January 26th, 2021

New report reveals Ford is refusing to spend the money that could have saved lives

HAMILTON – Official Opposition Finance critic Sandy Shaw has released a statement in response to a new report from the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA), outlining the share of federal and provincial spending during the pandemic:

“Our hospitals are overwhelmed, long-term care homes are in the grips of a deadly crisis, and thousands more people are getting sick every single day. We have now lost more Ontarians during the second wave, than we did in the first.

The report reveals once again that Ford has refused to spend the money that could have saved lives and prevented the spread of the virus that’s devastated communities across our province. According to the CCPA, the provincial government in Ontario is spending less per person on the pandemic, just $612, compared to Quebec, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and B.C. which have each spent more. The report also shows that Ontario has by far the most money sitting in unallocated pandemic relief funds compared to any other province or territory.

Instead of using billions in COVID-19 funding to protect people, he’s sitting on it. He doesn’t want to spend the money on everyday people. Ford was cutting our public health, education and long-term care before the pandemic, too. We are paying the price for his choices, with a longer, broader lockdown and more agony and tragic loss.

Ford needs to stop listening to lobbyists and his insiders, and start following the advice of public health experts who have said clearly that the only way to control this virus is to invest in critical supports like paid sick leave, more long-term care staff, more isolation facilities and on-site workplace testing. For every day Ford sits on unspent COVID-19 funds, there will be more suffering and despair in our province that could have been prevented.”