The Disabled
The party advocates:
– full implementation of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act by preparing an enforcement plan, allocating resources for enforcement and supporting a public awareness campaign
– providing an accessibility tax incentive for small businesses to help small businesses modify their facilities to accommodate people with disabilities

Mental Health & Addictions
The party states that:
– 12,000 children are on a waitlist for mental health care, with many waiting up to 18 months for help
– Ontario has experienced a 60 per cent increase in hospitalizations and 54 per cent increase in emergency department visits for children and youth seeking treatment for mental health issues
– many adults with mental health needs are admitted, discharged and readmitted to hospital, putting undue stress on hospital and first responder services

The party advocates:
– improving access to better mental health services by focusing on preventing illness and promoting health, in addition to treating sickness
– increasing investments in primary and community health care, home care and senior care, including $4.1 billion over 4 years, an additional $2 billion above the projected increases in the 2018 budget
– creating a new umbrella organization called Mental Health and Addictions Ontario to consolidate and prioritize mental health and addictions programs and services consistently across Ontario
– to pay for these improvements, raising raise half a billion dollars each year by implementing recommendations from the 2012 Drummond report to improve collections, reduce tax avoidance and implement cost recovery for more services

Northern and Rural Communities
The party advocates:
– empowering Nurse Practitioners as primary health care providers, especially in areas that lack primary care options
– increased funding for telemedicine, including telepsychiatry
– funding for full-scale Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) teams in rural areas
– establishing a full list of core services, including specialized health services, that ensure their availability within every Local Health Integration Network (LHIN)
– supporting special public transit services for rural residents to access health care.

Indigenous Peoples
The party states that:
– the Canadian government’s policies of assimilation through Residential Schools and Sixties Scoops have had terrible repercussions for generations of people, and the time for meaningful action towards reconciliation is now
– the government has a legal responsibility to consult with and has an obligation to work with Indigenous communities, with full partnership, participation, and respect, to ensure everyone in Ontario has access to high quality health care, education, and economic opportunities
– it acknowledges the great contributions that Indigenous communities have made and are making today in Ontario, including the wisdom of the importance of stewardship
– it supports the right of Indigenous peoples to determine and develop priorities and strategies for exercising their rights, including rights to health, housing and other economic and social programs affecting them, and as far as possible to administer such programs through their own institutions

The party advocates:
– ensuring consultation and empowerment, and support the rights of First Nations, Métis, Inuit and urban Indigenous communities to determine and develop priorities and strategies for the development or use of their lands or territories and other resources
– committing to finding solutions for sharing resource revenue, including secondary and tertiary resource revenue, with First Nations
– providing funding to First Nations to build capacity and support meaningful engagement with government decision making processes
– monitoring and provide reports on any current data requested by the National Council for Reconciliation (e.g. data related to gaps between Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities in key health and economic indicators), so that it can report on the progress towards reconciliation
– immediate investments in affordable urban Indigenous housing, at the same time as the development of an Indigenous Housing Strategy that is outcomes-based and as a result, responsive to communities’ needs
– increases to Indigenous Student Bursary funding to keep pace with rising Indigenous population and enrolment, and remove citizenship and eligibility requirements that create barriers based on arbitrary geographical boundaries
– supporting the Ontario Indigenous Children and Youth Strategy to enable First Nations, Métis and Inuit communities to have a holistic, culturally-based and community-driven approach to children and youth services
– addressing environmental racism against First Nations communities by recognizing First Nations as equals in land management and establish a co-management stewardship model with Indigenous People for the development of provincial resource
– working with Indigenous communities and the federal government to create water treatment systems that will end long-term boil water advisories
– respect the rights of Grassy Narrows and White Dog First Nations on the English Wabigoon River system to practice traditional food harvesting in their traditional territories, in a clean ecosystem free from mercury contamination

Support for the Marginalized

Mental Health & Addictions
The party states that:
–  nearly 1 in 3 people in Ontario will experience a mental health or addictions challenge in their lifetime
– in its previous term it implemented free talk therapy, added 17,000 new supportive housing units, and Youth Wellness Hubs

