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Ford government pledges $1.4B to boost primary health care, days before election call

  • Liam Casey and Allison Jones

  • Canadian Press

  • January 27, 2025

Ontario Premier Doug Ford, right, and Ontario Health Minister Sylvia Jones listen to questions from the opposition during question period at Queen's Park in Toronto on Dec. 6, 2023. The Ontario government says it is spending $1.4 billion in new money to ramp up primary health care, just two days before the premier is set to call a snap election. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette

TORONTO -- The Ontario government says it is spending $1.4 billion in new money to ramp up primary health care, just two days before the premier is set to call a snap election.

Health Minister Sylvia Jones says the goal is to connect every Ontarian with primary care by 2029.

Jones says the plan will proceed despite Premier Doug Ford's pledge to ask the lieutenant-governor to dissolve parliament on Tuesday for an election nearly 1 1/2 years early.

Ontario Liberal Party Leader Bonnie Crombie says she is cynical about the timing of the announcement.

Crombie says this should have been done in 2018, shortly after Ford first came to power.

Ford has justified calling an early election by saying he needs a mandate from the electorate to deal with U.S. President Donald Trump.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 27, 2025.