The NDP is once again calling on the Ontario government to set up a sick leave program.
Leader Andrea Horwath says its not fair workers have to decide whether to go into work sick just to get a pay check.
“Really what Doug Ford has done is put people in a no win situation. His half measures from day one in terms of how he’s responded to this COVID-19 virus have made things worse and not better.”
Kenora-Rainy River MPP Greg Rickford says the federal government already has a sickness benefit under the EI program and they are working with them to make sure it’s more accessible.
Premier Doug Ford issued the following statement:
“Instead of helping inform Ontarians about the Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit, the federal paid sick day program with over $1 billion in funding from the federal-provincial Safe Restart Agreement, Andrea Horwath has been engaging in a weeks-long disinformation campaign, wrongly claiming that Ontarians do not have access to paid sick leave benefits.
Since its launch, only 27% of the funding available for paid sick leave has been accessed nationwide. Given Ms. Horwath’s preference for misguided claims, that’s not surprising.
Here’s a clear example from this morning.
Ms. Horwath used a health-care worker at her press conference, who, when asked whether she qualified for the federal paid sick day program, admitted that she hadn’t looked into it.*
Given Ms. Horwath’s disregard for the facts, we shouldn’t blame the health-care worker.
How many other Ontarians have been mislead by Ms. Horwath? In fact, just a few weeks ago, Ms. Horwath was on the radio making inaccurate claims about who’s eligible for paid sick leave.
The only way we will get through this pandemic is by working together. In that spirit, we are working with the federal government to improve the program, including raising awareness and ensuring people are able to get the money they need faster.
We only ask that Ms. Horwath use her platform to do the same.”
(With Files From Tim Davidson-Kenora)
(File Photo Before COVID-19 Pandemic)
