As the Ontario Legislature Resumes, Housing, Health Care, and the Economy are Top Priorities

Multiple crises have engulfed Ontario as the legislature returns to session on Tuesday after a six-week hiatus.

Overpopulated emergency rooms, ambulance shortages, skyrocketing grocery bills, unrelenting inflation, a housing crisis, and the possibility of an educator strike all loom over lawmakers as they return to Queen’s Park.

As winter approaches, COVID-19 and the flu remain a threat.

The province stated that one of its primary areas of focus will be housing.

“We know that Ontario’s housing supply crisis means too many young people are unable to find a home that meets their needs and budget,” said Christine Wood, spokeswoman for Premier Doug Ford.

The province is set to introduce housing legislation Tuesday that will further its goal of building 1.5 million homes in 10 years, a promise Premier Doug Ford made during the election campaign in May, Toronto CTV News.

Wood also stated that the province “will keep the promises we made to Ontarians.”

“This includes keeping family costs low, getting shovels in the ground for critical infrastructure, and preparing kids for future jobs by ensuring they stay in class without disruption,” she said.

The healthcare system and the threat of a recession are also top of mind for the province, she said.

“Our government is also working to ensure that Ontario maintains a strong economic foundation and can weather any challenges that may arise as a result of a potential global slowdown,” Wood said.

Health Care is Top of Mind for Opposition

The Official Opposition’s top priority is health care.

“Children’s intensive care units have reached capacity, hallway medicine has returned with a vengeance, and emergency departments are closing for weeks on end,” interim NDP Leader Peter Tabuns said.

“I am concerned about how bad the crisis in Ontario’s hospitals could become as flu season approaches, but the government continues to add fuel to the fire by refusing to take actions that we know can help.”

Dr. Kieran Moore, Chief Medical Officer of Health, recently stated that he anticipates a difficult winter with a possible resurgence of COVID-19. He predicted that resurgence would coincide with the return of other respiratory illnesses, such as the flu, which had been kept at bay by COVID-related public health measures over the previous two winters.

The Progressive Conservative government is working with the College of Nurses of Ontario in an effort to get thousands of internationally trained nurses living in the province into practice more quickly, CBC News.

It also passed legislation last month that allows hospitals to send discharged patients to long-term care homes not of their choosing while they await their preferred home.

According to the province, the measure is intended to reduce the burden on hospitals. Health Minister Sylvia Jones has stated that the province will look to private-sector surgeries to help alleviate the massive backlog caused by the pandemic. However, she has not provided any details about her plans.

Bill 124, the province’s wage-cap law for nurses and other public sector workers, has been blamed by critics for contributing to the hospital staffing crisis.

“One of the first things that need to be done is the repeal Bill 124, the end of those wage caps for nurses, health-care workers, paramedics, so that in fact we stop driving people out of the sector,” Tabuns said.

The province has repeatedly stated that it will not repeal the law.

Housing, Affordability is Next on the List

Mike Schreiner, Leader of the Green Party of Ontario, is concerned about rising food and housing prices.

Food prices are up 11.4 percent year on year, and this is a major driver of inflation.

“One in every six households is now facing food insecurity, and food banks are being overwhelmed with demand from people who need only the basics, while grocery store chains are making unprecedented record profits,” Schreiner said.

With the federal government taking no action, Schreiner wants the province to step in.

“We’re calling on the Ontario government to take the lead by insisting on the swift implementation of a grocery code of conduct that includes real safeguards against predatory pricing,” Schreiner said.

Schreiner also wants the province to abandon exclusionary zoning policies, which restrict the types of housing that can be built in residential areas. He favors densification as well as significant investments in social housing, cooperative housing, non-profit housing, and permanent supportive housing.

In addition, the province is at a standoff with an education union that represents 55,000 workers, including educational custodians and early childhood educators. The two sides’ talks broke down last week but are set to resume next week.

The union has declared a strike for Nov. 3 and has stated that a full strike is very likely. Both Ford and Education Minister Stephen Lecce have stated that the government has made a fair offer and that they will keep students in class without disruption.

Interim Liberal Leader John Fraser stated that the government must negotiate in good faith with educators.

“We need both sides at the table because affordability will be affected,” Fraser said.

“It’s just so difficult for families to get to work when their children are out of school.”