Progressive Conservative Leader John Tory expanded his health care platform Wednesday by promising to facilitate a private/public health-care partnership in the province.
Tory said Dalton McGuinty's Liberals are vilifying private health-care for political gain at the expense of Ontarians.
The PC leader said the expertise of private clinics should be used, as long as residents can access services using their provincial OHIP card.
"I think when there are options available to get people off waiting lists that involve private delivery of public-financed services obtained with the OHIP card, than I am quite willing to look at those as part of a range of service delivery that will help get people better care faster," Tory said outside the Ontario legislature on Wednesday.
Tory maintained that private services are being offered at the same rate public hospitals are charging Ontarians now.
"There are private clinics out there that say they would do this kind of surgery or these kinds of procedures for the OHIP fee and in some cases, they've indicated they would do it for less," Tory said.
The Liberals contend they've reduced wait times for surgery patients without resorting to private services while in power.
New Democrat Leader Howard Hampton also focused on health-care Wednesday and said under an NDP government, personal care for seniors would drastically improve and wait times would be reduced.
Hampton promised to invest $230 million in home care and committed to increase personal care for seniors in long-term homes to 3.5 hours per day.
"Go into any small-town hospital, medium-sized city hospital or large-city hospital and what you'll often find is seniors who should be in a long-term care home or should be receiving quality home care are stuck in a hospital bed,'' Hampton said.
"Many of the problems we have in our hospitals, many of the problems we have in our emergency rooms, are because we have not looked at the long-term care issues.''
Hampton further outlined his health care platform by pledging an additional $400 million to hire more doctors, nurses and health-care professionals in the province. He later pledged to increase taxes on cigarettes by 17 per cent to help prevent cancer and bring in revenue.
The New Democrat was campaigning Wednesday in Windsor, Ont., and will head to London before preparing for Thursday's leader's debate.
Meanwhile, McGuinty continued his focus on public education by announcing an increase in books for Ontario school children if the Liberals are elected on Oct. 10.
McGuinty promised to provide 1.7 million more books annually to elementary school kids, increasing the amount of books in each school by more than 400. He made the announcement at Indigo bookstore, which has pledged to provide the books at cost.
"Our kids are growing up in a different environment than you and I grew up in," McGuinty said.
"There are countless numbers of video games out there which distract and amuse but nothing engages and nothing fires up the imagination, and nothing leaves a stronger foundation for good workers in an innovation-based economy, than books."
With files from The Canadian Press
