Investment Is Band-Aid Solution For Deeper Cuts To Seniors' Care
VICTORIA- New Democrat Seniors Health Critic Katrine Conroy says the Campbell government’s recent announcement to invest in training for long-term care aides is a band-aid solution for the deeper cuts they have inflicted on seniors’ health care.
“I encourage any support for the long-term care sector, but the Campbell government should 
Katrine Conroyalso be investing in providing decent wages, suitable working conditions and job security for care aides and home support workers,” said Conroy.
Advanced Education Minister Murray Coell announced last week that the provincial government would be investing in new student spaces, partial loan forgiveness and enhanced training for residential care aides and home support workers at B.C. public post-secondary institutions.
“Since the Supreme Court of Canada ruled that the Campbell government acted illegally in passing Bill 29, which voided the contracts of health care workers - including care aides - the B.C. Liberals have tried to duck the court’s ruling,” said Conroy. “Now they have launched a campaign to recruit new care aides as a way to address future demands in the field. This initiative does nothing for our current crisis in seniors’ care.”
“If the B.C. Liberals want to address inadequacies in the long-term care sector, they should start by rescinding Bill 29, begin talks with the affected workers about restoring their rights, and placing a moratorium on health care layoffs and contracting out of services,” said Conroy.
“The Campbell government has spent the last few years cutting services to seniors and in the last three months haphazardly slashed over 700 care staff, most of these being care aide jobs,” said Conroy. “And now they want to try to repair an industry they themselves have dismantled - it’s completely backwards government.
“Just this past week I spoke out on violent attacks between seniors in a long term care facility that is not adequately equipped to meet patient needs,” said Conroy. “The fact of the matter is our seniors remain in unsafe, overcrowded and understaffed facilities throughout B.C.
“The B.C. Liberals have not been listening to the Supreme Court of Canada, seniors or long-term care providers, and this casts a cloud over new initiatives to recruit more care aides into an industry with a very bad track record for job security under this current government.”
