February 11, 2025

Grey Bruce Owen Sound, All Candidates Meeting on Healthcare held February 10, in Durham

BY SOUTHGREY.CA STAFF — In attendance at the February 10 All Candidates Meeting in Durham were left to right: moderator Brenda Scott,  NDP candidate James Harris, Green Party candidate Joel Loughead, Liberal Selwyn Hicks. Absent was Paul Vickers, the PC candidate.

PC candidate Paul Vickers did not attend the meeting due to the Progressive Conservative Party instructing candidates not to attend debates or meetings. Vickers issued a statement which in part, stated that he was out meeting voters at their door. The PC platform regarding healthcare, includes ensuring everyone has a family doctor by the year 2029.

Moderator Brenda Scott introduced West Grey Mayor Kevin Eccles who welcomed everyone to the meeting. 

The candidates introduced themselves.

NDP candidate James Harris grew up in Owen Sound, is a singer, songwriter. He is involved in social organizations such as Solidarity Sundays and Food not Bombs.

Green Party Candidate Joel Loughhead had volunteered for the Green Party early in his life in Owen Sound. Loughhead now lives in Kimberley and is currently a Grey Highlands Councillor.

Liberal candidate Selwyn Hicks is a Hanover lawyer. He has served on Hanover Council for two terms, Deputy Mayor for two terms and Grey County Warden for three terms. Hicks is a father of four. He is upset that farmers use rural hospitals which are not getting the support they need and many Grey Bruce residents have no family doctor.

The candidates main sentiment was that healthcare should be a priority, hospitals should be properly funded, there should be family doctors for everyone and emergency rooms should be open 24/7.

James Harris stated what the NDP want to do if elected:

• Recruit and support 3,500 new doctors in Ontario
• 15,000 new nurses over the course of 3 years
• Clear the path for 13,000 internationally trained doctors
• Fast-track solutions in the first 100 days with more family health teams, shorter specialist wait time and flexible care options

Included in the Liberal platform:

• Educate, attract and retain thousands of new domestic and internationally trained family doctors
• Improve the Ontario Health Team network, use it to massively expand access to family doctors practicing in teams close to your home within four years.
• Modernize family medicine, put an end to fax machines, make appointments available on evenings and weekends.
• Stop penalizing patients and doctors if they seek care at walk-in clinics.

Hicks mentioned during the meeting that mental health is healthcare, now patients need to go to Toronto for mental healthcare. This service should be available locally. The Liberals would invest in doctors and preventative care. Healthcare is the province's responsibility.

The Green Party of Ontario is the only party that encourages its members to vote independently.

Loughead stated during the meeting that he will:

• Advocate for healthcare
• Keep emergency rooms open
• Invest in hospitals and doctors.
• Opposed to TC Energy’s proposed pumped storage project in Meaford which is also a health issue because the site is contaminated

The Progressive Conservative Party candidate Paul Vickers was not in attendance to discuss or defend the past PC record on healthcare. Included here are a few key points:

• PC Health spending per capita in Ontario was $4,889 in 2022, the lowest in Canada and $876 (15.2 per cent) below the average of other provinces. Ontario had a per capita budget deficit of $422 the same year.
• Underfunded hospitals and staff to the point of forcing some emergency rooms to not operate 24/7.
• Attempted to restrict nurses pay increases to one percent per year.
• Brought in Bill 7, hospitals could charge a fee of $400 per day to patients who decline to move from hospital to a long-term care home up to 70 km away not of their choosing.

The meeting ended after about 12 questions from the audience were answered by all 3 candidates present.

 

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