The party advocates:
– investing $2.1 billion in mental health care, to ensure that those needing mental health care will have fast and easy access to the care that’s proper for them
– making Ontario fully accessible by 2025
– creating a 24.7 provincial help line to provide fast access to help and crisis counselling
– meeting the specific needs of LGBTQ2S, francophone, racialized, immigrant and indigenous children, youth, and adults
– providing more support for caregivers and family members supporting loved ones, including counselling and respite services
– expanding access to free psychotherapy for up to 350,000 more people with anxiety and depression
– to reduce wait times, increasing funding by 3% for community-based providers of adult mental illness and addictions care
– partnering with municipalities to tackle local health care issues such as homelessness and youth suicide
– using the experience of front-line health care workers to combat the opioid crisis

Special Education
The party advocates:
– adding 2,000 new teachers and education workers, including more Education Assistants to support kids with exceptionally high needs and more specialists, including behavioural specialists and speech language pathologists
– developing an accessibility standard to address barriers that prevent students with disabilities from reaching their full potential 

Indigenous Peoples
The party states that commitment to reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples is a central component of its platform, and that it recognizes that First Nation, Métis and Inuit peoples face barriers to fairness and opportunity within the province

The party states that during its last term in office it:
– offered an official apology for Ontario’s role in the Indian Residential School system and made a $250 million commitment to reconciliation programs
– it began implementing a revised curriculum in September 2018 for all students that reflects the contributions, cultures and perspectives of Indigenous peoples, including the role of treaties and the history of residential schools
– worked to build relationships of trust, partnership and respect with Indigenous communities, through agreements like the provincial Political Accord, a child welfare agreement with Grand Council Treaty 3, and health and relationship agreements with Nishnawbe Aski Nation (NAN)

Children & Youth
 To better support the well-being of Indigenous youth and children, the party advocates:
– ensuring that support services are properly coordinated
– investing more than $80 million over four years to expand mental health care for children and youth at risk
– providing $40 million over three years to support culturally relevant child care programs on-reserve and $290 million to double the number of child care spaces on reserve
– providing $70 million over two years for off-reserve projects for children and families

Communities & Health Care
To enhance health care, housing and support culturally appropriate programs and services, the party advocates:
– investing more than $220 million over three years to improve access to health care, including primary care, mental health and addiction care and palliative care
– encouraging Indigenous leadership in design, implementation and control of health care in their communities
– implementing a long-term strategy to end violence against indigenous women
– working with urban Indigenous communities to develop effective programs for Indigenous people living off-reserve
– increased funding for creation of culturally appropriate supportive housing
– revitalization of Indigenous languages and investment in new and expanded youth cultural camps in Indigenous communities
– working with Grassy Narrows and partners to identify and remediate all sites of mercury contamination in the English-Wabigoon River system

Economic Development
The party states that during its prior term in office, it:
– created the Indigenous Economic Development Fund and the Métis Voyageur Development Fund, to provide financing, jobs and training
– enhanced access to postsecondary education for Indigenous peoples through Indigenous Institutes and by making tuition free for low- to middle-income families
– supported the connection of 22 remote First Nation communities to the electricity transmission grid
– resolved 24 land claim settlements, to address historic injustices and renew treaty relationships

The party advocates:
– investing $30 million over two years to expand and enhance programs to provides training for Indigenous peoples and other underrepresented groups
– building a year-round access road to the Ring of Fire, working with First Nations communities
– working First Nation and Métis partners on sharing the benefits of resource development
– continuing to work with Canada and First Nations to resolve land claims

Indigenous Courts & Justice
  To reduce barriers faced by Indigenous people across the justice system, the party advocates:
– establishing a bicultural community justice centre in Kenora, with satellite locations in Sioux Lookout and Timmins
– providing culturally responsive supports to Indigenous people going through the bail and remand process
– allowing First Nations to opt in to the provincial policing framework under the Police Services Act, 2018
– improving representation on juries by using a broader OHIP source list, consulting with Indigenous communities, and reviewing compensation received by jurors
– implementing the Walking Together: Strategy to End Violence Against Indigenous Women

Northern, Rural, & Agricultural Communities

The party states that:
– Northern Ontario is a distinct part of the province, and comes with unique challenges and needs

Economic Development
  The party states that during its last term in office it made significant investments in Northern Ontario’s economic development through the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation (NOHFC) and support for forestry, mining and Manufacturing, creating and retaining more than 15,000 jobs

