Opposition Leader Patrick Brown to the Premier: Fire Minister Eric Hoskins for his Short-Sighted Health Cuts

QUEEN’S PARK – Today, Leader of the Official Opposition Patrick Brown used Question Period to highlight the dismal job Minister of Health and Long-Term Care Eric Hoskins has done managing Ontario’s health care system.

Under Minister Hoskins’ management, the Liberal Government has made across the board cuts to front-line staff and essential services at the expense of patient care.

“It’s clear the government is cutting healthcare across the province. They have slashed $815-million from physician services and fired 1,400 nurses. Clinics are closing,” said Brown. “But what most people don’t see day in and day out is the ridiculous overcrowding at Ontario hospitals. Across this province, hospitals are over capacity because of this government’s cuts.”

Ontario hospitals have faced nine consecutive hospital budget cuts, including four consecutive frozen budgets.

“What fantasy world is this Government living in? Instead of getting beds out the hallway, the Minister of Health uses his budget to run self-congratulatory vanity ads.”

Premier Kathleen Wynne is rumoured to be soon shuffling her cabinet. Leader Patrick Brown urged the Premier to fire Minister Hoskins from his portfolio.

“It’s time someone takes responsibility. Will the Premier hold the Minister of Health accountable?” Brown concluded. “When the cabinet shuffle comes, will the Minister be held responsible for the crisis he created?”

For the entirety of Question Period, members of the Ontario PC Caucus asked for the Minister of Health to be fired, citing how local cuts that have affected their communities.

Recent examples of the Wynne Liberals’ cuts to health care include:

• $815 million cut from physician services
• 50 medical residency positions eliminated
• $20 million slashed from the assistive devices program
• $50 million cut to physiotherapy services for seniors
• 1,400 nurses cut since the beginning of 2015
• Nine consecutive years of hospital funding cuts, including four years of frozen hospital budgets