Premier Doug Ford was in Port Colborne making an announcement on Tuesday, the day before Hamilton City Council approved the creation of a ‘sanctioned encampment’ site consisting of 40 tiny shelters on the Barton and Tiffany lands.
CHCH’s Al Sweeney asked the Premier:
Premier, following your comments yesterday about homeless people. Some of them should get off their butts and go to work.
Tomorrow in Hamilton, the City Council is going to be considering a plan to set aside part of the city, build tiny homes in this area for homeless people, and they would provide them with food, medicine, security and other things, costing millions of dollars of taxpayers money. What do you think of that plan? Is that a good idea?
Premier Ford responded:
Sure. If we can give them a shelter, give them an opportunity, get them back on their feet. Have an address. They can go out and apply for, new opportunities.
Like I said yesterday, you know, if they if there’s anyone out there, maybe have mental health issues, addictions, have a disability, I’m always going to take care of those people for the rest of their lives.
You’re young, you’re healthy, and you can work. You have to find gainful employment. That’s what. That’s what you need to do. You can’t. You know, we spend a billion, over $1 billion. We have a million people that are on Ontario Works or ODSP. We need to get these folks back working.
ODSP. I have no problem taking care of people, but I gotta give a shout out to people I know on ODSP that are out there, and they’re working even part-time.
I love those people.
Video of the question and answer is available on CPAC’s YouTube channel.
Production Details v. 1.0.0 Published: September 28, 2024 Last updated: September 28, 2024 Author: Joey Coleman Update Record v. 1.0.0 original version