Wynne Liberals had 15 years to take action on dental care; they failed

Ontario NDP leader Andrea Horwath says that Kathleen Wynne has shown Ontario families that health care, pharmacare and dental care are not priorities for her.

This morning during question period, Horwath demanded to know why the Wynne Liberal government took absolutely no action to address the crisis in access to dental care during their 15 years in office.

“4.5 million people in Ontario can’t afford to go to the dentist,” said Horwath. “The Liberals could have fixed it – but they didn’t and that’s shameful.”

Horwath questioned the Liberals about Mira Etlin-Stein and her partner Brian Lahaie – a Toronto couple with a nearly two-year-old daughter. They are both self-employed and haven’t been able to afford to go to the dentist in years. Their daughter has never been.

“Musicians, artists, entrepreneurs, free-lancers, and others in the gig economy need workplace health benefits, starting with dental care. Seniors need dental care. People on social assistance need dental care. But instead of prioritizing the needs of everyday families, the Liberals have instead spent $1 billion on the gas plants scandal, enacted policies that have ensured that corporations and the wealthiest don’t pay their fair share, sold off Hydro One, and wasted $8 billion on P3 projects that could have been completed for much less.”

Horwath recently unveiled the NDP’s Dental Care for Everyone plan which will publicly fund dental coverage for millions of people, including those on social assistance and seniors who don’t have retirement benefits, and ensure every working person -- including part-time workers, temp workers and entrepreneurs -- have workplace dental benefits.

The NDP leader has also pledged to implement Canada’s first universal pharmacare program – so that everyone in Ontario, regardless of age or income, will be able to get the medications they need without emptying their wallet.