/R E P E A T -- OPSEU President lauds unprecedented political cooperation by Ontario's leaders/
TORONTO, March 25, 2020 /CNW/ - OPSEU President Warren (Smokey) Thomas is praising Ontario's political parties for their unprecedented cooperation in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic, the crisis of a generation.
Thomas says the Ford government's plan announced on Wednesday to deal with COVID-19 is a good start.
"This is a critical first step in providing support to our province's front-line workers. They are the key figures in protecting Ontario from this pandemic and guiding it towards recovery," said Thomas. "The action plan shows that the government will spend whatever it takes to support the health of Ontarians and the health of our economy."
Finance Minister Rod Phillips provided a $17 billion commitment in COVID-19 crisis support for 2020/21. It includes $3.3 billion toward additional healthcare resources, $3.7 billion to support people and protect jobs, $7 billion in new direct support for our health care system, and $10 billion for people and businesses to increase cash flow.
The government's plan recognizes that this is an event of a lifetime and that the original 2020/21 deficit forecast will no longer apply, meaning that public sector cuts will not be made in the future to balance the province's books.
"I am proud to be part of a province that realizes that partisan differences must be put aside, and I am proud to see the public and private sector working together in unison to get us through this crisis," said Thomas.
"In the end, despite what some radical economists and political ideologues might suggest, there is really only one sector – the human sector – and together, we will prevail."
SOURCE Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU)
Warren (Smokey) Thomas, 613-329-1931
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