September 23rd, 2020

Ford blocking pharmacare as feds reveal Speech from the Throne

QUEEN’S PARK — Official Opposition NDP Leader Andrea Horwath released the following statement on the federal government’s Speech from the Throne:
“The pandemic has shown Ontarians that workplace prescription drug benefits can disappear in an instant. Right now, when we most need to keep people out of the hospital, pharmacare is more important than ever.
The commitment from the federal government in the throne speech to universal pharmacare is welcome, but it’s going to take a whole heck of a lot more than words to make it happen. Here in Ontario, the Liberal government had 15 years to implement pharmacare, and chose not to. Now, we’re worried that Doug Ford will actually stand in the way of creating a drug plan that covers everyone. His track record is to cut OHIP and undermine medicare, not expand it – right up to this week, when he said health care should be delivered based on a “free market society.”
The same goes for child care, which is becoming harder and harder to afford, if parents can even find a space. We welcome the commitment to a national child care program. We hope this is not yet more pretty words without action, and we urge Doug Ford to come to the table with urgent financial support to make national, universal, public child care a reality.
Working folks – especially women – won’t have the kind of financial stability they need to drive the recovery without universal pharmacare, universal child care and other factors, including paid sick leave.”