Toronto, ON – The Ford Conservatives doubled down on the worst of their instincts, like continuing the artificially and chronically-low corporate tax rate and underinvesting in the services Ontarians rely on, said the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Ontario.
“The same old Ford Conservatives are back and we’re going backwards if they get their way,” said Fred Hahn, President of CUPE Ontario. “First, they failed to improve the inadequate budget they presented before the election, despite inflation exploding and emergency rooms closing across the province. Then, they doubled down on empty talk and no ideas to concretely help the people of Ontario who are the ones working hard to keep our province going.”
The throne speech made mention of an increase to ODSP rates by 5%, amounting to a $55/month increase at most, which CUPE Ontario has joined many others in calling unlivable. Billions in hospital construction projects will be handed out to private corporations with no commitment to repeal Bill 124 or make other significant investments to address the needs in our public healthcare system.
In a speech that began with a pledge to address Ontario’s labour shortages, there were no commitments to raise wages, increase benefits, guarantee paid sick days, or invest in public schools, instead focusing on attracting corporations to extract the province’s natural resources and build highways.
“Education workers are bargaining with the government as we speak, calling for real investments in schools to provide Ontario’s students with quality education,” said Hahn. “Meanwhile, this throne speech announced $225-million that would go to parents who are bafflingly supposed to now find private tutors to help their kids catch up.”
“Ontarians deserve better than this recycled pre-election budget,” said Hahn. “We’re in new and uncharted territory, and we need a bold and targeted plan to help people deal with inflation and to bolster the public services our communities rely.”
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For more information, contact:
Daniel Tseghay
Communications Representative, CUPE
[email protected] | 647-220-9739
lf/cope491
