NDP Leader Andrea Horwath to host health care townhall in London
Families and health care officials will have their chance to push back against Doug Ford’s health care legislation on Wednesday.
Provincial New Democrat leader and leader of the official opposition, Andrea Horwath, will be joined by local NDP MPPs Teresa Armstrong, Peggy Sattler, and Terence Kernaghan to host the conversation at the Goodwill Centre Community Hall at 255 Horton Street East.
“When we have our public health secured dollars siphoned off to go to private profits or corporations instead of stay in our health care system delivering front line services, then a system that is already broken is only going to get worse,” Horwath told 980 CFPL’s Mike Stubbs on London Live on Wednesday afternoon.
Horwath also raised concerns over what she described as a lack of consultation over the proposed changes.
“The government literally shut down the debate and the discussion. There were 1,594 applied to come to committee and give their opinion to the government and only 30 people got a chance to do that. That’s less than two per cent,” she said.
“That’s not a democracy, that is a dictatorship, and that is what this government is doing by ramming through this legislation.”
According to the Financial Accountability Officer, in 2017, Ontario spent the lowest amount per person on health care. Horwath said that if elected, the NDP would create a pharmacare plan and make sure everyone has access to dental care.
“These things are not impossible — they can be achieved. In fact, what our experts were able to show us is that, in fact, it could save us significant dollars in health care going forward, because the access of pharmaceuticals, to prescription drugs, for everyone would help people stay well because they would be able to afford their drugs.”
The free event begins at 7 p.m. and the venue is accessible.
— with files from 980 CFPL’s Jaime McKee.
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