It’s time for the provincial legislature to get back to work

As the Family Day long weekend approaches, the Legislative Assembly of Ontario is set to resume its Spring session on Feb. 21. I would like to provide an overview of some of the pressing issues faced by our province since the legislative session ended in December 2022.

As you know, it has been a challenging time for our province’s healthcare workers as they continue to navigate the ongoing crisis in our hospitals.

Instead of making the proper investments to fix Ontario’s healthcare, Premier Ford continues to hurt our healthcare system by starving it of the necessary funding to provide the level of service and support we expect.

I have written numerous letters to the Minister of Health, including one on finding solutions to recruit more family doctors in Orléans.

The advocacy work does not stop here, as I will be pressing the government in the Legislature and working with my colleagues to call attention to the needs and gaps in the system.

Queen’s Park Corner

Another major update since the Legislature rose in December is that the Financial Accountability Office of Ontario (FAO), an independent watchdog on the state of the province’s finances, released their Budget Outlook for 2023. This report revealed that the Ford government is still underspending on health and education, and are underestimating what they receive from corporate taxes. The government’s deficit projection of $12.9B for 2022-23 is off by a staggering $10.4B.

The FAO’s work shows, once again, that the government is not giving Ontarians a realistic picture of our financial situation, and we’re seeing the devastating results of that every day in our hospitals and in our schools.

I look forward to going back to Queen’s Park following the Family Day long weekend and continuing to advocate the voices of Orléans residents in the Legislature.

I would like to end by wishing each and every resident of Orléans a happy and relaxing Family Day long weekend spent with your loved ones.

City of Ottawa Auditor General Nathalie Gougeon released her highly anticipated reports on the city’s response to last winter’s Freedom Convoy occupation of Ottawa and they paint a pretty ugly picture of how the situation was handled by both the Ottawa Police Service (OPS) and the Police Services Board.

To begin with, former police chief Peter Sloly completely ignored proper procedures in failing to keep City officials informed of the risks the convoy posed in the days leading up to the occupation.

In particular, Sloly and the OPS failed to communicate with the City’s Office of Emergency Management which is responsible for the city’s Emergency Management Program that ensures that essential services aren’t interrupted during a crisis.

The OPS also failed to consult with the city’s traffic experts in preparing a traffic management plan which it also failed to share with city officials.

Both oversights run contrary to the Ontario Police Services Act, which governs how the police must operate in cooperation with the municipality.

In short, it was a complete dereliction of duty.