Timmins–James Bay MP Charlie Angus says he expects to see help for families in Northern Ontario struggling to access quality healthcare services, manage the high cost of living, and have good, sustainable jobs, in the upcoming federal budget.
“Families all over northern Ontario need some assurances that the government is going to help them meet the challenges they’re facing with real solutions,” said Angus in a news release.
“As the new Parliamentary session starts, I’m headed back to Ottawa to make sure the Liberal government follows through on the commitments we forced them to make like delivering a national dental care plan that covers seniors, kids under 18 and people living with disabilities by the end of this year."
Angus says concerns are growing about wait times in emergency rooms and the lack of family doctors.
"But instead of helping, Justin Trudeau is applauding Doug Ford’s plan to privatize the health-care services people in Ontario rely on amidst a province-wide staffing shortage—despite doctors and nurses warning that this will only make things worse."
Angus accuses the Liberals and Conservatives of coming up with plans to poach healthcare workers from the public system and send them to the private system.
“Instead of allowing American-style, for-profit health care in our country, the government needs to invest in recruiting, training and retaining workers in our northern Ontario hospitals and clinics and that’s exactly what we’ll be pushing for.”
Angus also wants investments in a clean-tech future that will benefit northern Ontario workers with good jobs.
“People are doing everything right, but still falling further behind,” said Angus. “People’s wages aren’t keeping up with growing expenses, but they see big corporations’ profits going up twice as fast as inflation."
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he understands the anger and concerns protesters have while also promising "good, long-term jobs" as a way to relieve the pressures Canadians are facing.
See: Job creation a priority as Liberal caucus wraps up on anniversary of 'Freedom Convoy'
"We can feel it, how times are tough right now. We have a global economic slowdown, combined with inflation, combined with higher interest rates," Trudeau said Saturday before meeting with Liberal MPs.
Meanwhile, Angus says "Justin Trudeau and Pierre Poilievre won’t say a word about how much multi-billion-dollar corporations are raking in. It’s not right. We’re going to keep pushing for an excess profit tax on huge corporations and wealthy CEOs to make sure you don’t get gouged at the supermarket.”
