TORONTO – Steven Del Duca, Leader of the Ontario Liberal Party, issued the following statement:
“Doug Ford plans to announce the re-opening of Ontario’s economy this week, after weeks of putting Big Box lobbyists and Amazon first while local entrepreneurs suffered. If he’s going to re-open the economy, he needs to let small businesses lead Ontario’s economic recovery.
Small business owners and their employees have been devastated by closures, all the while their Big Box competition has held near-monopolies on the economy. Small businesses employed some 88 per cent of Ontarians before the pandemic. We can’t afford to lose them permanently.
Small businesses in regions that aren’t ready to re-open will need support too. Doug Ford needs to begin spending the billions of dollars in unspent COVID-19 funding that he’s been hoarding, to support the entrepreneurs who won’t yet be able to re-open up shop.
Doug Ford has continuously disappointed everyone from teachers, to parents, to entrepreneurs. It’s time for him to start listening, and ensure any plan to re-open the economy prioritizes safety, and is led by small businesses. Lives and livelihoods are on the line.”
-30-