In his first visit to London since becoming leader of the Ontario Progressive Conservative Party, Doug Ford told a packed ballroom that a PC government will put an end to "hallway health care."
Overcrowding in hospitals was just one of several issues Ford touched on in a speech in front of more than 500 people at the Lamplighter Inn in London on Monday night.
He also spoke about hydro prices, the economy, education, and taxes in front of a crowd of Tory supporters. While short on specifics, Ford told the crowd that a PC government would make sure that patients aren't forced to wait for care while lying on gurneys in the hallways of hospitals.
"I know some of you have heard this story, but I'm going to tell it again," he said. "When I brought my Mom in, she'd had a little slip a few weeks ago during the leadership. We brought her into the hospital and she was stacked up in the hallways like the cars on the 401. We're going to find ways of making sure we reduce those wait times."
Ford went on to praise Ontario's doctors and nurses, calling them the best in the world. He said the wait times at hospitals aren't the fault of front-line workers. He added a PC government would hire more nurses so that EMS workers won't have to wait with patients in emergency rooms.
On education, Ford brought up the college faculty strike and blamed the Liberals for the thousands of students who did not return after the strike ended. He also singled out test scores in Grade 6 math, saying the Wynne government has failed students.
"We are going to go in, and we're going to go line item by line item with the curriculum. We're going to reach out to the parents," Ford said.
But there was one aspect of the curriculum that Ford was conspicuously quiet about on Monday night. He did not mention the sex-ed curriculum. When asked why after the speech, Ford said there was no particular reason why it wasn't brought up.
"I think I've stated what I stated 10-million times... that there's more to education than just that. I'm even more concerned when our Grade 6 students aren't meeting the math standards," he said.
He added a PC government would listen to teachers, rather than just relying on bureaucrats at the Ministry of Education.
"We're going to reach out to teachers and ask them...what is the best way of delivering education," Ford promised.
Ford took aim at the Wynne government on the issue of hydro prices, claiming seniors are having to choose between "heating and eating." He also talked about government services that could be better if Ontario wasn't spending close to $12-billion a year on debt servicing.
"That's $12-billion that could be helping families with children with autism. It could be going to the hospitals that were in desperate need of funding there. It could be going to transit. Transit right here in London that is so badly needed," Ford said.
While critics have said that the idea that Ford can keep his promise of "driving efficiencies" without cutting public sector jobs is not a realistic one, the PC leader emphatically made the promise again, drawing applause from the crowd.
"And not one single person is going to lose their job in Ontario, I guarantee it. There is numerous waste (sic) that, I'm just a strong believer, I don't believe in taking someone's livelihood off the table," Ford announced.
After the speech at the Lamplighter Inn, Ford was scheduled to attend an event at Western University.