MEET DOUG JOYNER, LIBERAL CANDIDATE FOR NIAGARA WEST

NAME: Doug Joyner

AGE: 53

RIDING: Niagara West PARTY: Ontario Liberal Party

OCCUPATION: Full-time member of the Local Planning Appeal Tribunal for a fixed term of two years. RESIDENCE: West Lincoln PAST POLITICAL EXPERIENCE: mayor and regional councillor for West Lincoln —

2010-2018; co-chair of Niagara Region public health and social services standing committee — 2014-2018; West Lincoln Ward 3 alderman, 2006-2010.

HOW WOULD YOU GRADE THE PROVINCE'S COVID-19 RESPONSE, AND WHY?

F

Ford Conservatives demonstrated utter incompetence in governing our province during the COVID-19 pandemic. Sure, no one had a blueprint for dealing with an unprecedented

public health crisis. However, the pandemic can't be an excuse for a government to repeat the same mistakes over and over again.

Many businesses were either closed or operated at partial capacity for over 400 days during the pandemic. Ford Conservatives' slow response to early signs of a surge in COVID cases resulted in six waves.

They were also slow to expand testing capacity and vaccine clinics in hot spots.

They also passed Bill 124 to cap nurses' wage increase.

Students experienced significant loss of learning over the last two years because of the government's failure to provide our schools with necessary PPE (personal protective equipment) and increased ventilation.

IF ELECTED, WHAT DO YOU PLEDGE TO DO? I want to go to Queen's Park to add the rural voice of Niagara West constituents along with our urban counterparts! Areas of concern include: more funding for families with loved ones on the autism spectrum, complete overhaul of the health-care sector with regards to funding and staffing including home care, and hire more mental health crisis prevention staff to assist our Niagara Regional Police officers.