Healthcare top topic of concern for those protesting; voters urged to contact local MPPs and voice their displeasure
The battle cries of 'shame' and 'Doug Ford’s Gotta Go' filled the sidewalk outside the front of the Arden Park Hotel in Stratford on Monday morning as groups concerned about the lack of commitment to education and healthcare voiced their displeasure with the provincial premier. The tone of the protest outside was not a warm welcome for those taking part in pre-budget consultations but rather one disillusioned with the current Ontario government and what protesters called a lack of commitment to education and healthcare.
“Just before the last election the Minister of Health said they were going to privatize our healthcare system, which we thought was a terrible idea and we objected to it,” said Jim Stewart, the Chair of the Waterloo Region Health Coalition. “The government's response to that at the time, was no, we were categorically false, they were not going to privatize our public healthcare system. They then got elected and immediately after they were elected what did they do? They privatize the public healthcare system, and they are continuing to dismantle and destroy something we have been building for a hundred years.”
Stratford played host to pre-budget consultations which included MPPS of all parties, Perth-Wellington MPP Matthew Rae among them. Terence Kernaghan, the MPP of London North Centre and a member of the Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs, was also in attendance.
“Today’s meeting is to inform people that the budget is coming up in 2025,” said Kernaghan. “The pre-budget consultations are where the government, and official opposition go to listen to community concerns and hopefully address them in the next provincial budget.”
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