We need to take profits out of long-term care, says Jagmeet Singh to members of CARP

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OTTAWA – This afternoon, the Leader of the NDP Jagmeet Singh delivered a speech at the Canadian Association of Retired Persons (CARP) Annual General Meeting on the NDP’s vision for better care for our seniors. Singh stressed the importance to implement a Care Guarantee and remove profits out of long-term care.

“Our seniors deserve to be cared for with dignity,” said Singh. “Canadians were shocked to see that the government had to send in the army to help save seniors in long-term care homes. But these problems highlighted by the pandemic are not new, COVID-19 just made them worse. These problems are the result of cuts to healthcare from successive Liberal and Conservatives governments. There needs to be more funding for long-term care, but nothing will change if the money goes to shareholder profits, instead of better care for our loved ones.”

Last week, Singh announced the NDP’s plan to offer a senior’s care guarantee and to remove profits from long-term care. Evidence has shown that most of the lives lost in the pandemic were in long-term care homes. Many families are mourning the loss of their loved ones.

“Let me be clear. Profit has no place in our health care system,” said Singh. “Some long-term care providers gave millions of dollars in dividends to their shareholders while receiving the wage subsidy and while hundreds of their residents and staff members lost their lives. This is unacceptable. We need a government on the side of seniors, their families, and frontline health care workers – instead of on the side of wealthy investors. It’s time to take profit out of the care of our loved ones.”