Affordability crisis takes centre stage early as Ontario party leaders square off in prime-time debate & More Trending News

Ontario’s main political party leaders squared off over the affordability crisis and the province’s beleaguered health-care system throughout a prime-time debate on Monday. 

The contest started at 6:30 p.m. ET in Toronto and is the final time all 4 politicians vying to guide the province will meet earlier than the June 2 vote. 

Here’s how one can watch or hear:

Progressive Conservative Leader Doug Ford, NDP Leader Andrea Horwath, Liberal Leader Steven Del Duca and Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner are all in attendance.

The economic system and the affordability crisis going through Ontarians took centre stage early in the night. 

Horwath touted her plan to reintroduce hire controls and enhance the minimal wage by $1 annually, as much as $20 by 2026. 

“People need a wage that you can pay the bills on,” Horwath mentioned.

Del Duca spent his time explaining the Liberals’ “affordability pledge,” which features a proposal for a $1 transit fare and eliminating the provincial HST on ready meals objects beneath $20. In a one-on-one trade, Del Duca mentioned Ford is concentrated on re-litigating the 2018 election and that the PC chief desires to “pretend that COVID never happened.”

Meanwhile, Ford repeated his line of assault that every of the opposite events wish to elevate taxes on Ontarians. He additionally responded to Del Duca, saying that beneath the final Liberal authorities the “economy was going downhill faster than the Canadian bobsled team.” 

Schreiner mentioned a Green authorities would give attention to reining in home costs. He additionally went after Ford on the PC plan to construct Highway 413, which he mentioned would “pave over farmland” and make meals costlier. Schreiner known as the proposed freeway a “climate disaster” that will solely profit rich land builders.

Ford responded by saying that site visitors gridlock is costing Ontario tens of tens of millions in misplaced manufacturing yearly and that the proposed undertaking, estimated to price roughly $10 billion, has assist from commuters in the 905. He additionally highlighted current endorsements the PCs have secured from a number of massive building unions.

Highway 413 would run for some 60 kilometres throughout the northwestern a part of the GTA, from Highway 400 on the northern fringe of Vaughan to the interchange of highways 401 and 407 on the western limits of Brampton and Mississauga. 

Heated exchanges over Ontario’s health-care system

The debate then moved to the state of the province’s health-care system in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Horwath attacked Bill 124, laws handed beneath Ford that limits public sector wage will increase to 1 per cent of complete wage for 3 years. It is estimated that the salaries of a couple of million persons are affected by the legislation. 

The invoice has confronted fierce opposition from public sector unions and got here beneath specific scrutiny in the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, as the wages of many front-line well being staff had been restricted by its parameters.

“We need to respect those health-care workers who we call heroes and then treat like dirt,” she mentioned.

Schreiner additionally went on the offensive over Bill 124. He mentioned that Ontario’s nurses are “overworked, underpaid and disrespected by their government.”

Ford defended his authorities’s document on well being care, saying that when he took workplace in 2018 the system “was on the brink.

“Our hospitals had been crumbling for many years resulting from lack of funding.” Ford pointed to the $40 billion his government earmarked for capital spending on hospitals and health services in their pre-election 2022 budget.

Ford also defended his response to the COVID-19 pandemic, while acknowledging that it “wasn’t at all times excellent.

“Every decision I made was with the best intention, with the best medical advice I could get at the time,” Ford mentioned, noting {that a} PC authorities would make sure the province is ready for any future pandemics.

The debate, which is predicted to final about 90 minutes, is being moderated by journalists Althia Raj and Steve Paikin.

PCs main in the polls

Ford and his PCs headed into Monday’s debate with a cushty lead in the polls, in keeping with the CBC News Ontario Poll Tracker. Both the NDP and Liberals have tried to place themselves as the one party able to toppling Ford, whereas the Greens need to develop from a caucus of 1.

It’s typically mentioned amongst political insiders that the leaders’ debate marks the start of the “real campaign,” when extra voters begin paying shut consideration and making choices about the way to solid their ballots.

The 4 leaders met final week for a debate on points affecting northern communities. It was punctuated by fiery exchanges concerning the leaders’ political historical past, their visions for Ontario’s future and Ford’s dealing with of the COVID-19 pandemic.

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