June 18th, 2021

Ford moving top ministers an admission of failure: NDP

QUEEN’S PARK — Doug Ford’s cabinet shuffle is an admission of failure on long-term care and other critical areas during the pandemic.

“Doug Ford is removing and shuffling his ministers of long-term care, small businesses and social services from those files. If there’s ever been an admission that they failed people during the pandemic, this is it,” said NDP Deputy Leader Sara Singh.

“This admission of failure isn’t enough, though. We need action to undo the damage Ford continues to do — with brutal conditions in long-term care homes continuing, countless small businesses on the brink of collapse, and no plan for serious concerns like student safety and a horrific surgery backlog.”

Singh said it’s shocking and deeply insulting that Rod Phillips in particular is being promoted back into cabinet, and taking over the extremely important long-term care responsibility. Phillips broke the rules and vacationed in St. Barts while Ontario suffered through a stay-at-home order, and a brutal wave of COVID-19 was ravaging long-term care homes and taking the lives of thousands of seniors. Phillips tried to cover-up his luxurious St. Barts vacation with pre-written messages, pre-recorded Christmas greetings, and a fake Zoom background.

“Phillips is obviously out of touch with what our loved ones in long-term care have been living through,” said Singh. “Long-term care homes still aren’t expected to provide air conditioning, and still have brutal understaffing — unlike the swanky St. Barts villas Phillips jettisoned off to while our seniors were living, and dying, in horrible conditions.”