The province of Ontario says investment is high and the deficit is coming down, but one local MPP says some issues are still not being handled.
The Ontario Ministry of Finance unveiled its fall economic statement on Wednesday afternoon, showing increases in spending for some programs that have been the focus of cuts. Finance Minister Rod Phillips said the government would invest an additional $1.3 billion in health care and childcare.
Phillips also said Ontario's debt pay-down is moving faster than initially forecast, beating its projected target for this fiscal year by $1.3 billion, reducing the deficit to $9 billion.
But Windsor West MPP Lisa Gretzky, the NDP critic for community and social services, said the statement is not dealing at all with the proposed cuts to education and health care. Gretzky told BlackburnNewsWindsor.com that there is no plan by the Progressive Conservatives to replenish the funding cut.
"This economic statement, it does not add a single dollar, not a single dollar, to hire back even one of the 10,000 teachers or the thousands of education workers that this Conservative government is firing," said Gretzky. "They are the cause of them being let go."
Gretzky also said the reduced funding for public health units across Ontario was not addressed, particularly in the case of the nine public health nurses laid off from the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit. The union representing those workers said the health unit confirmed to them that the layoffs were a result of reduced provincial funding.
For those in Ontario caring for young people with autism, there is some encouraging news, as the ministry announced a spending increase of $278.5 million for the provincial autism program, rounding out the annual total to $600 million. Gretzky said that was a good start, but believes it took too long for the government to come through.
"The fact that it has taken this long, that this government was so callous, and so inconsiderate, that they've put these families through hell, only to later reverse course and say 'Hey, we get it,' they didn't need to do this," said Gretzky.
Gretzky also pointed out the scores of disabilities that were not discussed, saying more attention must be paid to the families of all Ontarians with disabilities. Many of them are on long waiting lists for adult programs since youth funding is cut off on their 18th birthday.