Steven Del Duca

Today on Lincoln Alexander Day, we celebrate and remember the amazing life of Lincoln Alexander - Canada’s first Black MP and Cabinet Minister, and Ontario Lieutenant-Governor! His spectacular career continues to serve as an inspiration to many.

Doug Ford said he would spare no expense to keep classrooms safe, but new documents show he was secretly loosening safety measures for months. While Ontario Liberals were fighting for safe classrooms, FordNation was setting students up to fail.

What students really need is safe class sizes, more mental health supports, and added support for students in special education. Ontario Liberals gave Doug Ford the plan to make classrooms safe 6 months ago, so why hasn’t he?

My sincerest congratulations to President Biden and Vice President Harris, for turning a new page in American history, and in the critical relationship between the United States and Ontario.

It was great to meet with community and faith leaders in Mississauga-Erin Mills today, with Ontario Liberal candidate Imran Mian. Thank you all for everything you’re doing to help your communities during these challenging times, and I can’t wait to visit again once it’s safe to!

What a mess. The backlog has gotten so high under FordNation’s watch that Toronto has had to suspend contact tracing. This chaos could have been avoided had Doug Ford taken action early and released the billions in federal funding. I’ve been saying this for weeks but the advice is going unheard: Ford needs to cap class sizes at 15, address how to solve the ballooning testing backlog, and introduce a program to help small businesses survive closures. Ontario cannot afford Doug Ford's dithering when it comes to bringing in new measures. With early action and comprehensive planning, we could have entered the second wave prepared. Unfortunately Ford spent the summer on his premature victory lap.

FordNation put saving $ ahead of public health, and this is the result. The FAO says that Ford is only covering 3% of total pandemic spending in Ontario. Relying on the feds isn’t leadership. I’ve been asking him for months to invest in expanded testing capacity. Why did he wait for federal funding when experts told him action was needed urgently? When it was time to make the effort and investment to do the right thing Ford spent the summer on a premature victory tour. Now i...s the time to invest in drive through testing centers, expand pharmacy testing, and deploy rapid tests recently approved by Health Canada. I’ve been putting forward constructive suggestions since the beginning of this pandemic. Ontarians expect their leaders to work together. Yesterday I wrote to the Premier asking him to confirm when he will meet with opposition leaders next. I’m still waiting for an answer.

There's absolutely no excuse for FordNation's scrambling. We need leadership.

It’s official; FordNation has lost control. His messages are confusing and chaotic. Every hour that passes is an hour lost. 732 new cases and a growing testing backlog of +90,000 are unacceptable. Half-measures are the opposite of how we need to respond to this crisis. All we see from him is reactive scrambling and indecision, with conflicting messages causing daily confusion. No one knows what is allowed or what to do to carry on their daily lives. I’m not the only one who s...ees the problems. People across the province see them as they stand in line for hours waiting for a test, or send their kids to a classroom with 20+ students. Local public health units see them too. Ford needs to cap class sizes at 15 to curb the growing number of cases at schools, address how to solve the growing testing backlog, implement pandemic pay for PSWs without delay, and introduce a program to help small businesses survive closures. It didn’t have to be this way, but Ford spent August doing a premature victory lap. Ford needs to step up and protect Ontarians.

Our health care system is in disarray because Ford held onto federal COVID-19 funding instead of using it to prepare for the second wave. Ontario cannot withhold billions of dollars when local public health units are declaring crises.

With 732 new cases today, it's clear that Ford's reactive approach isn't working. Today I wrote to the Premier to ask him to schedule our next Team Ontario meeting so that we can help plan for the weeks ahead.

PSWs need a permanent wage increase. People cannot plan their lives around a temporary wage increase that is at least a dollar per hour less than the pandemic pay some received earlier this year.

October is Islamic Heritage Month - an opportunity to celebrate our Muslim community and their many accomplishments and contributions to the fabric of our province. On behalf of myself and the Ontario Liberal Party / Parti Libéral de l'Ontario, have a wonderful Islamic Heritage Month!

538 new cases today. October is on track to be a challenging month, so Ontarians deserve a plan that resolves the testing backlog and unsafe class sizes. FordNation’s plan falls short on both.

Fifteen years ago today, on a warm and sunny Saturday, we said "I do" and we started our married life together. So much has happened since then - two incredible daughters, three dogs (not all at the same time), two homes, several career changes. Lots of incredible highs, and a few heartbreaking lows, with challenges we never foresaw that we managed to get through together. We've built something special, and even though I drive her crazy sometimes, she means the world to me. Happy anniversary Utilia Amaral - love you, now and forever!

On behalf of the Ontario Liberal Party / Parti Libéral de l'Ontario, myself and my family, I want to wish all those celebrating a very happy Mid-Autumn Festival!

Here's some of what I had to say about today's meeting with Premier Ford on Power & Politics. His plan misses the mark on several crucial areas, but I'm hoping the advice we provided to him today is taken into consideration.

I just met with Premier Ford, Dr. Williams, several ministers and my opposition colleagues to discuss the response to COVID-19. I made a number of helpful suggestions and the Premier agreed to my request to hold more of these Team Ontario meetings.

It's been 78 days since Doug Ford promised a second wave plan. Now we are finally going to see one. It is too little too late. At 2:30 today I will be meeting the Premier to ask him how he plans to keep Ontarians safe.

625 new cases in Ontario today. Rather than spending August planning for a second wave, Ford toured Ontario on a premature victory lap, and look what it got us. On testing, class sizes, and so much more, Ford doesn’t have a plan.

Today I visited East FM 102.7 to speak about the province’s response to COVID-19, and why Ford desperately needs to provide Ontario with a second wave plan.

Today Ontario recorded 554 new cases, continuing a worrying trend of high daily case counts without any plan. On July 14, Ford said he knew a second wave was coming, and on Sept. 11 I asked him to release the plan urgently. What's the holdup?

Today Ontario reported its highest number of new cases to date - 700. Instead of releasing a second wave plan, Ford is reopening casinos. It's time we realize we can no longer gamble on Doug Ford.

At sundown tonight, the Jewish community of Ontario, and around the world, will begin Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. To all of those observing, on behalf of myself and my family, I wish you a g’mar chatima tova and an easy and meaningful fast.

With 491 new cases today, Ontario is clearly experiencing a second wave of COVID-19. We’ve dealt with a first wave and with a robust plan we could minimize the effects of a second wave - but Doug Ford still hasn’t released one.

Time for me to hit the phones for the rest of this Day of Action! Excited to be having conversations with supporters from across Ontario virtually, alongside dedicated volunteers.