Privatization mandate?

Dear Editor:

An open letter to health minister Christine Elliott and Wellington-Halton Hills MPP Ted Arnott.

The draft of the Health Systems Efficiency Act, 2019, which was leaked to the press recently, shows the Doug Ford government is seriously considering privatizing parts of our health care system, including inspections, laboratories, licensing and Ornge.

In my view, this should cause all Ontarians some degree of unease. 

When pressed by the media to answer some of the questions arising from these leaked documents, Elliott admitted that “there are aspects of this that we are considering.” 

Under the guise of fixing the problem of over-crowded hospitals, the Ford government proposes to create a super agency with sweeping powers to restructure, replace, merge and/or privatize virtually any aspect of our health care system without any public consultation and without the necessary checks and balances.

The question to Elliott and Arnott is this: Did you receive a mandate in the last election to privatize our health care in Ontario?

Pat Martin,

Rockwood