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At 10am, @joe_cressy and @epdevilla are holding a press conference to talk about the province's cuts to @TOPublicHealth. Background: cbc.ca/news/canada/to…
Tension is heating up between the city and the province, with @celliottability releasing a statement accusing Cressy of "misleading" accusations, saying the public health changes were first communicated to the city as early as Monday, April 15. 
According to the mayor's office, there was "confidential communication earlier in the week at the staff level" indicating the public health changes were coming, while the "formal notification" to the Board of Health chairs happened during a call with the ministry last Thursday.
Elliott's statement also mentions student nutrition programs, which are a big source of concern, as @CBCToronto reported on Monday: cbc.ca/news/canada/to…
Cressy outlining the programs offered by @TOPublicHealth, from food safety to dental screenings to outbreak investigations.
Here’s the financial impact of the province’s funding changes for @TOPublicHealth according to Cressy and TPH:
Tuberculosis survivor Priya Amin recalls thinking she would die.
“Toronto Public Health became more like a best friend during several months of quarantine. Having this disease in Canada meant I was treatable — and curable.”
Ford can avoid having “blood” on his hands, she adds
“Toronto Public Health became more like a best friend during several months of quarantine. Having this disease in Canada meant I was treatable — and curable.”
Ford can avoid having “blood” on his hands, she adds
Medical officer of health @epdevilla: “Our primary concern is to improve the health status of our population, to reduce disparities,” she says.
“We undertake these roles... by focusing on prevention.”
“We undertake these roles... by focusing on prevention.”
If the province doesn’t reverse this “foolish decision,” Cressy says TPH doesn’t know where it will make cuts. Says prior to SARS and Walkerton, it was 50-50 cost sharing between province and cities. Provincial share later went up.
Cressy stressing that while student nutrition programs are partially funded by private donors and the province, the bulk of the funding comes through Toronto Public Health.
The province is downloading responsibility onto the city, and Cressy says asking cities to kick in the money isn’t “appropriate.”
It appears Toronto is getting the brunt of the cuts or downloading, De Villa says.
There’s been no explanation from the province on why that is, Cressy adds.
There’s been no explanation from the province on why that is, Cressy adds.
Cressy stresses that when the province experienced outcry over its autism changes, it reversed course.
When asked about possible job cuts, he says there could be fewer staff offering TPH services but won’t speculate at timelines. “We’re not done yet,” he adds.
When asked about possible job cuts, he says there could be fewer staff offering TPH services but won’t speculate at timelines. “We’re not done yet,” he adds.
Heated exchange just took place between Cressy and a spokesperson from Elliott’s office. Province characterizing Cressy’s comments as misleading. We chased the spokesperson down the hall to the elevator but he wouldn’t offer numbers/details on what province feels is inaccurate.
At city hall, board of health chair @joe_cressy asked health minister @celliottability's staffer @traviskann if province will share numbers. They've called Cressy's comments on public health cuts "misleading." We asked as well, and followed Kann until he went into an elevator:
(Trimmed out a journalist question to fit the video into Twitter's 2:20 maximum length policy. Sorry, @thekeenanwire.)
Thread from @celliottability outlining the province's stance on the changes to public health:
I've gone back and emailed the two ministry of health staffers who showed up at city hall today, in an attempt to get more clarity on their concerns now that the hoopla of that walking scrum is over. I'll report back if/when I get any new information.
Inbox: Mayor @JohnTory has released a fresh statement on the funding cut to @TOPublicHealth, saying the changes are retroactive to April 1 this year and done "without any consultation whatsoever."
He adds the city has been "honest with residents" about the impact.
He adds the city has been "honest with residents" about the impact.
Cressy's team has shared with me the TPH calculations on how they came to that $1 billion loss over a decade figure. I followed up again with Elliott's team and was told, again, they're not commenting on "specific numbers publicly" & sticking to conversations with municipalities.
Going to quiet down the tweeting for awhile as I've got to crank out radio, digital and a TV hit for 6pm on all this. Stay tuned. ✌🏻
Just in: The province tells me their analysis shows a change of $33 million for Toronto Public Health for 2019-20, which will grow to $42 million each year once they're finished shifting to a new cost-sharing funding model. (But I don't know *how* they arrived at those numbers.)
It was a day of finger-pointing and accusations over the financial impact of the province’s cuts to @TOPublicHealth — a debate underpinned by growing concern that the controversial changes could put the city at risk.
My story with @ieva_lucs:
cbc.ca/news/canada/to…
My story with @ieva_lucs:
cbc.ca/news/canada/to…
Coming up at 6pm on @CBCToronto, I’ll have a recap of the latest developments in the province’s funding cuts to public health. Tune in on @CBCToronto on 📺 or stream on Facebook: m.facebook.com/cbctoronto
Okay, so, this will be a thread-within-a-thread on the confusing chain of events when it comes to the province’s number-crunching on the financial impact of funding changes to Toronto Public Health.
