“Privatized healthcare funnels taxpayer dollars directly into more expensive, lower quality care to line private companies’ pockets,” claimed NDP Health Critic France Gélinas. “These profiteers heavily lobby the government, exploit health care workers and create all kinds of conflicts of interest.”

“The significant increase of 51 per cent in lobbying activities over the past year raises serious questions about the transparency of Ford’s government,” she added. “Such a surge in lobbying efforts is concerning and suggests that something fishy is happening behind closed doors.”