Liberal Government should be prioritizing our vulnerable seniors: Walker

QUEEN’S PARK – Ontario PC Critic for Seniors and Long-Term Care, Bill Walker (Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound) repeated his demand on the Liberal government to cancel its plan to hike seniors’ drug coverage. Today, he challenged the government to stop squandering more money on shady contracts and start putting dollars where they are needed the most: making our seniors’ drug care affordable and increasing access to long-term care beds.

“This government is prepared to repeat its track record of wasteful spending as Ornge signs yet another lease with AugustaWestland – the same company under criminal investigation by the OPP anti-rackets branch,” MPP Walker said during Question Period.

“I would just like to know how does the Minister Responsible for Long-Term Care feel about this continued waste and mismanagement at a time when her government is looking to double the cost of seniors’ drugs, when 24,000 seniors are without access to a nursing bed, and when she has yet to find money to rebuild 30,000 outdated beds?”

MPP Walker was joined last week at Queen’s Park by seniors advocacy groups, including CARP, United Senior Citizens of Ontario and the Ontario Association of Non-Profit Homes & Services for Seniors, when he called on the government to halt drug hikes and commit to putting money into building long-term care beds.

“It’s time to put honesty into this debate and prove to Ontarians that you’re prepared to put a stop to waste and put the health care needs of people first,” Walker added. “If you denounced the waste and the billions spent on failed programs like eHealth, Ornge and SAMS, if you started managing the budget properly and didn’t spend $12 Billion a year on interest payments, then you would have the money for our seniors’ drug care plan, and money to build the needed nursing beds and eliminate the shameful long-term care waitlist.”

“The take away is this government can`t be trusted to get seniors policies right nor to stand up for Ontario`s frail and vulnerable seniors,” Walker concluded.  

***Video Link:  https://www.facebook.com/BillWalkerMPP/videos/1312221402126302/