A copy of Sylvia Jones’ home binder, obtained by Global News through a freedom of information request, contains talking points prepared by staff on various topics related to her $75 billion portfolio and included an outright rejection of privatization. “No, we are not privatizing health care. Period,” the document says. “Ontarians will continue to use their OHIP card and not their credit card when receiving services.” Sometime in August 2022, however, the document was amended and the key phrase, “No, we are not privatizing health care” was deleted. The commitment was never made by Ontario’s health minister. Story continues below ad A search of transcripts of home conversations from August onward about the conviction that were removed from Jones’ home binder turned up no results. Part of a page in Sylvia Jones’ home binder where a discussion point appears to have been removed. Global News “We would like to direct you to her comments from the same day as the request,” a spokesman for Jones’ office said. “The Minister has been clear since then that Ontarians will continue to use their OHIP card to access health care.” Jones made several references to OHIP on Aug. 11 — the day after he filed his freedom of information request — but no specific wording about privatization was used. “No, no, no — OHIP cards are used in the province of Ontario to fund publicly funded health care systems,” Jones also said on Aug. 11. our health system”. Story continues below ad The rated specific engagement was not reported. Jones’ office did not explain who would make the changes to the home’s binding or why.

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Ministers are given binders in the legislature with government talking points, statistics and key messages. “The House binder is basically a giant cheat sheet for ministers who are in that period or during the debate,” said Ashley Sanandy, a senior consultant at McMillan Vantage and a former Ontario Liberal executive and reporter. He said both non-political and political figures contribute talking points to the document. Chiefs of staff, communications directors and the minister herself are among those with access, he said. A photocopy obtained by Global News shows several changes were made to a page titled “Innovation in Ontario’s Hospitals,” which it says was updated Aug. 10 in the minister’s home binder. Another talking point also seems to have been dropped. “I want to be clear, there has been no expansion in the number of private hospitals offering publicly funded procedures in Ontario,” the original memo said. Current trend

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Story continues below ad The word “public” was removed and replaced by the handwritten word “OHIP”. Entire discussion point noted. A photocopy of Sylvia Jones’ home binder suggests changes were made to remove language around private health care. Global News Near the bottom of the page, the word “public” has been removed from another discussion point, so a later bullet says, “These facilities already perform OHIP-funded procedures” instead of “publicly funded procedures.” “In that, it seems to me like there was a set of messages that were put forward as very definitive, ‘We will not increase any private role for health care in Ontario,’” Csanady said. “And it got to the tie-up and then somebody — maybe the minister herself, maybe the chief of staff, maybe the communications director — said it’s too far.” Story continues below ad

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On Aug. 18, Ontario unveiled a five-point plan to address backlogs, understaffing and delays within the province’s struggling health care system. To reduce wait times, the province decided to look at growing “surgeries at pediatric hospitals and existing private clinics covered by OHIP.” That change was announced eight days after health care innovation talking points were drafted for Jones to be re-elected to the Legislature.

The health minister met with a private hospital

In July, during her orientation as Secretary of Health, Jones met with a private hospital. Her diary, also obtained through a freedom of information request, mentions a meeting with Clearpoint Private Hospital. The hospital’s website describes it as “one of the few public/private hospital licenses under the Ontario Ministry of Health.” A spokesman for Jones did not respond to a question asking if this meeting was related to announcements about private hospitals made in August. The binder also includes several messages apparently edited on March 31 by then-Health Minister Christine Elliott to fend off a campaign by the Ontario Health Coalition that accused the Ford government of privatizing the province’s health care. Story continues below ad “This government is focused on building a better and stronger publicly funded healthcare system for the future,” reads one line. Another adds, “A new license for a private hospital in Ontario has not been issued since 1973.” Not a single line was edited or commented on in the photocopy received by Global News.

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The Ontario Health Coalition has launched a campaign, including lawn signs, to fight “the Ford government’s unprecedented health care privatization plans.” In an August interview with Global News, the CEO of Ontario Health said the private sector has historically operated independently in Ontario and suggested that continuing that system could lead to additional poaching. “We have to be careful about this and we cannot move from the public system to the private system. It’s a zero-sum game,” Matthew Anderson told Global News. Jones said Ontarians should not be “afraid of innovation.” 2:24 Global News speaks with Ontario Health CEO amid ER closings, privatization concerns Anderson pushed back on the privatization claims and said that’s not what Ontario Health stands for. Story continues below ad “If my family hears ‘privatisation’ their mind will probably go to finance. They will worry that they now have to pay out of pocket to access something. And the Prime Minister has made it clear, we’re not talking about additional privately funded services,” Anderson said.