Ontario Hansard - 16-May - 2006

TOURISM

Ms. Laurie Scott (Haliburton-Victoria-Brock): I'm pleased to respond to the statement from the Minister of Health. What we see today is yet another announcement from the Ministry of Health, this time about health human resources. He announced new roles in health care but was short on details. How many more announcements will happen before we see these new positions in our hospitals and doctors' offices?

The minister also announced a new website, but Ontarians know, like the government's wait times website, that access to a website does not mean access to patient care. Again, how many announcements will we see before this website is up? How many before the centre is set up? There have already been over 20 announcements on family health teams, and those aren't doing so well. We hear that there are just a few in operation, so should we expect at least that many announcements?

One thing that makes me think there are going to be a lot of announcements before we see any progress is that there are no details, no dates, no timelines and, most importantly, no dollars. In fact, the minister today admitted in his press conference that he doesn't even know yet who will fill these new health care roles. And there are more questions that need answers: Who will be eligible? Where will they train? What will they cost? Where is the Liberal plan?

Our party has a proud record on expanding the role of health care practitioners in Ontario. We created nurse practitioners. We expanded the role of registered practical nurses. Our government hired over 12,000 new nurses. We created the first new medical school in over three decades, the Northern Ontario Medical School.

The government is failing in its attempts to keep its promises to hire 8,000 nurses. We know and the minister knows that 1,000 of the 3,000 he has hired are temporary. Once again, the Minister of Health shows that he can hold a glitzy press conference with fancy backdrops. But when will he actually address the health care situation in Ontario?

Ms. Laurie Scott (Haliburton-Victoria-Brock): It's a pleasure to rise today to speak to our opposition day motion to try to get the McGuinty Liberal government to listen to the fact that we need assistance in Ontario to promote our tourist destinations. The minister is here today, and I'm happy to see that. We need to listen to what has gone on. A $100-million cut in the budget for tourism: Is that putting the shingle out to say to the US, "Come to Ontario"?