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The working people of Ontario can no longer afford a government that prioritizes corporate profits over our well-being.
Under Doug Ford’s “Progressive” Conservatives, developers, landlords and corporations have amassed record profits, while everyday Ontarians struggle with skyrocketing rents, stagnant wages and underfunded public services.
Housing affordability has reached crisis levels. Homelessness is on the rise. The removal of rent controls on new units and the failure of all governments to invest in public housing has made the problem worse.
Instead of offering real solutions for health care, Ford has chosen to privatize hospital services, worsening the crisis and driving up costs for people in our community.
Ford’s environmental policies are also a disaster. He has failed to meet emissions targets while attempting to hand over Greenbelt land to developers.
This government has repeatedly demonstrated that it is willing to sacrifice our planet’s future for corporate gain.
Meanwhile, Ford distracts from these failures by scapegoating immigrants and marginalized communities, shifting blame away from the systemic inequality his government perpetuates.
Defeating the Conservatives is essential, but it is not enough.
The Liberals, New Democrats and Greens have all failed to present a real alternative to the status quo.
The Liberals remain committed to austerity and corporate interests.
The NDP, despite its working-class support, has moved toward the political centre and has abandoned its challenge of corporate power.
The Greens promote a market-driven approach, ignoring the root causes of the climate crisis.
We need a new approach that demands policies centred on human needs, not corporate greed.
This includes raising the minimum wage to $25 per hour, ending public sector wage suppression and implementing price controls on essential goods.
Workers must have the right to organize, regardless of industry or immigration status, and social assistance must be raised to livable levels.
Housing must be treated as a human right. Ontario needs at least 200,000 publicly owned social housing units, strict rent controls and protections against evictions.
Public health care should be fully funded and expanded to include pharmacare, dental, mental health and long-term care. Ford’s cuts to supervised consumption sites must be reversed.
A needs-based funding formula for education must be put in place, post-secondary tuition fees eliminated and student debt cancelled.
Climate action requires transitioning to publicly owned green energy, guaranteeing jobs for fossil fuel workers, and investing in free, accessible public transit.
Beyond these immediate demands, we must challenge the capitalist system. In the short term, this means taxing the super rich, doubling corporate tax rates, and shifting military spending towards social programs. It means ensuring Indigenous sovereignty, enforcing pay equity and making elections fairer with proportional representation.
But a better province will not come from the ballot box alone. It must be won through a grassroots struggle that demands transformative change and a sustainable future. We need a movement that unites labour, Indigenous nations, students, immigrants and marginalized communities.
It is time to put people and the planet before profit. It is time to unite and fight for real change.
Michael Speers
Barrie