QUEEN’S PARK — Mike Schreiner released the following statement in response to the release of the Financial Accountability Office’s health sector spending projection from 2022-23 to 2027-28.
“Today’s healthcare report paints a grim picture. Things are getting worse, and access to care will continue to decline until the government invests in Ontario’s healthcare workers.
Ontario’s nurses are grossly underpaid, with the lowest wages in Canada. The result is a staffing crisis that negatively affects patient care.
Emergency room wait times are the highest they’ve been in 15 years. People are stuck on seemingly endless waiting lists for necessary surgeries.
And, in the midst of this crisis, the government refuses to make the necessary investments to meet the needs of a growing and ageing population.
In fact, they have allocated $21.3 billion less than needed to deliver on their existing commitments.
The problems we’re seeing cannot be solved without meaningful investment in Ontario’s frontline healthcare workers.
They deserve fair wages, safe work environments, and to be treated with respect and dignity.
Instead, under the government, we’re getting more of the same wage restraint that is driving healthcare workers out of the system. The government is starving the system and watching it crumble as they prioritize private, for-profit clinics over patient care.
Make no mistake. This is not a government that cares about Ontarians’ wellbeing.