By Robin Lennox
Though the Ontario legislature is not back in session until March 23, there has been no shortage of issues keeping me busy as your Member of Provincial Parliament! In addition to using this time to go door-to-door and connect with neighbours, I have been working with our Ontario NDP caucus to respond to several issues impacting Ontarians. Among them, there have been several developments in healthcare, housing, and education policy that deserve our immediate attention and action. Here are few issues I’m actively working on:
Healthcare
Nearly all Ontarians have experienced the strain in our healthcare system. From 12-hr waits in the emergency department to caring for elderly family members on hallway stretchers, we all have a story that reflects the challenges that exist. Health workers and experts have long advocated for increased investment in our public healthcare system to meet the demands of an aging population. Instead of meeting this call to action, our provincial government recently slashed hospital budgets and told them to “find efficiencies”. But Ontario hospitals are already the most cost-efficient in the country and stretch every dollar. Every health worker and patient understood the reality that would come from these sweeping cuts: more health worker layoffs and fewer patient services.
In Hamilton we’ve started to feel the impact of these hospital cuts. St. Joseph’s Hospital recently announced 62 positions had been cut and a long-awaited expansion of the neonatal ICU was cancelled. Though we have yet to hear of service cuts or job losses from Hamilton Health Sciences, we know that HHS has already had to take out $40 million in private bank loans just to stay afloat. As a result, $2 million in healthcare dollars has been used to pay off interest.
As your MPP, I will continue to advocate for the smart investments we need to restore our hospitals to good health. This means ensuring we have enough funded hospital beds to match community needs and eliminate hallway healthcare. We also need to invest in the 3Ps – primary care, prevention, and pharmacare – proven to reduce burden on acute care systems and improve population health.
Affordable Housing
When I go door-to-door in Hamilton and ask neighbours what they are most concerned about, affordable housing is at the top of the list. Far too many of our neighbours are spending 50-80% of their monthly income on rent. That 50 to 80%! Others are also living in fear of above-guideline rent increases that threaten their ability to stay in their homes. And yet, Ontario continues to have the lowest housing starts on record.
We know that we need to invest in non-market housing options to meet the needs of Hamiltonians. That means investing in co-op, geared-to-income, and supportive housing options. It also means closing the loopholes on rent control and ensuring residents are able to stay in their homes.
Next week, MPP Sandy Shaw and I are pleased to be hosting a free documentary screening of Thinking Beyond the Market, a film about genuinely affordable housing. Please join us at the Art Gallery of Hamilton on March 3, 2026 at 7pm to view the film and participate in an exciting panel discussion about the housing solutions we need.
Education
This past week, Premier Ford announced sweeping changes to the Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP) and post-secondary tuition. Premier Ford removed the freeze on tuition, allowing colleges and universities to increase tuition by 2% per year for the next 3 years. At the same time, he has changed the available ratio of OSAP grants-to-loans from 85% grants:15% loan to 25% grants: 75% loan. Students and their families across Ontario are now having to grapple with difficult decisions. Many who had hoped their post-secondary education would be a launching pad for their careers are now having to decide whether they can afford to take on debt amid an affordability crisis and the highest youth-unemployment rate in recent history.
I am proud to be joining post-secondary students across Hamilton in calling for the Premier to reverse these changes to OSAP and instead, invest in our young people as they build their futures.
As always, your feedback and engagement is what makes this work such a privilege. Please do not hesitate to be in touch to let me know what your priorities are and what you would like to see me advocating for as we return to the legislature next month!
