Ontario Budget 2001

OANHSS Update on Provincial Budget
May 10, 2001

OANHSS is very disappointed with the provincial budget for 2001-02.

For healthcare, the news was a 5.4% increase in operating spending, which translates into an additional $1.2 billion over last year and brings the total healthcare budget up to $23.9 billion for 2001-02.

As expected, long term care was not specifically mentioned in yesterday’s announcements. Further details may come out in the next couple of weeks or possibly at an upcoming meeting of the government's Facility Funding Working Group scheduled for May 18. At this point the signs are not encouraging for our sector. While the operating budget for long term care has risen from $3.1 billion last year to $3.2 billion for 2001-02, we are not optimistic that there will be an increase of any significance in the facility funding envelope.

This budget was clearly targetting education, tax cuts for corporations and the middle-class, and sending a strong message about increased public sector accountability.

Given our tremendous efforts over the past year to impress upon the government that our sector needs an immediate funding increase, we are obviously quite disappointed with what we have heard so far. We had an opportunity to express this to the media outside the legislature and the following quote appeared in today’s Toronto Star:

"We are going to have to start turning away people with higher needs (for long-term care)"
Donna Rubin, CEO, Ontario Association of Non-Profit Homes and Services for Seniors

A copy of the Finance Minister’s speech is available on the Ministry’s website at www.gov.on.ca/FIN.

OANHSS media release

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Ontario Association of Non-Profit Homes & Services for Seniors
7050 Weston Road, Suite 700, Woodbridge, Ontario L4L 8G7
(P) 905-851-8821
(F) 905-851-0744

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OANHSS members include not-for-profit providers of long term care, services and housing for seniors in Ontario.
Members include municipal and charitable long term care homes, non-profit nursing homes,
seniors' housing projects and community service agencies.