MEDIA ADVISORY - In Mr. Fedeli's own backyard, opposition to PCs' health system overhaul is substantive: Poll released Tuesday finds
NORTH BAY, ON, April 15, 2019 /CNW/ - Failure to consult with Ontarians about big health system changes isn't going over well with Ontarians in PC held ridings – including in Nipissing- shows polling being released Tuesday, April 16 (2019) in North Bay.
Commissioned by the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Ontario and the CUPE's Ontario Council of Hospital Unions (OCHU/CUPE) the poll was conducted at the end of February. 552 people participated in North Bay (and surrounding areas) and Sault Ste. Marie – both PC held ridings.
CUPE Ontario President Fred Hahn and OCHU president Michael Hurley will release the full poll results tomorrow at 10:30 a.m. at the North Bay, Best Western, 700 Lakeshore Dr. where about 250 leaders from CUPE's hospital sector are holding their annual convention, this week.
As a follow up to the poll release Tuesday, on Wednesday, April 17 delegates are participating in 12:00 noon rally at Vic Fedeli's constituency office, 165 Main St. E., North Bay.
Polling followed weeks of damaging information leaks that showed the PC's intent to move very quickly to "restructure" hospitals, long-term care homes and home and community care across the province, all without any meaningful consultations with Ontarians.
Leaked draft legislation also surfaced, overshadowing the PCs expert health care panel release of their first report identifying health system gaps and well ahead of their second report with recommendations. PC's intend to keep Ontario's health system in a continual state of chaos under a process of endless mergers, integrations and service privatizations. Despite PC denials that the legislation was a draft, just weeks later they tabled Bill 74 – an expansive Omnibus Bill that for the most part mirrored the leaked draft.
Documents also showed the creation of a new bureaucracy, a 'super agency' of sorts that would subsume care coordination done through local health networks and the province's highly regarded Cancer Care Ontario.
Nipissing and Sault Ste. Marie residents were asked if they were aware of these large scale changes the PCs planned to make to health care in their community. They were asked whether they supported the PC changes broadly and specifically in areas such as hospital, long-term care and community care mergers into large health providers, service privatization and if they thought this kind of restructuring would save any money.
Similar polls were conducted in PC held ridings across Ontario.
SOURCE Ontario Council of Hospital Unions (CUPE)
Stella Yeadon, CUPE Communications, 416-559-9300
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