The party advocates:
– increasing NOHFC funding to a total of $150 million in the next three years and expanding its programs to better support infrastructure projects and large-scale investment opportunities
– as part of a $1 billion commitment, building the year-round access road to the Ring of Fire, working with First Nations communities and building on progress to date which includes Environmental Assessment work, baseline studies and the upgrading of existing highways and bridges
– in response to the softwood lumber dispute, continuing to support the forestry sector’s productivity, innovation and access to new markets through the Forestry Growth Fund
– continuing the permanent Northern Industrial Electricity Rate Program to ensure stable, low electricity costs for northern industries
– completing the Wataynikaneyap Power Grid Connection Project, which will be the largest Indigenous-led and -owned infrastructure project in Ontario history, connecting 16 remote northern First Nation communities to the electricity grid

 Northern & Rural Infrastructure
The party states that:
– during its last term in power it expanded highways to Sudbury and Thunder Bay
– introduced intercommunity bus service to provide affordable transit
– and built and redeveloped northern hospitals

The party advocates
– commitment to permanent funding to expand the TransCanada highway across the province, and seeking 50% funding from the federal government
– investing $490 million over the next 10 years to repair and upgrade railway tracks, bridges and trains in Northern Ontario, through the Ontario Northland Transportation Commission
– investing an additional $500 million over three years to expand broadband connectivity in rural and northern communities
– expanding the Ontario Northland Transportation Commission motor coach service into Northwestern Ontario and enabling travel from Ottawa to Winnipeg with a single reservation
– continued investment in water and wastewater infrastructure upgrades
– continued expansion of natural gas service

The party has published no official statement concerning its policies regarding:
– support for the marginalized
– mental health & addictions
– Indigenous peoples
– Northern, rural, & agricultural communities
– refugees, immigrants or newcomers

Wards of the Province
The party states that:
– children in provincial care are among the most vulnerable people in Ontario
– experts have noted that racialized and Indigenous children are over-represented in Provincial care, and that there are more Indigenous children in provincial care today than there ever were in residential schools
– every year between 90 and 120 children die in provincial care

The party advocates:
– to help improve care provided by the province for children, strengthening the role of the Provincial Advocate for Children and Youth, including giving the office investigatory and oversight powers to force disclosure of information and to protect whistleblowers
– ending solitary confinement for children
– working with experts to identify supports needed by racialized and Indigenous children to succeed and thrive
– giving children a greater voice in decisions concerning their care, and use of mediation rather than courts in disputes over family custody for children in care.

Care for the Disabled
The party advocates:
– full implementation of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act
– eliminating a requirement for those with disabilities to re-apply for supports on reaching age 18
– ensuring that every government initiative is designed from the start to allow people of all abilities to access government services and programs
– earmarking affordable housing units for Ontarians with developmental and intellectual disabilities, including investment in 30,000 units of supportive housing
– development of a comprehensive anti-autism strategy, in collaboration with families, caregivers, people with autism, and experts in the field, basing care on need rather than age

Mental Health & Addictions
The party advocates:
–  establishing a consolidated Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions
– to ensure access to mental health care for more than 28,000 more Ontarians every year, hiring 2,200 new mental health care workers
– declaring a public health emergency to address opioid abuse
– distributing additional naloxone kits
– building 30,000 new supportive housing units for family and other supporters
– cutting children’s mental health waits to a 30-day max with a $590 million investment
– hiring 400 more mental health care workers to provide mental health supports in every high school
– investing $100 million in Ontario’s Dementia Strategy
– protecting and increasing access to French-language health care services within Ontario
– working with First Nations to increase access their role in decision-making and front-line care
– ensuring that all Ontario residents have access to publicly-covered emergency room care, regardless of immigration or insurance status
– increased support for Ontarians living with dementia

Indigenous Peoples
The party notes that the 94 recommendations of the Truth & Reconciliation Commission are now several years old, and not fully implemented

