StratfordToday received the following Letter to the Editor, also sent to Perth-Wellington MPP Matthew Rae.
Matthew,
As you know, I am a resident in the riding of Perth-Wellington. I am writing to you because as our government representative, you have both the duty and the responsibility to ensure that conditions that harm the lives and health of your constituents are minimized as much as possible.
Some unassailable facts about current rural healthcare and our public health system:
Actual spending vs. budget
The Ford government has made a practice of announcing health funding plans in its budgets and public announcements but not actually spending the money.
- The most recent quarterly report of the FAO shows that actual health spending in the first quarter of this fiscal year was approx. $1.2 billion less than planned. (End of first quarter 2023-24.)
- By the end of last fiscal year (2022-23) the FAO reports that the provincial government spent $312 million less than planned on health care.
- By the end of 2021-22, the FAO reports that the provincial government spent $1.8 billion less than planned on health care.
- By the end of 2020-21, the FAO reports that the provincial government spent $1 billion less than planned on health care.
Sources: https://www.fao-on.org/en/Blog/Publications/health-update-2023#_ftn3
The Ford government has repeatedly underspent its planned health care budget for years, choosing to impose real dollar wage cuts as staffing shortages worsened and refusing to increase service levels even as health care services have fallen into unprecedented crisis.
In addition:
Ontario ranks last of all provinces in provincial funding for all public services. In the 1990s, the Harris government’s major cuts to taxes – primarily benefiting high income people and corporations – resulted in $15 per year less in provincial revenues that could be used for public services and social programs. Subsequently, the McGuinty government cut corporate taxes further by additional billions per year. As Ontario dropped to the bottom of the country in funding for our public services, it also dropped to near the bottom of the country in funding for health care.
Currently Ontario funds health care at a lower rate than most other provinces.
- On a per-person basis, Ontario ranks second last in Canada.
- As a percent of provincial GDP, the most accepted measure of affordability, Ontario ranks third from the bottom of the country in health care funding.
In particular sectors, such as funding for public hospitals, Ontario ranks dead last in Canada.
- On a per-person basis, Ontario ranks last in Canada.
- As a percent of provincial GDP, Ontario ranks last in Canada.
Our public health care system MUST be preserved. The Ford government is underfunding our critical healthcare system in a way that seems deliberate. They & you, refuse to pay nurses appropriately in the public system.
In our own local area nurses & PSWs are being poached at the doors to our centres by for profit groups.
Our family doctors are being underfunded as you send more of us to pharmacies, to whom you pay with public funds.
Our own Huron-Perth Public Health is being forced to lay off staff because of funding short falls from our government, even as there is a rising need for their services.
Mathew, I do not support your government’s current activities vis a vie Health Care. Never in a million years did I believe you would aid and abet this disaster.
As our MPP I expected you to stand up for your citizens and keep us safe, not aid in the destruction of our important social systems.
Sharon Weitzel
Tavistock