Let’s start with the city. They’ve sent me their calculations, which show a $64 million loss this year for @TOPublicHealth thanks to the province’s change in the cost-sharing model. (It’s a total of $1 billion over a decade.)
Then came this tweet from @celliottability, which obviously requires a calculator and knowledge of the city’s budget. Toronto’s total budget is around $13.5 billion, which would put the funding drop the province estimates here at around $45 million.
After a day of pressing, I got Elliott’s staff to finally send me their actual dollar figure breakdown. They’re estimating a $33 million drop this year, which is roughly half of what the city estimated.
So how’d the province get to their estimated funding change for @TOPublicHealth? They didn’t say.
Why is it so different from the city’s number? That’s not yet clear.
And why is it different from their *own* previous estimate in Elliott’s tweet? The response from @traviskann:
Why is it so different from the city’s number? That’s not yet clear.
And why is it different from their *own* previous estimate in Elliott’s tweet? The response from @traviskann:
(Thread corrected to fix an autocorrect typo between billions and millions, because the last thing I want is more confusion here.)
Missed this last night, but now Ford himself is joining Elliott in naming and shaming Cressy on Twitter. (Neither has mentioned Mayor Tory, who has so far backed up Cressy’s concerns over the funding impact of the province’s public health cuts.)
On @metromorning shortly, they’ll be talking about public health cuts. @joe_cressy will be there. @celliottability will not.
Cressy says city’s chief financial officer crunched the numbers to determine the financial impact. So why is it different from province’s numbers? He stresses they’ve shared the breakdown with the media. (Which is accurate; I’ve seen the city’s calculations, not the province’s.)
@mattgallowaycbc: So where are you going to get money to fund these programs?
Cressy says he’s not prepared to accept the “downloading of provincial responsibility onto cities without a fight.” He hopes province backs down but says city will have to find money somewhere if not.
Cressy says he’s not prepared to accept the “downloading of provincial responsibility onto cities without a fight.” He hopes province backs down but says city will have to find money somewhere if not.
ICYMI, my last story on the growing tension between the city and province over the financial impact of the Ford government’s public health cuts: cbc.ca/news/canada/to…
Last night, the @TCDSB, led by @mariarizzo, unanimously voted to send letters to parents about the possible impact of the cuts:
@TCDSB @mariarizzo On the heels of the @TCDSB voting to send out letters to parents about the province's public health cuts, @tdsb trustee @Steph4schools has put forward this "emergency motion" to do the same: tdsb.on.ca/Leadership/Boa…
@TCDSB @mariarizzo @tdsb @Steph4schools The Ontario Medical Association is also joining the chorus of health experts decrying the cuts.
"(We) are concerned about the serious implication of proposed operational changes to public health units," says @OntariosDoctors president @DocSchmadia: newswire.ca/news-releases/…
"(We) are concerned about the serious implication of proposed operational changes to public health units," says @OntariosDoctors president @DocSchmadia: newswire.ca/news-releases/…
@TCDSB @mariarizzo @tdsb @Steph4schools @OntariosDoctors @DocSchmadia Two very different perspectives on the province's changes to public health funding.
1) For @TVO, @MattGurney says despite the cuts, Toronto can still decide what health programs it funds: tvo.org/article/blame-…
2) @GordPerks argues it's not that simple:
1) For @TVO, @MattGurney says despite the cuts, Toronto can still decide what health programs it funds: tvo.org/article/blame-…
2) @GordPerks argues it's not that simple:
An email went out today from city manager Chris Murray to council regarding the public health cuts.
One key thing it notes: All the city’s information from the province has been through calls.
“Nothing has been provided in writing” to the city or @TOPublicHealth.
One key thing it notes: All the city’s information from the province has been through calls.
“Nothing has been provided in writing” to the city or @TOPublicHealth.
Murray, like Tory and Cressy, is using the city’s calculations, which amount to a $1 billion shortfall over a decade. The province has told me their own analysis shows a smaller reduction than the city’s numbers, which are outlined in Murray’s email below:
There seems to be coordinated messaging among PC staffers, all the way up to @fordnation & @celliottability, attacking @joe_cressy for his remarks on the financial impact of the public health cuts.
But the city has shown its work. The province has not.
But the city has shown its work. The province has not.
Inbox: @TDSB officially calling on province to pause the public health cuts, and planning to notify parents of the funding at risk.
Put public health cuts on “pause,” @TDSB urges Ford government: cbc.ca/news/canada/to…
