The Greens had an in-depth party platform on health care in 2011. In this election they can barely bring themselves the say the word “health.”
The only mention it gets in the Greens streamlined platform is around poverty reduction and their commitment to double the exemption for small business to pay the employer health tax. That, incidentally, means less health care revenue.
Last time out they were raising warning bells about health care sustainability while promising billions more for seniors care and the interdisciplinary primary care sector. Despite the endless scandals around long-term care, they wanted to cut the number of regulations that protect frail residents in Ontario’s nursing homes. They also wanted to make the LHINs more responsive to their communities.
This time the Greens plan to tackle poverty reduction by setting a longer term goal of establishing a guaranteed annual income for all citizens, not just seniors. In the meantime they would double the Ontario Child Benefit for children of families who live close to the poverty line. There is also a vague commitment around youth unemployment, although it goes no further than urging young people “to tell us what they have to offer … we want to hear about their great ideas.”
OPSEU Diablogue 