Doug Ford’s 2018 Throne Speech here has promised 3.8 billion for mental health and addiction. There are few details about how this money should be spent. This could be an opportunity for consumer survivors to influence the new government.

Excerpt:

• You can count on your government to respect our doctors, nurses and other health care practitioners by working collaboratively with them to ensure we have a system that treats everyone fairly while putting the interests of patients first.It will be a health care system that can count on long-term stable funding. Including 15,000 new long term care beds over the next five years and a historic new $3.8 billion investment in mental health and addictions, including supportive housing.
• Your new government will respect consumers and trust adults to make the responsible choices that work best for them. That’s why it will expand the sale of beer and wine to convenience stores, grocery stores and big-box stores.

CBC pointed out an early issue for the Alcohol distribution issue:

Take the promise about beer and wine in convenience stores. To the average Ontarian, it’s a simple move (and one that would be welcomed by many folks.) But there is one big legal hurdle: a contract between the province and Brewers Retail (a.k.a. the Beer Store) that doesn’t allow for selling beer from corner stores. It’s locked in until 2025.

And finally, good news for all of us survivors from the conclusion of the Speech:

A new day has dawned in Ontario.

A day of prosperity and opportunity.

For everyone.

And help is here. 

Let’s hold the government and our community responsible. Do you have ideas about how the 3.8 Billion should be spent? What should the government prioritize? We can’t wait for the system.