(May 30, 2023)<\/p>\n
By: Rob Cooper, CTV News Barrie<\/p>\n
A small but passionate group gathered at Sunnidale Park in Barrie Tuesday morning to call out the province\u2019s plan to privatize public health services.<\/p>\n
Over the past several weeks, the Simcoe County Health Coalition took part in a province-wide referendum asking people if they want public hospital services privatized to for-profit hospitals and clinics.<\/p>\n
\u201cNinety-nine per cent of people who voted in this referendum in Simcoe County rejected the government\u2019s plans to privatize our hospital services,\u201d said Anisa Carrascal with Simcoe County Health Coalition.<\/p>\n
More than 15,380 votes were cast in the county. Province-wide, just over 382,000 votes were cast both in person and online.<\/p>\n
A total of 98 per cent of ballots cast in the province were opposed to the province\u2019s plan.<\/p>\n
\u201cFunding our public hospitals is a better answer than selling services in public hospitals basically, the premise is fix it, don\u2019t sell it,\u201d said Carrascal.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe government relies on our votes, and they are meant to work to make the betterment of society, so when they are working against the betterment of society and society stands up to say you better cut it out, it can work,\u201d said Elizabeth Watts President of Local 346 Opseu.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe mandate for this government was clear. Doug Ford campaigned saying he was not going to privatize any health care services, and two months after the election, he announced the privatization of surgeries and diagnosis. So, we\u2019re telling him this is not what we voted for,\u201d said Carrascal.<\/p>\n
The group is heading to Queen’s Park on Wednesday to pass on the results of its referendum to the government.<\/p>\n