Ontario’s largest union has called today’s fall economic statement a “shallow and cynical attempt by a dishonest government” that is seeking to boost its image before an early election and distract voters from its record of failure and corruption.
“The key feature of today’s statement is the absence of any real action on the crises facing Ontarians,” said CUPE Ontario President Fred Hahn. “A one-time $200 handout does virtually nothing for Ontarians who have been struggling for years with the high cost of living, high housing costs, a shortage of family doctors, crumbling schools, and threadbare social services.
“In fact, Ford’s Conservatives have doubled down on their underfunding of vital public services. In all sectors, real per capita program funding will go down by 2.9% next year, as health care, education, and social services continue to face underfunding that hurts everyone except the premier’s billionaire buddies.”
Hahn levelled further criticism at the government’s plan to send $200 cheques to Ontarians at a cost of $3.2 billion to the province’s treasury.
“This gimmick is Doug Ford’s cynical attempt to buy votes with one-off handouts, rather than invest in sustainable solutions that meet real needs.”
CUPE Ontario Secretary-Treasurer Yolanda McClean called the giveaway a “bribe” and pointed out that it will roll out in a province where 1 in 8 Ontarians live without a family doctor; 1 in 16 Ontarians visited food banks last year; many rural and underserved communities don’t have essential care; and many Ontarians struggle to afford basic necessities like groceries.
“Today’s economic statement comes from a government that has consistently placed the interests of a privileged few above the well being of the many,” she said. “But voters aren’t easily fooled, and workers won’t forget what Conservatives have done – like attempting to rob public sector workers of $6 billion in wages via the unconstitutional Bill 124, or trying to force a concession-filled contract on education workers under Bill 28. Or all the many ways Conservatives have prioritized their rich developer friends over the needs of the people.”
“Whenever the next election comes, Ontarians must be ready to turn the page on the Conservative government, which has consistently underfunded services and prioritized projects that ignore the real needs of Ontarians,”