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Oxford NDP Talks Provincial Budget

Saturday, 29 April 2017 06:54

Bryan Smith is happy to see more money go into the food supply in long term care homes, but he is also concerned about the lack of detail in some areas of the provincial budget.

The Oxford NDP candidate from the last provincial election is voicing his opinions when it comes to the recently unveiled budget.

Bryan Smith, who is also the Chair of the Oxford Coalition of Social Justice tells Heart FM what he wanted to see in the balanced budget of $141 billion.

"In terms of making health care work in this province and to bring us somewhere closer to the other provinces in Canada, the budget really needed to increase 5 percent in the delivery of the services that are currently under the health care budget."

The Liberals have pledged $11.5 billion in new health care spending over the next three years. Smith is glad to see more money go into the food supply for long term care homes and psychotherapy. However, he is worried about the lack of detail surrounding some of the funding announcements; using psychotherapy as his example.

"You would expect there might have been a health paper from Dr. Hoskins, the Minister of Health that would explain exactly what that would be and what the plan is to deliver that service but it isn't there and you know that when somebody is in a state of disarray and psychological stress that they need help sooner rather than later."

Smith says the lack of detail for psychotherapy makes him wonder if the Liberals actually have a plan in place at all.

The Liberals have also promised to dedicate $465 million a year to a pharmacare program, which will provide youth under the age of 25 with free prescription medication. Smith doesn't agree with the cut off age for the program.

"At 24 are you suddenly immune to all disease? Knowing that twenty something's are very frequently seriously under employed and have jobs which provide no health benefits."

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