The finger-pointing continues between the Ontario government and a local teachers’ union over dishonesty in funding the system.
Conservative MPP Robin Martin tells us teacher union claims of provincial funding cuts to the education system are untrue.
“How misleading is it when I’m telling you we are spending more money on education so there are no actual cuts to education, but they are trying to get people to adopt their interests,” Martin explains. She adds the government has increased education funding by $1.2-billion which is more than the previous government. The MPP also went after union leader Sam Hammond and his claims of drastic cuts.
“When I was in law school, you never overstate your case, because you lose your credibility when you do.” added Martin.
Mike Judge of the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario says any claims about spending more money than previously done is not true.
“There is money that’s being spent, but it’s not new money. It is clawbacks and pre-dates 2017. It’s simply not true and is a misleading narrative,” Judge says.
The local union leader also challenged Education Minister Stephen Lecce to come to Thunder Bay.
“It’s dishonest, and yes I’m calling the minister of education dishonest. Please run that, because I’m happy to say that. And I would invite him up here to have a conversation with teachers at any time, and we’ll even pay for it.” said the union head.
Judge adds this government’s sole motivator is save money, rather than invest in the province and the future.
“They’re deciding strip, strip, strip, rather than looking at alternative models. And we’ve proposed many alternative models.” Judge adds.
Students of the public elementary system in Thunder Bay have Tuesday and Thursday off due to strike action. Two French schools are also striking on Thursday and they are La Verendrye and Franco-Superieur.
