The Ontario NDP is promising to meet the growing calls for change from municipalities if it wins the next election, pledging any government it leads would take responsibility for costs associated with things like housing, health care and transit.
Demands for change from towns and cities across Ontario have been increasing all year, with a visible rise in homeless encampments held up by local leaders as evidence the current formula is failing.
After the City of Toronto was handed a so-called new deal by the Ford government at the end of last year, with a package later announced for Ottawa, other mayors have said all municipalities need the current approach to be re-evaluated.
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On Monday, the Ontario NDP — who form the Official Opposition at Queen’s Park — are set to unveil their plan to meet that request, if they form government after the next election.
The party will use an opposition day motion to focus on reversing the downloading of costs to local municipalities, a process where provincial governments increase the services and responsibilities municipalities have to take on.
The party is committing to taking on a series of services, and the costs associated with them — and urging the province to do so now.
On the housing front, the NDP promises it would take control of he costs and planning of affordable housing, shelter and homeless programs. It also said it would agree to a request from many municipal leaders to create a ministry in charge of the homelessness crisis.
The party said it would pay the vast majority of ambulance costs and cover 75 per cent of public health spending.
An Ontario NDP government would also promise to pay 50 per cent of transit operating costs and take over all former provincially controlled highways.
The opposition day motion the NDP is expected to unveil promising a new deal for municipalities stands almost no chance of passing in a legislature where the Progressive Conservative government controls the majority.
Parties use the function, however, to put pressure on the government to develop policy and draw attention to what they would do if they were to form the next administration.
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