Lise Vaugeois, who has called Northern Ontario home for the last 27 years, believes key assets in Ontario should remain in the hands of the public while key services should never be out of reach.
“I’ve been watching years and years of cuts and privatization of core services and I’ve been very disturbed by this,” she said. “The NDP has a history of standing up for public services that are accessible to everyone and I want to be part of making that change.”
Vaugeois is run for the New Democratic Party in the Thunder Bay-Superior North riding, her first foray into provincial politics.
Originally from Hamilton, Vaugeois moved to Thunder Bay to play with the Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra in 1991 and has called the north home ever since. She has a master’s degree and PhD in education and is a member of the faculty of education at Lakehead University.
According to Vaugeois, past Progressive Conservative and Liberal governments have hurt the province of Ontario through cuts to health care and the sale of Hydro One.
“The Liberal government betrayed the people of Ontario by selling 60 per cent of what was a public asset,” she said. “We want to get Hydro back under public ownership and public control.”
With the province still owning 40 per cent of Hydro One, Vaugeois said dividends received can be used to buy shares back.
“It’s a long term project, not something that can take place in a year, but it’s crucial that we do it,” she said.
When it comes to health care, Vaugeois recognizes the region is in a state of crisis, with shortages of beds and frontline health care workers, which she said is due in large part to cuts made by the Mike Harris government, damage the Liberal governments that came after have failed to fix.
“We want to make sure home care and long-term care are properly funded and properly staffed,” she said. “In addition to that we want to make sure everyone has access to pharma care and dental care and child care. We know the NDP brought us universal health care. Ontario got it in 1968 and has been part of our party’s goal to make health care truly all inclusive.”
Part of the plan will involve injecting funding into the health care system, removing funding freezes, and increasing the number of beds and staff.
“We will work with frontline workers to see what needs to be fixed,” she said.
