The Ford government has defeated a package of legislative changes aimed at helping Ontarians through strict new stay-at-home orders.
They were introduced yesterday by the NDP and included:
-Give Ontarians paid sick days by passing Bill 239
-Give workers paid time off to get a vaccine
-Cancel the extraordinary police powers completely
-Shut down non-essential workplaces
-Give impacted local businesses and workers a new package of financial supports
Kiiwetinoong MPP Sol Mamakwa says recent provincial decisions have clearly been driven by politics and not public health.
Mamakwa notes Doug Ford has opted for carding instead of paid sick days and chose to shut down outdoor activity instead of shutting down non-essential workplaces.
He stresses, “People need vaccines not police pulling them over.”
Mamakwa says the government is trying to change things “downstream” rather than “upstream”.
He adds the NDP will continue to fight to replace Doug Ford’s police state with public health measures to save Ontario.
“We know thousands of people will get sick, precious lives will be lost, and we will be stuck in this living nightmare longer. It’s very, very clear Ford and the government ignored experts.”
What’s more concerning according to Mamakwa is the government continues to blame the Trudeau Liberals and Ontarians for the current crisis.
Mamakwa is also upset the provincial government didn’t accept an offer to have the Red Cross come in and help administer COVID vaccines as well as a decision to limit outdoor activity for another month.
He stresses a lot of northerners are furious with a move to ban camping on crown land.
Mamakwa says it may be an issue in the south, but our land is so vast here that it doesn’t make any sense.
Paid sick days has been front and centre of the NDP COVID recovery plan from the start.
The Premier has maintained the province shouldn’t be asked to provide an option when a federal program already exists.
“The taxpayers out there, I ask you this question: Would you want the federal and provincial governments to double-dip into your pockets when there’s a program already?” Ford said February, 22.
Ford stressed he began pushing the federal government to expand the Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit (CRSB) back in September.
The program pays workers who are unable to work because they are sick or need to self-isolate, or have an underlying health condition that puts them at greater risk of getting coronavirus.
However it’s up to the worker to prove, among other things, that you were unable to work at least half of the work week due to isolating for COVID-19.
You can claim the benefit a total of four times and get $450 after tax following the absence.
Canada’s labour code dictates that workers can take five unpaid sick days per year, and that federally-controlled employers must offer at least three days of paid sick leave a year.
Only two other provinces in the country have a provincial paid sick leave program.
In Quebec, the government provides two paid sick days annually, (through its Act Respecting Labour Standards Act Respecting Labour Standards) if someone has been with an employer for at least three months.
Prince Edward Island’s Employment Standards Act offers its residents a single paid sick day per year.
In Ontario, the governing Liberals instituted labour reform laws before Conservatives rolled those back after they won the 2018 election.
Among the reforms was two paid personal leave days for workers.
(With files from Kevin Jeffery and Colin Redston: Thunder Bay)
LIVE – Andrea Horwath moves motions for strong public health measures to replace Ford’s police state: paid sick days, paid vaccine time off, cancel extraordinary police powers, shut down non-essential workplaces, new supports for local biz & workers. https://t.co/0WDNGTSQRh
— Andrea Horwath (@AndreaHorwath) April 19, 2021
