St. Catharines candidates vow to end for-profit long-term care
Liberal and NDP hopefuls discuss a dozen topics during YourTV debate
St. Catharines riding candidates from the NDP and Liberal party pledged to end for-profit longterm-care homes during a provincial election debate hosted by Cogeco YourTV.
NDP incumbent Jennie Stevens and Liberal Ryan Madill answered a dozen questions for an hour at the station Thursday, on issues that included gas prices and human trafficking, during the debate that airs this week.
That also included discussing how their governments would ensure the province’s most vulnerable are adequately cared for at long-termcare homes if elected on June 2.
Madill said when it comes to longterm care, two words that should not be put together are “profit” and “care.”
He said a Liberal government would not renew contracts of forprofit long-term-care homes and would phase them out. He said his party’s plan would also give 400,000 seniors the ability to stay in their own homes.
“I’ve never met one person that says, ‘I can’t wait to go in that longterm-care home,’” he said.
“People want to stay in their own homes. That’s what they tell me at the doors. That’s what I’ve seen in my life experience. And we will invest so that they can have the care coming to them and they can stay in their own home as long as possible.”
Stevens said it shouldn’t have taken a pandemic to reveal “the horrors” within private long-term facilities.
“I have to say, over the pandemic, 4,000 seniors-plus lost their lives in long-term care, and a lot of them didn’t lose it because of COVID-19. They lost it from dehydration. They lost it because of neglect within the private, long-term-care homes,” she said.
“We have to take the private out of our public health care.”
Stevens said the NDP would also repeal Bill 124 — the legislation that limits provincial public sector workers such as nurses and personal support workers to one per cent pay increases per year.
“We hear you. We see you. We understand what you have been doing,” Stevens said. “You have been looking after your residents with the utmost care.”
Madill said the Liberalparty would also repeal Bill 124 to give nurses an increase they deserve and raise the rates of pay for PSWs significantly.
While Stevens and Madill agreed on ending for-profit homes, increasing social support payments and helping gig workers make a better living, there was one topic they were miles apart on — what they would say to undecided voters at a time when polls are suggesting a Conservative majority.
Stevens encouraged everyone to make an educated vote and said the NDP has a well thought-out platform.
“We are looking after health care, long-term care, seniors, “renovictions,” everything that this Conservative government in four years, and the Liberal government in the past, has broken. We are going to make sure that we fix the problem.”
Madill said the Liberal party under new Leader Steven Del Duca held virtual town halls and surveys to put together a platform that reflects the needs and desires of Ontarians and, first and foremost, targets affordability issues.
“And I will just say, and this is no disrespect to anyone, but it’s been shown in Ontario politics that it’s Liberals that defeat Conservatives,” said Madill.
“The Ontario NDP is going into their fourth election with the same leader and expecting a different result. We are the alternative to the Conservatives and we have a plan to do it and we’re ready to go.”
But Stevens countered the Ontario Liberals’ “Kathleen Wynne and Steven Del Duca government” can hold all the round tables they like, but it’s the Ontario NDP that will fix the problems in health care, the Ontario Disability Support Program and affordable housing from the previous governments.
“If you’re going to vote, vote NDP. We will fix it.”
Conservative Sal Sorrento turned down the invitation to participate. Debate host Mike Balsom said the Green party did not have an official candidate declared for the riding by Elections Ontario at the time of the taping.
The debate is available to watch on demand on the station’s website at www.yourtv.tv/Niagara.
It will air on its television station YourTV, Cable 700 and Epico 100 on Thursday at 8:30 p.m., Saturday at 11 a.m., Monday, May 23, at 6 p.m. and Saturday, May 28, at 3:30 p.m.
The other candidates in the St. Catharines riding, listed by Elections Ontario on Friday, are Michele Braniff, Green party; Judi Falardeau, Libertarian party; Michael Goddard, Ontario Party; Keith McDonald, New Blue party; Justin O’Donnell, Alliance party, and Rin Simon, Communist party.
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We are the alternative to the Conservatives and we have a plan to do it and we’re ready to go. RYAN MADILL LIBERAL CANDIDATE IN ST CATHARINES