February 11, 2021

NDP calls for Care Guarantee for our loved ones

WINNIPEG, TREATY 1 TERRITORY – Today, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh held a virtual discussion with Winnipeg MPs, Daniel Blaikie (Elmwood-Transcona) and Leah Gazan (Winnipeg Centre), about the devastation people have experienced in long-term care residences. Singh outlined the NDP’s plan to take profits out of long-term care and implement a Care Guarantee for our loved ones in long-term care to ensure they get the care that they deserve. Brianne Goertzen, the Provincial Director of the Manitoba Health Coalition, also joined Singh to talk about the necessity to remove profits out of long-term care.

“Thousands of Canadians and their families have experienced immense heartbreak at the hands of long-term care homes, especially for-profit ones,” said Singh. “We heard Larry’s heartbreaking story of how he lost his dad at the Maples Long Term Care Home. It is clear that nobody should be profiting off the neglect of our loved ones. The NDP will fight to make sure that profit is removed from the care of our loved ones.”

Decades of Conservative and Liberal cuts crippled our health care system and while he claimed to be different, Justin Trudeau maintained Conservative cuts to health care transfers. He made a promise to long-term care workers, residents, and their families to better fund long-term care and seniors care before he was Prime Minister. He broke his promise and underfunded health care and prioritized protecting the profits of big corporations and their wealthy shareholders.

“Canadians living in long-term care and the frontline workers who support them have been neglected to the point of crisis,” said Blaikie. “We need governments at all levels to stop finger-pointing and start working together on a set of properly funded national standards so that Canadians can expect quality long-term care no matter where they live in the country.”

“No one should have to experience the tragedy seniors living in long-term care have faced this year, especially not at the hands of their own government,” said Gazan. “We are calling on the government to act now to fix this. We cannot let people profit off the mistreatment of seniors.”

The NDP has a plan to fix this broken long-term care system and implement a Care Guarantee with a commitment to our loved ones that they will be safe, a commitment to families that they can count on their loved ones receiving the care they deserve, and a commitment to workers who care for our loved ones. With this plan, the NDP will also take profit out of long-term care.

See the NDP's full plan here: A Care Guarantee for our loved ones

Contact:

Claire Johnston

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