Premier Kathleen Wynne meets with Ethnic Media to discuss the 2018 Budget
Published 7/04/2018
The Ontario Budget presents a plan for care, not cuts
Earlier this week, Premier Wynne was in Scarborough and Mississauga to meet with and take questions from Ethnic Media outlets about the 2018 Budget. Approximately 70 media outlets attended both sessions and asked a variety of questions.
“You are all such an important link between your communities and the work that we do at Queen’s Park. I appreciate the time and dedication you put into covering the news of the day because we all know the pressures the media has been under in recent years,” said Premier Wynne.
The Premier went on to discuss the pressures families are facing in Ontario
“The economy is growing relatively well, but it’s changing quickly, and that growth isn’t being shared equally. We need a government that invests in care, not cuts. This is exactly what the budget is all about.” She said.
The 2018 Budget is investing in the care that people need most. This includes access to dental benefits they don’t get from their workplaces, and creating free prescription medication for everyone under the age of 25, and everyone over the age of 65 years. The Premier shared the added benefits for seniors in Ontario, noting that our parents and grandparents deserve the best care possible, and the ability to stay in their homes for as long as they are able and want to.
Seniors
“That’s why we created a new $750 benefit for seniors that will help them with costs around their homes. This will ensure that they can stay in their homes for as long as they want.”
The Ontario government is also investing in 30,000 long-term new long-term care beds. That includes 5,000 spaces for culturally appropriate care in multicultural and Indigenous communities.
“I do not believe that this is the time to make deep cuts to the services the people of Ontario rely on,” the Premier affirmed. “We will continue to expand free tuition so that more low-and middle-income students can go to college or university. We will raise the minimum wage to $15, and we will launch free preschool childcare in 2020 so families have the option to go back to work, if they choose.”
Source: Office of the Premier of Ontario, Kathleen Wynne
