Despite months and months of promises to do something about the tragic and dire situation facing residents and workers in Canada’s long-term care homes, the Trudeau Liberals have nixed another common-sense attempt at fixing long-term care.
NDP leader Jagmeet Singh brought a motion to remove profit from long-term care to the House of Commons on Tuesday. It was defeated when Liberal MPs teamed up with the Conservative Party to vote it down.
Four out of five deaths due to COVID-19 in Canada over the past year were residents or workers in long-term care facilities – a tragic and unacceptable situation. Research over the past year has shown outbreaks were longer and much deadlier in for-profit care homes.
The pandemic put a national spotlight on the longstanding crisis in the sector, where vulnerable residents are left without adequate care, and where overworked staff are left without decent pay and job security.
Six months ago, in the September throne speech, the Trudeau government pledged to enact national standards of care for the sector. Since then? Crickets.
Advocates for residents and workers have been crying out for action for years. The pandemic has only sharpened the urgency of those calls.
But instead of supporting a common-sense measure to remove profiteering from this critical part of our health care system, the Liberals voted for more of the status quo.
The Liberals have made a great many promises about fixing long-term care.
But actions speak louder than words.
The Liberals, led by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, have made it clear they’re just fine with business as usual in long-term care.