SoVote

Decentralized Democracy

Ontario Assembly

43rd Parl. 1st Sess.
May 29, 2023 09:00AM
  • May/29/23 11:10:00 a.m.

While the member opposite continues to defend the status quo, we are not satisfied with the status quo here, which is why we have made so many different investments that are ensuring we have health human resources available across Ontario.

We are experiencing challenges, as are all Canadian jurisdictions, in ensuring that we have sufficient staffing. But we are doing that with investments: two new medical schools in the province of Ontario. We have never seen this kind of investment in training, in retaining, in keeping and giving people the opportunities to practise in medicine that we have in the province of Ontario.

I might remind the member opposite that it was actually Kathleen Wynne, in her major exit interview after she was defeated, who talked about the regret that she had in terms of cutting residency positions for physicians and, in fact, not sufficiently supporting the health care system. We’re making the investments. We’re doing that work. It’s—

162 words
  • Hear!
  • Rabble!
  • star_border
  • May/29/23 11:20:00 a.m.

As the member opposite talks about the need for investments, he actually voted against Bill 60. What would Bill 60 do? It actually ensures that people have as of right, so clinicians who are practising in other Canadian jurisdictions, for the first time in Canada, are going to be able to start working immediately in Ontario as they get that licence approved through the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario.

It is very challenging for me to listen to this information while we make the investments and they continue to continuously vote against those same investments. I don’t understand how you cannot make the connection as a physician to understand that as of right in the province of Ontario is going to increase the capacity, ensuring the College of Physicians and Surgeons immediately access, approve and ultimately assess and give licences to internationally educated and trained physicians. Those are the changes that we are making that could have been done under the previous Liberal government but—

168 words
  • Hear!
  • Rabble!
  • star_border