Updates

CONSERVATIVES UNDERSPENDING ON SOCIAL ASSISTANCE WHILE MOST VULNERABLE STRUGGLE: NDP

WATERLOO — Official Opposition NDP Finance critic Catherine Fife issued the following response to the Financial Accountability Office (FAO)’s report on the Ford government’s spending in 2023-4:

“People are struggling to get by during a cost-of-living crisis, yet the Ford Conservatives continue to shortchange Ontarians, underspending by billions of dollars.

The government’s overall spending is $2 billion less than planned, including less-than-planned spending in vital areas like social services, education and public health.

It’s shameful to see the Conservatives underspend by $183 million on social assistance at a time when Ontario’s woefully inadequate rates of ODSP and OW, compounded by the affordability crisis, are making life unbearable for some of the most vulnerable people in our province.

The NDP continues to urge the Ford government to double ODSP and OW rates immediately.”

Background

  • The government’s contingency fund has increased to $5.4 billion. The FAO reported the balance was $2.9 billion in September 2023, with a $2.5-billion top up in October 2023.

The report also shows:

  • Continued disinvestment in population and public health
  • Less-than-planned spending on infrastructure projects including transit-oriented communities and broadband infrastructure
  • Less-than-planned spending on energy subsidies to lower energy costs for Ontarians, including the Ontario Electricity Rebate
  • Less-than-planned spending on post-secondary education
  • Less-than-planned spending on capital funding for housing programs

NDP: FORD CONSERVATIVES BURY AODA REPORT THAT CALLS FOR A ‘CRISIS’ RESPONSE TO ONTARIO ACCESSIBILITY

QUEEN’S PARK – NDP MPPs are calling for urgent action after the Conservatives tried to bury the AODA’s fourth review, that rang alarm bells about accessibility in Ontario being in a ‘crisis’ state.

“Accessibility in Ontario is in a clear state of crisis and it’s shameful for this government to sit on a report of this importance,” said MPP Monique Taylor (Hamilton Mountain), NDP critic for Children, Community, and Social Services. “The crisis in accessibility is having a real, daily impact on the quality of life of millions of people in Ontario. Do the Conservatives think they can just dodge accountability for this?”

The Conservative government received a copy of the fourth and final AODA review in June of 2023. One of the report’s recommendations is for the government to urgently address Ontario’s poor accessibility measures as a ‘crisis’.

Ford’s Conservatives quietly released the report last week – six months later.

“It speaks volumes that the Conservative government sat on this report for six months instead of taking immediate action to address this crisis,” said Taylor. “It’s clear they are not taking it seriously. We need urgent action to address this serious challenge, especially if we want to have any hope of getting anywhere near AODA standards by 2025.”

The AODA standard was passed into law in 2005, and mandated that Ontario be fully accessible by 2025. Ontario is likely to miss that target, after subsequent Liberal and Conservative governments have failed to take serious measures.

BACKGROUND

  • The third review of the AODA was a scathing admonishment of the Ford government, delivered in 2019 by former Lieutenant Governor, David Onley
  • The fourth review urges the government to convene a “Crisis Committee chaired by the Premier and co-chaired by the Secretary of Cabinet” within 30 days. This recommendation seems to have been ignored.

NDP: CONSERVATIVES IGNORING REALITIES OF CLIMATE CRISIS, REFUSING TO SHOW LEADERSHIP AT A CRITICAL TIME

QUEEN’S PARK – Marit Stiles, Leader of the Official Opposition NDP, joined Peter Tabuns (Toronto—Danforth), the critic for Energy and Climate Action, to call on Ontario’s Conservative government for clear climate action as the international community wraps up COP28, the 2023 United Nations Climate Change conference.

"A year of drastic climate events, including some of the worst forest fires we have ever seen in our province should have been a wake-up call for the Conservatives to take real climate leadership and lead with a plan that actually reduces emissions at a scale that meets global targets,” said Stiles.

“Ontario can and should be a leader on green energy strategies—not just in Canada but globally. We have the opportunity and resources to show leadership, but this government chooses to ignore reality and refuses to implement our practical solutions.”

Tabuns sounded the alarm about Ontario falling behind on meeting its own climate targets.

