THUNDER BAY — NDP MPP Judith Monteith-Farrell (Thunder Bay- Atikokan) is fighting to keep the partnership between the Northern Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM), Lakehead and Laurentian universities by voting against the Ford government’s bill to end it.
Monteith-Farrell will vote against the NOSM changes Friday during the Standing Committee on General Government.
“In their last year in office, the Conservatives want to put years of work to build our Northern Ontario School of Medicine at risk. Our medical school has provided northerners with much-needed doctors and a network of world-class health care. Instead of breaking apart its partnership with our universities, this government should be supporting it, especially during this pandemic.
Tearing apart Laurentian and hurting students, workers and faculty with layoffs and program cancellations was not enough for Doug Ford. Now he’s going after Thunder Bay, Lakehead and our medical school.
It is up to northerners to stop this government’s cuts to our universities that will damage our health care, cut hundreds of northern jobs, and devastate our local economies. Doug Ford should be listening to students, staff, and faculty at Lakehead who are calling on him to reverse his move now. He must start a real community consultation process that includes the Lakehead University community, health care providers, Indigenous communities, and regional business leaders who were left out.
Doug Ford may not be listening, but I am. That’s why I am leading the vote against this destructive bill and calling for more support and the expansion of NOSM. Our medical school must stay at Lakehead and maintain its partnership with the university and with Laurentian.
New Democrats will continue the fight against Doug Ford and the Conservative government’s cuts to northern universities, and to our health care system.”
