Dear Neighbour,

This week, Doug Ford and Sylvia Jones released a plan that would allow certain surgical and diagnostic procedures to take place in out-of-hospital settings. In Ontario, there is a backlog of 22 million medical services and over 1.1 million surgeries, so their plan could have presented an important option that shortened waiting lists while being fair, efficient and safe.

Instead, they made a proposal that will lead to low quality, low value, for-profit private healthcare. They could not answer any questions about how they will ensure patient safety, quality of care, protect against upcharging, and how they would prevent healthcare workers from being siphoned out of our public hospitals. Additionally, they said they would turn to private for-profit operators where patient interests and shareholder interests are frequently in conflict.

My office has heard from so many of you about your fears that Doug Ford is on a warpath to privatization. Together, we must not allow this.

My response to them has been immediate, with recommendations to protect patients and our healthcare system that are based on evidence and best practices from around the world. Above all, they must be not for profit.

Here is a clip of some of my remarks and recommendations. My position has been widely covered on television as well as radio, and I have many more interviews coming up through this week and weekend.

On a separate but related note, I am deeply concerned that virtual care is becoming available increasingly only to those who can pay with their credit cards. I have been working with healthcare stakeholders like the Ontario Medical Association and the media to bring light on this issue.

How can you help?

Urgent Healthcare Town Hall

I am holding an urgent healthcare town hall this Friday January 20, 2023 to discuss the government’s announcement and how we can all get involved. It takes place at the IBEW Building located at 1377 Lawrence Ave. E. at 6pm.

I am honoured to be joined by two outstanding healthcare experts: Dr Raghu Venugopal, emergency physician, professor and humanitarian with Doctors Without Borders; as well as Natalie Mehra, President and CEO of the Ontario Health Coalition, one of the foremost organizations protecting healthcare in our country. We will discuss the implications of Ford’s announcement and how to get involved.

Join us for a frank discussion, RSVP here.

Petition

We have been anticipating Doug Ford’s move for some time, and I launched a petition last fall that has received huge support. But if we want this government to listen, we need your signature too.

Here is what it says:

To be formally accepted in the Legislature and to have the most impact, petitions must be signed in-person. We have copies to sign in our office, and copies that will be available at the healthcare town hall on Friday. Additionally, it is posted on my website here if you would like to print, sign and mail it in.

I have already begun delivering signatures in the Legislature, and here is a clip of me doing so last fall.

Thank You

Earlier in the fall, I also launched a province-wide campaign to fight for public healthcare and I will be following up about this, and other things in future emails.  Above all, I wanted to send you a quick note to say that I hear your concerns and will fight to defend our public healthcare system.

I hope you will join me.

Sincerely,