“The summit has made it clear that the world is headed towards significant disruption due to climate change, but Ontario’s government hasn’t set the targets the situation demands or put in place the steps to meet its own weak targets,” Tabuns said. “We must be a leading force in coming to grips with the global crisis. We are a wealthy province with huge abilities, we can make a difference. We can meet our power needs with conservation, efficiency, and renewables rather than expanding gas fired electricity generation.”

The Ontario NDP has put forward practical and immediate solutions to not only move towards clean energy, but also help families save money in the face of skyrocketing home heating bills by subsidizing green energy retrofits and heat pumps.

FORD’S CLIMATE FAILURE PROJECTED TO COST THE PROVINCE BILLIONS IN INFRASTRUCTURE COSTS

QUEEN’S PARK – Official Opposition NDP critic for Climate Action Peter Tabuns (Toronto—Danforth) is sounding the alarm on the monetary cost of the Conservatives’ failure to address the climate crisis following the Financial Accountability Office of Ontario’s latest report on the budgetary impacts of changing climate hazards on public infrastructure.

“The cost of doing nothing is billions of dollars higher than the cost of proactively investing in our public infrastructure for climate adaptation,” Tabuns said. “Instead of making the necessary investments, the corrupt Conservatives are making things worse. With their climate denialism, they are allowing the destruction of wetlands and other natural heritage that help lessen the impacts of climate change on people and property.

“They’re focused on giving preferential treatment to their friends, while putting our province at greater risks from floods, fires, droughts, water contamination and other climate-related threats. Today’s report makes it clear – Ford’s inadequate and failing 'climate plans' will lead to extreme circumstances that our province is not equipped to face.”

Jennifer French (Oshawa), the Official Opposition critic for Infrastructure, called on the Conservative government to begin proactively investing to adapt Ontario’s public infrastructure to withstand climate impacts.

“While the province is failing to invest in adapting our public infrastructure for climate change, municipalities are being forced to plan for wasteful and costly sprawl-oriented development,” she said. “This makes people more dependent on fossil fuels and increases the costs of infrastructure for taxpayers. Failing to invest in the state-of-good repair of municipal and provincial infrastructure assets will make us more vulnerable to climate-related impacts and cost us so much more.”

STILES’ NDP PITCHES FREE HEAT PUMPS, HELP WITH RETROFITS TO HELP ONTARIANS STAY WARM THIS WINTER

QUEEN’S PARK – Marit Stiles, the Leader of the Official Opposition NDP announced today two real solutions to make life more affordable and fight climate change.

Stiles is calling on the Ford Conservatives to help families make their homes more efficient and lower their home heating bills by making heat pumps free. The Ontario NDP is also proposing the province provide grants and zero-interest financing to help households to make energy-efficient retrofits.

“Ontarians need smart and practical solutions that meet the moment,” said Stiles. “Life is more expensive under Ford’s corrupt Conservatives, and we know that we are at a critical point in the climate crisis. Smart and effective policies like this help ease the burden while leading the collective fight against climate change. This is how we make sure Ontarians aren’t left behind.”

Ontario NDP Affordability critic Bhutila Karpoche (Parkdale—High Park) said “people across our province are struggling to make ends meet, and as winter approaches, many families have to make the tough call between skyrocketing cost of home heating and putting food on the table. We are committed to helping Ontarians through this affordability and climate crisis with practical, affordable, and achievable solutions.”

“Only the NDP has a plan to make life more affordable and fight climate change,” said Peter Tabuns (Toronto—Danforth), NDP critic for Climate and Energy. “Ford’s Conservatives may act as if climate change is not real, but after devastating seasons of wildfires and floods, Ontarians know that the cost of doing nothing on climate change is very real.”

QUICK FACTS:

  • Many Ontario households are already eligible for large subsidies for heat pumps and other energy-saving home retrofits through federal programs.
  • The Ontario NDP is calling on the provincial government to cover the difference so heat pumps would be free for low- and middle-income households.
  • The federal government’s enhanced pilot program in Atlantic Canada, which provides free heat pumps for households that currently use oil, has the potential to expand to all of Canada, but is contingent on provincial matching funds.
  • Stiles and the NDP are also proposing zero-interest on-bill financing, to make it as easy as possible for everyone to install a heat pump, lower their energy bills, and reduce their carbon footprint.

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