Good morning, my name is Terry Downey and I am the Executive Vice-President of the Ontario Federation of Labour (OFL).  The Ontario Federation of Labour welcomes this
opportunity to appear before the Standing Committee on Social Policy to discuss this proposed legislation the Local Health System Integration Act, 2005 (Bill 36). 

Since our founding convention in March 1957, the OFL has consistently advocated for our vision of a universally accessible health care system for all Ontarians.  The OFL constitutes the largest provincial federation of labour in Canada.  Our 700,000 members are drawn from over 40 unions.  Our members work in all economic sectors and live in communities across Ontario, from Kenora to Cornwall and from Moosonee to Windsor. 

We believe that committee hearings are a vital part of our parliamentary democracy which allows interested individuals and organizations the opportunity to share their perspective on proposed legislation with their elected representatives.  Given the importance of this proposed legislation there should have been extensive public hearings in communities across Ontario.  There has not been and that is a sad reflection on the government that won election on a slogan of “Choose Change”. 

This proposed legislation will have a profound negative impact on the quality of health care available to and delivered by Ontarians across our province.  We are not alone in this assessment.  Like members of this Committee we have attended all of the committee hearings across Ontario in Toronto, London, Ottawa and Thunder Bay.  Like you, we have heard the concerns raised by Ontarians.  It is incumbent on committee members, especially members of the government to use their influence to alter this proposed legislation to better address the concerns of Ontarians.  We will briefly discuss a number of concerns regarding Bill 36.

Our vision for health care draws on the experiences of:

• Dedicated health care workers who provide needed services, and who are profoundly troubled by the misdirection of public policy and the failures of the institutions which employ them; and
• Workers and their families who in the past used or continue to use the services of Ontario=s health care system.

Recent examples of our advocacy in health care include the discussion and endorsement by delegates to our recent convention (November 2005) of a comprehensive policy paper - Rebuilding Health Care.