Membership Statement on Doug Ford’s Cuts to Public Services

On June 29, the new Premier of Ontario, Doug Ford, was sworn into office. The decisions made by the Premier’s office have already shown students that we are not a priority.

In Ontario, students pay the highest tuition fees in Canada, and therefore rely on many of the public services provided by the province that Premier Ford is threatening to, or has already, cut.

In the 14 short days he has been in office, he has already cut $100-million in school repairs, cancelled the Truth and Reconciliation curriculum revisions, ended the cooperation with Ottawa on resettlement of asylum seekers, and collapsed the Ontario Ministry of Indigenous Relations and the Anti-Racism Directorate amongst other atrocious actions.

With an expanding student population in downtown Toronto, we understand that many of our members and students at Ryerson and the Chang School already face many barriers in accessing post-secondary education. The Premier’s decisions are furthering the inequities within our communities, Doug Ford is failing to acknowledge the complexities and necessities of the public sector within marginalized communities.

CESAR stands with students, grassroots organizations, and public service organizations that have worked tirelessly to have their voices heard on the provincial level. It it important that we continue to work together to hold our elected officials accountable. We cannot stand by while the most marginalized members of our communities are pushed further to the margins. We all deserve dignity, respect and access, and we are calling on Premier Doug Ford to ensure these are provided for all Ontarians.