QUEEN’S PARK -- Following news of several government advisors being cut by Doug Ford, NDP critics Ian Arthur (Environment), Jessica Bell (Transit), Michael Mantha (Northern Development and Mines), Lisa Gretzky (Community and Social Services), Rima Berns-McGown (Poverty and Homelessness) and Laura Mae Lindo (Anti-Racism) released the following joint statement:
“Kathleen Wynne and the Liberals delayed the Ring of Fire, spent 15 years failing to deal with growing problems in correctional facilities - including the longstanding overrepresentation of Indigenous and racialized people - and made lots of announcements but little actual progress on improving rail and transit options in the southwest. Now, Ontarians are worried that progress on these issues will go from bad to worse, as Doug Ford appears to be halting any work underway in its tracks.
Wynne let Ontario down on these important issues – but Doug Ford needs to tell people whether his government is killing these priorities, entirely.
Just replacing Kathleen Wynne patronage appointments with Doug Ford patronage appointments would be wrong. Instead, Ontarians are looking for Mr. Ford to explain whether he’ll take any action at all on climate change, fast, reliable passenger rail in the southwest or the Ring of Fire — or if these issues will be pushed to the back burner.”