Friday, October 2, 2020
Friday, October 2nd, 2020
Hon. Doug Ford
Premier of Ontario
Legislative Building
Queen’s Park
Toronto ON M7A 1A1
Premier Ford,
This week’s ‘Team Ontario’ meeting was a positive first step. I welcome your agreement to schedule regular meetings with Opposition Leaders and your Cabinet. These meetings should be weekly, and must be structured as an All-Party Cabinet Committee for COVID-19. This will provide an opportunity for All-of-Ontario leadership in the face of this pandemic.
Throughout this crisis, we have provided your government with constructive ideas to help keep Ontarians safe from the virus and protect our economy from future waves.
With case counts skyrocketing in certain areas of Ontario, I ask that you immediately implement the advice of health experts including those at the Ontario Hospital Association to ensure that public health and economic recovery strategies are integrated. That includes a regional approach to stricter control measures, including the closure of casinos and indoor bars. We must also consider regional measures that restrict operations at gyms, barbershops, and beauty salons, as well as religious gatherings held indoors.
New closures will have an adverse impact on small businesses. To respond, new financial supports must be introduced to help them. These measures will be critical in ensuring that small businesses and workers in the service sector can survive this crisis. My team and I are ready to work with your government to help design programs to protect our small businesses and service workers.
You must also stop fighting with educators and cap class sizes at 15 students. Moms and dads across Ontario are telling me every day how nervous they are to drop their kids off at school. It’s time to put politics aside and protect our students. These unsafe class sizes are just too risky.
Taking action now is the only thing we can do to stop this virus in its tracks and avoid overwhelming our healthcare system.
I look forward to our meeting next week. Please have your office confirm a date and time.
Regards,
Steven
Steven Del Duca
Leader, Ontario Liberal Party