Marit Stiles and the Ontario NDP are ready to take on Doug Ford’s Conservatives and replace them with a government that’s on your side. Earlier today, Ford confirmed that he will call a snap election in the middle of a tariff threat. Stiles has released the following statement:

“While our province faces a grave threat with half a million jobs at risk, Doug Ford sees an opportunity to fight for one job - his own. He thinks he can con Ontarians with an early election to escape his record — but we won’t let him.

“It’s time for a change in Ontario.

“For seven long years, Doug Ford has been on the side of wealthy insiders, while life for working people has gotten harder and more expensive. How can we trust him to stand up against Donald Trump and his billionaires when he can’t deliver on making life more affordable, getting people a family doctor, or building more homes?

“We all know that Doug Ford doesn’t deserve a third term. In the coming weeks, we have the power to choose a better Ontario. We have the power to fight back against Trump, to turn the page on Doug Ford, and to vote for a Premier who is on your side.”

Marit Stiles, Leader of the Ontario NDP, released the following statement in response to the Integrity Commissioner’s report on Ford’s Infrastructure Minister Kinga Surma:

“The people of Ontario deserve answers about this multi-billion dollar shady deal,” said Stiles. “Ontario taxpayers are subsidizing this Made-in-Austria mega spa to the tune of $2 billion, and for what? Families from Windsor to Wawa are paying $400 per household for a Toronto luxury destination that’s hours away and out of reach. That’s not putting Ontario first.”

"In December, the Auditor General’s damning report told us that this deal lacked transparency and cost billions more than Ontarians were told. The cost overruns alone are reason enough for Ford’s hand-picked Minister of Infrastructure to resign. There are so many lingering questions about how this deal came together, and Minister Surma has repeatedly refused to provide answers."

“The Integrity Commissioner’s scope is narrow, and we know that we need stricter rules to hold elected officials accountable. We will use every tool possible to shine a light on this deal, because something smells wrong. Ontarians deserve to know the truth about this project.”

“Ontarians deserve a government that shares their priorities – one that hires doctors, builds home, and makes life affordable. They deserve a government that isn’t constantly under investigation for shady deals, a Premier that doesn’t hide their phone records. New Democrats don’t need to hide, because we’re always working for you.”

Background:

• The Auditor General’s report detailed extraordinary mismanagement by Ford’s top Ministers, with the project 5-times overbudget for a total cost of more than $2 billion of your taxpayer dollars, with a total costs ballooning from $424 million to $2.2 billion.
• It’s time for the Premier to face the consequences of his government’s corruption – and start by firing the Minister of Infrastructure for wasting billions of taxpayer dollars on a rigged vanity project and getting nothing done for the people of Ontario.
• The government is giving Therme a publicly-funded parking facility after warning other bidders it would not consider proposals requiring publicly-funded facilities
• Less than a week before the original bid submission deadline, after several bids had already been received, the deadline was extended by three weeks, giving Therme more time to prepare its bid
• No Fairness Monitor was assigned to the Ontario Place Call For Development, as is standard for Infrastructure Ontario's other large procurement processes
• A "Process Participation Form" given to bidders reveals unusual terms for the Call For Development, including the government's power to arbitrarily award the development to a party that had not met process criteria or even submitted a bid
• A Therme lobbyist improperly contacted a member of the government's bid evaluation team while the bid evaluation was underway, breaking confidentiality rules

Following the news that the children’s aid medical clinic in London will be closing its doors, NDP MPP Terence Kernaghan (London North Centre), MPP Peggy Sattler (London West) and critic for child care MPP Teresa Armstrong (London – Fanshawe) released the following statement:

“This decision to close the Children’s Aid Society medical clinic is nothing short of a crisis for our community and the health care system at large” said Kernaghan. “Shutting down such a vital aspect of our health care system will force families with children experiencing complex medical and mental health needs to navigate a healthcare system that is already strained.”

“It is just downright cruel to put kids and families through waiting in overcrowded emergency rooms or without critical care.” Added MPP Sattler “Our children deserve better, and we must fight to ensure their wellbeing is prioritized.”

“The closure of this vital clinic will have devastating consequences,” said Armstrong. “Foster families are already under immense pressure and asking them to take on the burden of navigating an overstretched healthcare system will deter many from stepping forward. This is not just a funding issue; it’s a question of values. Are we truly committed to protecting our most vulnerable? I urge the province to step in and restore funding to keep this essential service open.”

Marit Stiles, Leader of the Official Opposition NDP, released the following statement in response to the Information & Privacy Commissioner’s ruling that details about Doug Ford’s use of a personal phone to conduct government business will be made available to the public:

“Today is a step towards transparency and accountability in Ontario,” said Stiles. “We have seen this government use every trick in the book to keep things hidden from the public – from secret code words to “accidental” data wipes . Today’s IPC decision means there’s one less place for them to hide.”

“People in Ontario deserve better than a Premier that doesn’t want you to know who he’s talking to or what he’s saying. Doug Ford likes to say his personal phone is open to anyone – but it’s just another way to for him to give preferential treatment to powerful lobbyists and personal friends.”

Quick Facts:

• Records show that Ford’s government-issued phone goes unused for months at a time, while he’s known to frequently advertise his personal device
• New Democrats put forward a motion calling on Ford to release his personal phone records while government lawyers fought to keep them hidden
• The phone of Ford’s Chief of Staff was mysteriously reset without a back-up, destroying months of messages related to government business
• The Ford government is under RCMP investigation for the Greenbelt scandal, during which staffers used the code word “G*”, obscuring messages from Freedom of Information requests

Following the announcement that the Canada Health Act will now allow provinces to cover primary care by nurse practitioners, Marit Stiles, leader of the Ontario NDP has issued the following statement:

“This is great news for improving access to primary care in Ontario,” said Stiles. “Including Nurse Practitioners, who are ready to provide care to communities, under the Act, is long overdue. But at a time when more than 2 million Ontarians are without access to primary care, we need a government that we can trust to get this done."

“Under Doug Ford’s Conservatives, are left waiting for primary care, emergency rooms have been shuttered, and for-profit health care has exploded. While I am happy to see long-overdue changes in our health care, improving access will take political leadership that has so far been absent in our province.”

“Addictions affect people from all walks of life, including many working in the trades with high paying jobs. It’s time for a government that leads with evidence and empathy instead of stigma. It’s time for a government that recognizes the work that Path 525 does, listen to local community members and experts including those with lived experiences and keep it open.”