Andrea Horwath says the government is falling short with its plans for schools, long-term care, and small businesses.
The Ontario NDP Leader zeroed in on long-term care during a video conference with Lisa Pattison, works at a home in Hamilton. Horwath and Pattison criticized Premier Doug Ford for the under-staffing and lack of resources affecting many homes.
While northwestern homes have had fewer COVID-19 outbreaks than in the south, Horwath said they are still facing staffing shortages and lack of available beds for seniors.
“We’re standing still, and that means we’re losing ground, because of course we have an aging population,” Horwath said. “But what we know for sure is that in the north, the access to healthcare services isn’t equitable [with the south].”
In Question Period, Horwath also asked the Premier to help northern schools that struggle to access online learning. She argues schools in the region are not able to keep up with the extra demands of the pandemic.
“Remote schools don’t have extra staff to deal with COVID-related emergencies, they can’t access wi-fi for remote learning,” Horwath said.
Minister of Education Stephen Lecce replied to Horwath that the province will make sure all high schools have wi-fi when school starts in the fall.
She also pointed to comments by a Keewatin-Patricia District School Board teacher who pointed out that understaffing creates new concerns during the pandemic.
The teacher, Kim Douglas, is also the president of the local elementary teachers’ union. She told media “When there’s no administrator on site, and a kid gets sick, what do you do?Who’s gonna be responsible for that child?”
Horwath also pressured the Premier to ensure schools will be open five days a week in the fall, so parents can return to work.
When it comes to small businesses in the north, the NDP Leader argued the government is falling short, despite the excitement around stage three of reopening.
She said she has been asking for action for months. “They should be helping businesses with rent costs, still, because revenues are going to continue to be down, and they’ve already lost months now of revenue,” Horwath added.
