In Question Period, Premier Ford is accusing the NDP of trying to ruin the lives of small business owners who run restaurants. #onpoli
"Have you ever had to meet a payroll? Have you ever had employees?" Ford charges at NDP leader @AndreaHorwath. "The answer is no, you've been on the public dole for the last 20 years." #onpoli
Horwath asks why Premier hasn't put supports in place to help small business owners.
"Talk is cheap, and apparently so is the Premier," @AndreaHorwath rebuts, to jeers from the PC benches.
"Every decision we've made is based on health and science," Premier Ford says, in response to a friendly Q.
"What keeps me up at night...coming from a family business...it can destroy lives without seeing the evidence."
Says we need to give businesses hope.
Ford says govt is looking for "bad actors," says most restaurants are following the guidelines. "We can't paint a broad brush right across the whole industry."
Question from NDP about private testing; Premier Ford ignores the q, says "people are happy" they can now get appoints and go to pharmacies. "Finally people have certainty."
"We're hammering out the testing."
Ford says testing backlog went from 90 to 58K because the "people are helping out." Ignores fact that govt limited testing for asymptomatic people and there was a one-day pause in clinics taking appointments.
"I've heard about this private testing. I don't know any who is doing it," Premier Ford says.
*anyone
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He says he had to make “tough choices” in first year, but he likes the type of governing he’s doing now. “I’m not going back.” Says he was elected not just by PCs by members of other parties too.
“Even during the campaign, she was never mean,” @fordnation says of @Kathleen_Wynne, praising her as a genuinely nice person.
Premier Ford is up extolling the "robust" testing system; Ontario has completed 4 million tests, which he says is more than the other provinces combined. #onpoli
"We have eliminated the long line ups," Ford says, adding that people who need an appointment will get one.
Says testing backlog has been cleared by 40% (by limiting tests for asymptomatic people, and pausing appointments for a day.) #onpoli
Oh my. Ford promises to visit PEI and Premier @dennyking and host a "Ford Fest" at some point.
Not sure he can get inside the bubble for a while...? #onpoli
"This is a massive massive plan. It's very robust," Ford says of the government's Fall plan. "If we laid it all out at once, the message isn't going to get out to the people." #onpoli
"We know people in Ontario are anxious about the rising numbers," Elliott says, adding that she wants residents to see the "full plan", day by day.
"I'm concerned, I really am," @fordnation tells @CityCynthia of uptick in cases in the province.
Premier Ford is up now. Says his govt has been working all summer to come up with a fall plan, says next wave of COVID-19 will be "more challenging" because of flu season. #onpoli
Ford says he'll have more to say about clearing backlog of surgeries in coming days.
"Folks, we haven't taken a break," Ford says.
Due to size and scope of plan, will take next few days to walk through it, Ford says. #onpoli
Liberal leader @StevenDelDuca, scrumming at QP, says he has grave concerns about competence of government in handling wave 2. Says it’s confusing to roll out a plan over several days. Awaiting to see what’s in it. #onpoli
Del Duca says he’s stunned the Premier wouldn’t have better prepared for outbreaks in long-term care.
Green leader @MikeSchreiner says he’s “shocked” government hasn’t transparently released a full plan for fall.