Brampton residents, truck drivers to benefit from NDP’s Dental Care for Everyone plan

Members of the Ontario Aggregate Trucking Association and self-employed truck drivers joined the many backing NDP Leader Andrea Horwath’s Dental Care for Everyone plan during a visit to Brampton Thursday. Under Horwath’s plan, they would benefit from new dental coverage, just like all Ontarians.

“Millions of people in Ontario who are self-employed or work as independent contractors like these drivers are not covered for basic dental care. Far too often, people live in pain, go without the care they need, or rack up credit card debt to pay for dental care,” said Horwath. “But it doesn’t have to be this way.”

“My plan covers everyone, including contractors, self-employed people and entrepreneurs. That’s a change for the better Ontario needs now.”

Dental Care for Eveyrone will publicly fund dental coverage for millions of people, including those on social assistance and seniors who don’t have retirement benefits. And for all employed people – including part-time workers, contractors, freelancers and people working in non-traditional settings – businesses will participate in the new publicly administered Ontario Benefits program, or choose a comparable workplace benefits plan.

Horwath was joined by NDP candidate in the riding of Brampton Centre Sara Singh, who said that Dental Care for Everyone is incredibly important in Brampton.

“A lot of families in this community are depending on the income of one person – who is often, like the folks that joined us today, self-employed or working as an independent contractor,” said Singh. “And we know that every three minutes in Ontario, someone goes to the ER or a doctor’s office to get help with a dental problem. It’s not right that families should have to resort to the ER — and just think of how much additional pressure that’s putting on Brampton Civic hospital, and hospitals all over the province.

“Andrea’s plan is a solution Bramptonians need. I hear it on the doorsteps, and all over the community; Let’s do something completely different in this election, and pick a leader that’s offering hope.”

Horwath has also released a Pharmacare for Everyone plan – which will provide prescription drug coverage for all Ontarians, regardless of age, income, employment or health status. And she has made it a top priority to tackle hospital overcrowding and the hallway medicine crisis, promising funding that keeps up with inflation, population growth and the unique needs of each community in Ontario.

During Kathleen Wynne’s time in office, instead of improving health care and implementing pharmacare and dental care, she chose to cut health care services and starve our hospitals.

Now, Ford and the Conservatives have vowed to cut even deeper — promising to slash the services people count on by at least $6 billion.