDP will continue to defend democracy and reject Doug Ford’s Charter-bashing – tonight, tomorrow and for the next four years – but will also speak up on the issues that are priorities for Ontario families.

“Rural and northern Ontarians’ needs are being completely ignored. Our children’s crumbling schools are getting worse by the day. Hospital wait times are only getting longer.

“It’s time to end Ford’s obsession with Toronto and focus the legislature on all those things going from bad to worse under Mr. Ford. The path forward is for Bill 31 to be withdrawn, and Ford’s court appeal of Bill 5 to stop.”