Algoma-Manitoulin MPP Michael Mantha - a New Democrat - says there isn’t a lot for Northern Ontario in the Progressive Conservative budget announced Thursday.
“I was expecting to spend a lot of time reviewing what the Conservatives proposed but I was flattened…what happened to Northern Ontario?”
Mantha said not enough money is finding its way north for healthcare in this part of the province.
“What I’ve been hearing is that people need doctors. People need healthcare. People need nurses. People need home care, long term care homes and mental health assistance and we’re not seeing any of these issues being addressed in this budget,” Mantha said, speaking to SooToday.
“Not one word was said about support for families struggling with autism.”
“The budget really shows me how disconnected this Ford PC government is. It’s really lost its way when it comes to Northern Ontario,” Mantha said.
“What I’m seeing in this budget are cuts. Cuts to education to the tune of $1.3 billion. Cuts to post-secondary education to the tune of $685 million.”
Mantha also said the government has made announcements on the need for broadband in Northern Ontario but hasn’t delivered.
The government rose from the benches after the budget was presented and it is expected an election will be called by Wednesday May 4, leaving no time for debate in the legislature over the budget.
In the soon to come election campaign, housing will be a key issue for many.
“We have so many professionals that are ready to come to Northern Ontario but there's no housing for them,” Mantha said.
More money, Mantha said, should go into affordable housing.
The New Democrats, he said, would put programs in place whereby people could purchase a home easier.
“We’re going to put more homes on the market by investing into building homes, the structures that we need to get the economy moving and by doing that you create jobs. When you’re building homes you’re creating employment.”
The New Democrat MPP said he’s pleased federal politicians are starting to have discussions on dental care and pharmacare but that the province also needs to start its own made in Ontario programs in those areas.
The Progressive Conservatives will take the budget to the people in the provincial election campaign while Mantha said the NDP will be presenting a plan of its own.
“We’re going to be putting in a plan for mental health and we’re going to be putting it into a standalone ministry so we can bring it under OHIP and have OHIP cover your mental health instead of your credit card.”
“We’re also going to be looking at vision, dental and prescription drugs, bringing those under the OHIP plan. It’s going to take time but slowly we’ll bring that under OHIP.”
“There’s a lot that we’re going to be sharing in our platform,” Mantha said.