In the face of increasing gasoline prices, a Northern Ontario New Democrat MPP is working to boost the Northern Health Travel Grant.
Algoma-Manitoulin MPP Michael Mantha has reintroduced legislation, Bill 13, to see the creation of a committee with a mandate to fix and improve the Northern Health Travel Grant (NHTG).
The Northern Ontario travel grant is funding provided by the province to help individuals and families travel from remote parts of the North to larger cities to access better health care.
Mantha's plan is that the travel grant committee would bring together health care providers in the North, as well as recipients of the NHTG to make recommendations to the Minister of Health.
Speaking in the Ontario legislature on Thursday, Mantha expressed the hope that the committee could make recommendations for improving the facilitation of reasonable access to health care services for people in Northern Ontario by means of reasonable, realistic and efficient reimbursement for travel costs.
The first reading of the bill was carried in the legislatures. The bill needs approval on two more readings in order to become law.
In his news release Mantha highlighted the need for action on the travel grant system, as gas prices continue to rise above $2 per litre in many parts of Northern Ontario.
“People in the North are not getting the same access to health care because of the high cost of travel,” said Mantha.
“By refusing to raise the NHTG rates the Ford government is putting a massive burden on Northern Ontarians who are already struggling with inflation and price gouging. All the while, this government continues to sit on the sidelines.”