Global News has obtained a telephone recording of Premier Doug Ford speaking to a parent of children with autism.
Kingston resident Brenna Bloodworth has two sons on the spectrum and says she recorded the call on March 22 after Ford reached out to her as a result of text messages she sent him about the Ontario Autism Program.
The previous day “enhancements” to the Ontario Autism Program were announced by Social Services Minister Lisa MacLeod. For months, the Ontario government’s autism strategy has been the subject of criticism.
In the over 10-minute phone call, Ford explained the government’s position on changes to the program and said he wants to work with parents like Bloodworth.
LISTEN BELOW: The full phone call between Brenna Bloodworth and Premier Doug Ford
“I always believe there is always a solution,” Ford could be heard saying on the recording.
The phone call begins with Bloodworth interrupting Ford’s greeting.
“You’re killing me, you’re literally killing me,” she could be heard telling him.
Ford replied by saying he believes many Ontarians are misinformed about the provincial government’s changes.
WATCH: (March 20) Ontario Autism Program changes pose challenges to families and agencies
“I am just going to tell you the facts and you can judge it from there. When we first took office eight months ago, we opened up the autism file and it was bankrupt. It was — we didn’t have a penny left,” he said.
“The only — and I want to emphasize this — the only ministry, the only area, the only file that I had to run to the treasury department and ask for $100 million just to get it, keep it going.”
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Bloodworth responded with, “Mr. Ford, no disrespect, and I have a massive amount of issues with the way the Liberals did things and I am sure you haven’t read my previous messages to you, but as I said, like with these changes you took one huge, major, important step forward but then just so many wrong turns after that.”
During another portion of the call, the mother can be heard becoming emotional, after Ford says, “You deserve a gold medal.”
“I don’t deserve anything, my kids do,” she said through tears.
Ford replied by saying he has compassion for her struggle.
“I am sorry that you are facing this challenge, but I just want to tell you I understand they threw out these documents,” he said.
“I physically had to go to the treasury. I don’t make these stories up, and the budget will show that we put an additional $100 million in. They said they wanted to allocate that, but they didn’t actually allocate it.”
The conversation then turned to layoffs to front-line autism support workers. When asked about job losses, Ford said, “There has never been one employee that has been laid off, a front-line employee laid off in the province. And no one can show me one single person with the Government of Ontario that has been laid off.”
A truncated version of the phone call surfaced on social media on Wednesday.
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The next day during question period, NDP MPP Monique Taylor said, “Last night, a recording of the premier surfaced in which, when asked about job losses of providers of autism therapy, he claims, ‘There’s never been one employee been laid off in the — front-line employee that has been laid off in the province’ — I’d love to fix it, but it’s the premier’s grammar.
“But that doesn’t jive with the 19 staff laid off across northern Ontario in child and community resources or the 17 autism workers laid off by the McGivney Centre in Windsor. Is the premier still willing to claim that there have been no job losses because of his callous changes to the Ontario Autism Program?” she asked.
WATCH: (March 27) Lisa MacLeod claims province will double funding to Ontario Autism Program
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After a request for comment from Global News, the premier’s office released a statement slamming the NDP.
“It’s extremely disappointing to see the NDP playing politics with something as serious as autism services and instead spreading misinformation with a quote of the premier that was taken out of context,” wrote spokesperson Ivana Yelich.
In an interview with Global News on Thursday, Bloodworth said she appreciated direct contact with Ford, but “he’s full of crap, obviously.”
“He’s just denying things that have been made clear. I don’t even comprehend how he can deny things that are so obvious,” she said, adding Ford is splitting hairs by stating government workers haven’t lost their jobs when other organizations have let staff go.
“In the same sentence that he’s saying that it didn’t happen, he’s acknowledging that it did and saying that the providers shouldn’t have been so quick to make that decision.”
The provincial government claimed enhancements to the Ontario Autism Program will lead to over $600 million in funding, something they deem a “record investment.”
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