ADVISORY: Protesters to Parade Cuts at Toronto Pre-Budget Consultations

TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - Feb. 1, 2016) - When Members of Provincial Parliament conduct their pre-budget consultations in Toronto, they will be met with a parade of cuts illustrating the devastating effects of austerity and privatization on Ontairo's citizens, hospitals and social programs. The Ontario Federation of Labour and the Ontario Common Front will be joining the Ontario Health Coalition in Toronto to call on Ontario's budget committee to chart a different course for Ontario that leaves no one behind.

"Here in Toronto, we are seeing the effects of austerity in every community. Hospital cuts, hydro privatization, mounting student debt, precarious jobs and Canada's lowest social program funding are taking their toll in every neighbourhood," said Chris Buckley, President of the Ontario Federation of Labour. "Ontarians are calling on the Wynne Government to abandon her austerity agenda and lay out a plan for restoring public services, growing our economy, expanding Ontario's revenue base and lifting standards for everyone. The next Ontario budget shouldn't be constrained by government cuts, it should create an Ontario in which everyone prospers."

"Nine consecutive years of real-dollar cuts have plunged Ontario to the bottom of the country in hospital funding. Patients are being left on stretchers in hallways, surgeries are being cancelled and vital health services are being privatized, subject to user fees, or moved out of town," said Natalie Mehra, Executive Director of the Ontario Health Coalition. "It is beyond time that these devastating hospital cuts be stopped. The Ontario government must restore our public hospital funding to at least the average of all the other provinces in Canada."

Patients, workers, students, seniors and anti-poverty activists will parade a record of austerity cuts outside the Queen's Park Legislature during the consultations of the Ontario Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs.

WHAT: Parade of Cuts of Toronto Pre-Budget Consultation

WHERE: South Lawn of the Queen's Park Legislature

WHEN: Noon on Monday February 1, 2016

SPEAKERS WILL INCLUDE:

• Chris Buckley, President, Ontario Federation of Labour
• Natalie Mehra, Executive Director, Ontario Health Coalition
• Carol Baker, Community Co-Chair of the Ontario Common Front
• Carolyn Egan, Co-Chair of the Toronto Health Coalition
• Patients will share experiences with hospital cuts and privatization

PHOTO OPPORTUNITY: Colourful props, visuals and audio for broadcast

Similar protests have taken place at every pre-budget consultation in Ontario.

For more information, visit: http://ofl.ca/index.php/rallyagainstausterity

The Ontario Federation of Labour (OFL) represents 54 unions and one million workers in Ontario. For information, visit www.OFL.ca and follow @OFLabour on Facebook and Twitter.

Ontario Health Coalition represents more than 400 member organizations and a network of Local Health Coalitions and individual members. For information, visit http://www.ontariohealthcoalition.ca and follow @OntarioHealthC on Facebook and Twitter