After a wee break from the Queen's Park action during the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) annual conference, MPPs were back in their chairs Wednesday. The Official Opposition almost exclusively honed in on the health-care crisis plaguing Ontario's hospitals.
Staffing shortages, surgical backlogs and privatization
NDP interim leader Peter Tabuns had pole position on Wednesday and used his opening salvo to press Premier Doug Ford on the nursing staff shortages.
Why is the government not spending more on initiatives to recruit and retain health-care workers, Tabuns asked.
Ford fired back, saying the government has spent billions on health-care staffing and infrastructure, like long-term care homes and hospitals. He plugged new money spent in the recent budget, as well.
He also talked up a familiar point, saying the province has hired tens of thousands of new nurses and personal support workers since coming into power.
Tabuns continued his line of questioning on health care but shifted to the hot topic of privatization. Privatization would bleed more staff from hospitals, and for-profit health-care providers have worse health outcome records, Tabuns said.
Not to worry, Ford said: "No one will pay with their credit card under our government, just your OHIP card."
NDP MPP Chandra Pasma was up next and continued to press Ford on nursing shortages. She asked if repealing Bill 124 is on the table. Ford didn't address Bill 124 and talked up the $5,000 bonus the government gave to some health-care workers.
The status quo is broken, Ford said, and his government is going to do things differently, like listening to the sector on what needs fixing.
NDP MPP France Gélinas localized the health-care debate, saying a nursing station in Gogama is slated for closure because they can't find staff and asked the premier what he's going to do about it.
Long-term Care Minister Paul Calandra fielded the question from the NDP's health-care savant. He didn't really address it. Instead, he rolled out lines around the PCs not forgetting rural Ontario, and touted programs the government has to try to attract and retain health-care workers in rural areas.
Gélinas pressed further, and Ford responded with a plea for the federal government to up their share of health-care spending.
NDP MPP Michael Mantha asked a very similar question, except subbing doctors for nurses and Algoma—Manitoulin for Nickel Belt. Calandra took this one and gave a very similar answer.
Low-DSP 
ODSP rates are way too low and the government's promised five-per-cent increase (plus pegging it to inflation) aren't gonna cut it, NDP MPP Lise Vaugeois charged. Not to mention Ontario Works recipients aren't getting any boost.
So, will the government provide a meaningful increase, Vaugeois asked.
Community and Social Services Minister didn't address the question, but talked up the five-per-cent hike as the biggest in decades. She also promoted the new low-income tax credit and the childcare tax credit as ways the government is helping folks.
TSSA Strike 
NDP MPP Tom Rakocevic voiced concern over an OPSEU strike potentially threatening safety measures over at the Technical Standards and Safety Authority (TSSA). What's the premier going to do to get the TSSA back to the negotiating table, he asked.
Minister of Public and Business Service Delivery Kaleed Rasheed said the government is keeping tabs on negotiations, but stressed it's an independent process. That being said, the strike won't affect anything, especially the upcoming Canadian National Exhibition, he said.
He encouraged all Ontarians to attend the celebration with the "let's go to the Ex" tag line, which got a huge smile from the premier.
Losing farmland
Independent MPP Bobbi Ann Brady came out firing on agricultural policy. The government said the Strong Mayors legislation is needed to get homes built but there's nothing in there to ensure farmland is preserved, Brady said. That gives farmers pause, as the province has lost oodles of farmland in recent years.
Agriculture Minister Lisa Thompson said not to worry, as the government is aware of the balance it has to strike between farmland and living space.
Brady pressed Thompson, asking if she'd be open to striking a committee that would oversee development to ensure such a balance is struck, similar to how they do it in Alberta.
Thompson said it's an idea worth pursuing, and one she'd follow up on with agriculture ministers from other provinces.

Your question period briefing: Health care hits leadoff

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