The party advocates:
– establishment of a true government-to-government relationship with Ontario’s First Nations, including signature of a cooperative accord
– implementation of the recommendations of the Truth & Reconciliation Commission
– replacement of the Far North Act
– implementation of Revenue Sharing for First Nations
– immediate investment of $209 million in the First Nations Health Action Plan, to double provincial financial commitment
– to correct systemic racism and abuses of colonial history, listening to first nations about how best to spend the money invested
– to improve safety and community security in among First Nations, developing stand-alone legislation to allow First Nations to provide professional policing for their own communities and committing $30 million to First Nations policing
– continued support for the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, and continued support for families and survivors as they seek answers and justice
– where disputes in delivery of health care initiatives devolve into inter-jurisdictional disputes, taking action at the provincial level and arguing later
– seeing a provincial role in strengthening of relationships between municipal governments and Indigenous people and communities
– to help Indigenous communities thrive, requiring the provincial Employment Training Division to prioritize needs of First Nations
– as the province moves away from private power generation, seeing greater partnership with First Nations in developing affordable green energy
– working with First Nations to develop meaningful, clear and growing targets for public-sector procurement from First Nations owned and operated businesses
– investment of $91 million for repairs and capital upgrades at Friendship Centres, plus $41 million in programing such as the Children Who Witness Violence Program, programming for 18-24 year olds, and other innovative and contemporary programs identified by the Ontario Federation of Indigenous Friendship Centres
– exemption of First Nations from electricity delivery charges

Northern, Rural, & Agricultural Communities
The party advocates:
– bringing a badly-needed jolt of political energy to get things moving on the ring of Fire, as northern communities have waited too long
– spending $1 billion, to get the Ring of Fire moving, now, collaborating with northern communities and First Nations to quickly begin building infrastructure
– fighting to bring smelting and ferro-chrome processing to Northern Ontario
– as a priority, investing in northern and rural infrastructure, including schools and hospitals
– investing $100 million in natural gas expansion in rural Ontario; and $1 billion over 10 years to bring broadband service to northern and rural Ontario
– raising the cap on the Risk Management Program, in support of a made-in-Ontario solution to global agricultural instability
– defending supply management
– protection for the Ontario Production Insurance Program and working with farmers to keep it simple and truly protective
– working with farmers and municipal leaders to protect provincial farmland from encroachment by land speculators
– working with farming groups to help young farmers get started

Refugees & Newcomers
The party states that while it believes strongly in the rules governing immigration and citizenship, it will never support withholding of basic life-saving services from undocumented people

The party advocates:
– declaring Ontario a sanctuary province, where people can access services without fear
– ending the practice of holding federal immigration detainees in provincial correctional facilities

The party has released no official statement concerning its policies on:

– supporting the marginalized
– Indigenous peoples
– rural communities
– immigration & newcomers

Mental Health & Addictions
The party states that:
– to help the thousands of people struggling with mental health and addictions issues, it is providing additional funding of $175 million in 2021–22 as part of an historic investment of $3.8 billion over 10 years, to provide more and better care for everyone who needs it

The party advocates:
– in order to reduce hospital wait times, creating 15,000 new long-term care beds over 5 years, and adding $3.8 billion in new support for mental health, addictions, and housing

Indigenous Peoples
The party states that:
– as a part of the province’s to the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, it is investing $18.2 million over three years to help address violence against First Nations, Inuit and Métis women and girls, including enabling access to community supports; enhanced resources for First Nations police services for sexual assault, human trafficking and domestic violence investigations; culturally responsive programming to Indigenous women in the correctional system; and building on existing investments to support community safety and provide additional support to end violence against Indigenous women and girls
– it is doubling investment in the Indigenous Community Capital Grants Program, to address long‐term infrastructure needs and fast‐track shovel‐ready on‐ and off‐reserve projects

COVID Pandemic
The party states that:
– Indigenous communities are at higher risk for COVID‐19 outbreaks and have challenges in accessing health care, which can lead to more severe outcomes
– available health data also indicates that Indigenous peoples generally have higher rates of chronic diseases that may put them at greater risk of health complications if exposed to COVID‐19
– it has invested $50 million to support COVID responses within First Nations and urban Indigenous, including community‐led vaccination efforts, increased public health capacity and greater access to testing in Indigenous communities

Northern, Rural, & Agricultural Communities
  The party advocates:
– investing in expanded broadband internet access
– increasing local infrastructure funding
– expanding natural gas distribution to rural communities by enabling private sector participation and use the up to $100 million in savings to invest in cellular and broadband expansion
– ending bureaucratic review of the Ring of Fire project, to allow it to proceed
– to stimulate growth in the North moving forward with revenue sharing from mining, forestry, and aggregates
– ensure that hunting and fishing revenues go toward their stated purpose of conservation
– cutting the aviation fuel tax for the North, to help compensate for the cost of living
– restoring passenger rail service in the North

Refugees & Newcomers
– dedicating resources to fight organized crime, including child exploitation and human trafficking
– respecting the vulnerable, by committing resources to combat domestic abuse, including elder abuse