STILES SETS NEW DEMOCRATS’ LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES AHEAD OF SESSION: HOUSING, HEALTHCARE, AND COST-OF-LIVING

STILES’ NDP WELCOMES FEDERAL ANNOUNCEMENT TO EXPAND ACCESS TO PRIMARY CARE

NIAGARA REGION – Following the announcement that the Canada Health Act will now allow provinces to cover primary care by nurse practitioners, Marit Stiles, leader of the Ontario NDP has issued the following statement:

“This is great news for improving access to primary care in Ontario,” said Stiles. “Including Nurse Practitioners, who are ready to provide care to communities, under the Act, is long overdue. But at a time when more than 2 million Ontarians are without access to primary care, we need a government that we can trust to get this done."

“Under Doug Ford’s Conservatives, are left waiting for primary care, emergency rooms have been shuttered, and for-profit health care has exploded. While I am happy to see long-overdue changes in our health care, improving access will take political leadership that has so far been absent in our province.”

“Addictions affect people from all walks of life, including many working in the trades with high paying jobs. It’s time for a government that leads with evidence and empathy instead of stigma. It’s time for a government that recognizes the work that Path 525 does, listen to local community members and experts including those with lived experiences and keep it open.”

NDP MPPS BRING LEGISLATION TO ADDRESS AFFORDABILITY CRISIS WITH HOME HEATING COST RELIEF

QUEEN’S PARK – MPPs Jennie Stevens (St. Catharines), Tom Rakocevic (Humber River–Black Creek), Guy Bourgouin (Mushkegowuk–James Bay) and Peter Tabuns (Toronto–Danforth) are bringing solutions that would bring down people’s utility bills with Bill 213, Affordable Home Heating Act.
 
“Ontarians have seen their Enbridge bills double in recent years,” said Stevens. “By passing Bill 213, today, this government can prevent thousands of families and seniors from being forced to choose between heating their home and putting food on the table this winter."
 
This legislation puts into place recommendations from the Low-Income Energy Network, which addressed the critical need for inclusive on-bill support programs in their 2023 report, a Pathway Out of Energy Poverty.
 
"No matter how you choose to heat your home, you should qualify for financial help if needed to stay warm,” added Rakocevic. “Ontario winters can get very cold and it's unacceptable that many seniors are switching off their furnaces because they can't afford their heating bill. They deserve better. This assistance serves as a safety net to prevent energy poverty."
 
Additional Quotes:
 
“The proposed bill offers much-needed relief for seniors on fixed incomes who are struggling to keep up with the rising costs of living in Ontario”
                   
          – Advocacy Centre for the Elderly

“Expanding bill assistance to natural gas and those who heat with expensive oil or propane will help create a universal social safety net against energy poverty. In addition, this policy will help identify the homes who could benefit the most from energy efficiency upgrades - providing a durable energy affordability solution.”

          – Brendan Haley, Senior Director of Policy, Efficiency Canada

“Dramatic rate increases, coupled with inflation, are having an adverse impact on vulnerable consumers – including seniors, the working poor, people on social assistance, rural communities and Northern Ontarians. In order to address high natural gas prices, we are recommending that an on-bill credit program, similar to the OESP program available for electricity users, be created for natural gas users. A proactive program that provides ongoing affordability would reduce the need and reliance on emergency assistance funds.”

          – Low-Income Energy Network

NDP MPP PUSHES FOR WORKPLACE HEAT PROTECTION LEGISLATION

QUEEN’S PARK – Ontario NDP MPP and critic for Energy and Climate Action, Peter Tabuns, joined workers and the Ontario Federation of Labour to call for workplace heat protection measures.

“As the world gets hotter, more and more people will be risking their health and their lives just by going to work,” said Tabuns. “Workers deserve protection. Extreme heat on the job can result in death on the job, as well as increasing workplace injuries, illnesses and absences from work.

“Today, we are giving Ford the opportunity to say yes to safe working conditions. Because it’s time we put laws in place to protect workers all across the province. This bill is a substantial first step in ensuring they have the protection they deserve."

Tabuns, along with the NDP Labour critic, Jamie West, critic for Workplace Injury, Lise Vaugeouis, and Education critic, Chandra Pasma, will be tabling the Heat Stress Act to develop a framework that protects workers from extreme heat in the workplace.