QUEEN’S PARK — Andrea Horwath and the Ontario NDP MPPs will be pushing a package of legislative changes today in order to replace what the NDP says is “Doug Ford’s police state with strong public health measures to help save Ontario from the worst of the third wave Ford walked the province into”.
“ICUs are overrun, and people with COVID-19 are laying in hospital hallways in agony. More people will get sick, and many will die if we don’t put powerful public health measures in place right away,” says Horwath.
“Doug Ford chose carding instead of paid sick days. He chose to shut down outdoor activity instead of shutting down non-essential workplaces. We have to undo the damage he’s doing. We have to fight to save Ontario.”
The Ford Government did roll back the rules that would have allowed police to stop people on the streets, and vehicles on the road. That came after almost all Ontario police services said that they were not going to
Horwath was joined Monday morning by NDP Deputy Leader Sara Singh and NDP House Leader Peggy Sattler. The three laid out a strategy to call on all MPPs of all stripes to give unanimous consent to five motions on Monday at 10:30 am EDT that would:
- Give Ontarians paid sick days by passing Bill 239
- Give workers paid time off to get a vaccine
- Cancel the extraordinary police powers completely
- Shut down non-essential workplaces
- Give impacted local businesses and workers a new package of financial supports
“Doug Ford may be bending to the will of lobbyists and big business. I’m not here for them,” said Horwath.
“I’m here for the people laying in hospital hallways, struggling to breathe. I’m here for frontline heroes, who can’t afford to stay home if they have COVID-19 symptoms. I’m here for Black, Indigenous and racialized people who know carding will target them, because it always has. I am here for the small businesses that will be destroyed without more help. Together, we can fight to turn this ship around and save Ontario.”
