Tag Archives: Ontario Senior’s

Politics

Ont Liberals:Time To Renegotiate 10 Year Accord For Seniors’ Needs

Leave a comment

For immediate release

ONTARIO NEEDS AN ONTARIO CHAMPION
Premier Ready To Confront Challenges Ahead

LINDSAY — Only Ontario Liberals can be counted on to stand up for Ontario, Premier Dalton McGuinty told a crowd in Lindsay today.

“When it comes to negotiating with the federal government, we need a strong voice that is willing to stand up for Ontario,” said McGuinty. “We know Tim Hudak won’t go toe-to-toe with Stephen Harper. He’ll simply smile, shrug and do what he’s told — leaving Ontario to pay the price.”

In 2004, the provinces and territories signed a 10-year Health Accord with the federal government that was focused on wait times. That Accord was essential to Ontario’s progress in lowering surgical wait times — because it provided the certainty that was needed for fundamental reforms.

Now, it’s time to negotiate a new 10-year Accord to focus on the needs of seniors. In the next 10 years, 1.6 million Ontarians will turn 65, the traditional retirement age — that’s twice as many people as between 1981 and 1991.

“While Ontario has made significant improvements to health care, we can do even more with a strong federal partner,” said McGuinty. “Sitting down at the table to renegotiate this long-term accord is one of the most important issues awaiting the Premier of Ontario in the years ahead.”

McGuinty was joined at the event by Haliburton-Kawartha Lakes-Brock candidate Rick Johnson, whom he praised for his commitment to his community.

“Rick is a tireless advocate for the people of Haliburton-Kawartha Lakes-Brock and a strong member of our Ontario Liberal team,” McGuinty said. “He’s delivered a Family Health Team as well as a new MRI at Ross Memorial Hospital to provide families with better health care closer to home.”

A Hudak/Harper partnership would mean significant cuts and would take Ontario off track in perilous economic times. The Hudak PCs also have $14 billion in unfunded giveaways and tax cuts that would mean additional cuts to hospitals and schools. The Horwath NDP would take Ontario off track by introducing a crushing $9 billion in job-killing taxes.

“We need someone that will stand up for Ontario,” said Johnson. “Ontario needs an Ontario champion — Ontario needs Dalton McGuinty.”

For further information –

Ontario Liberal Party Media Office:
416 961-3800 ext. 328

Pour diffusion immédiate
Le 30 septembre 2011

L’ONTARIO A BESOIN D’UN CHEF DE FILE QUI PRENNE FAIT ET CAUSE POUR LA PROVINCE
Le premier ministre doit être prêt à relever les défis qui attendent l’Ontario

LINDSAY — Aujourd’hui, devant une foule rassemblée à Lindsay, le premier ministre Dalton McGuinty a déclaré que seuls les Libéraux de l’Ontario étaient en mesure de défendre les intérêts de la province.

« Quand il s’agit de négocier avec le gouvernement fédéral, nous avons besoin d’une voix forte, prête à s’élever pour prendre fait et cause pour l’Ontario », a souligné M. McGuinty. « Nous savons que Tim Hudak ne s’opposera pas à Stephen Harper. Il se contentera de sourire, de hausser les épaules et de faire ce qu’on lui dit de faire — laissant ainsi l’Ontario payer le prix fort. »

En 2004, les provinces et les territoires ont signé un accord décennal pour consolider les soins de santé. Cet accord était notamment axé sur la réduction des temps d’attente, et a joué un rôle essentiel pour faire diminuer les temps d’attente ontariens en matière de chirurgie — il nous a en effet donné les certitudes dont nous avions besoin pour mettre en œuvre des réformes fondamentales.

Aujourd’hui, l’heure est venue de négocier un nouvel accord décennal mettant l’accent sur les besoins des personnes âgées. Dans les dix années à venir, 1,6 million d’Ontariennes et d’Ontariens fêteront leur 65e anniversaire, l’âge où l’on prend généralement sa retraite — cela représente deux fois plus de personnes qu’entre 1981 et 1991.

« Même si l’Ontario a accompli des progrès majeurs dans le domaine des soins de santé, nous pouvons faire encore mieux à condition d’avoir un partenaire fédéral fort », a rappelé M. McGuinty. « S’asseoir à la table des négociations pour discuter des termes de cet accord décennal, voilà l’un des enjeux clés qui attend le premier ministre de l’Ontario dans les années qui viennent. »

Lors de l’événement d’aujourd’hui, Dalton McGuinty a été rejoint par Rick Johnson, le candidat de la circonscription de Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock, qu’il a félicité pour son dévouement à servir sa collectivité.

« Rick défend inlassablement les intérêts des résidentes et résidents de Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock, et c’est l’un des acteurs majeurs de l’équipe du Parti libéral de l’Ontario », a déclaré M. McGuinty. « Il a contribué à la mise en place d’une équipe de santé familiale et d’un nouveau système d’IRM à l’Hôpital Ross Memorial, dans l’objectif de fournir aux familles des soins de santé de meilleure qualité, plus près de leur domicile. »

Un partenariat entre M. Hudak et M. Harper se traduirait par des coupures drastiques, ce qui ferait déraper l’Ontario dans un contexte économique périlleux. Le Parti PC de M. Hudak offre des cadeaux et des réductions d’impôt non financés de 14 milliards de dollars, ce qui se traduirait par des coupures drastiques pour les hôpitaux et les écoles. Quant au NPD de Mme Horwath, il compte introduire 9 milliards de dollars sous forme d’impôts destructeurs d’emplois, ce qui risque également de mettre l’Ontario sur la mauvaise voie.

« Nous avons besoin de quelqu’un qui prendra fait et cause pour l’Ontario », a affirmé M. Johnson. « La province a besoin d’un chef de file prêt à se battre pour l’Ontario — l’Ontario a besoin de Dalton McGuinty. »

Renseignements :

Parti libéral de l’Ontario – Relations avec les médias

416 961-3800, poste 328

Politics

A Need To Rethink Health Care

2 Comments

Amongst all the vital issues of provincial significance that get discussed at this time of year, there is no doubt that health care remains as the number one priority for people in Ontario.

Unfortunately, while health sector spending accounts for about 46 cents of every tax dollar allocated, the size and scope of our health system obscures the most important person: the patient.

All too often, care in Ontario is structured around forms, processes, long lines, and bureaucracy, when it should be built from the patient out.

Over the past eight years, money that should have gone to nurses, emergency rooms, and frontline patient care was instead diverted to salaries and expenses for fancy health care consultants. The lessons learned from the billion dollar e-health boondoggle should not be forgotten.

As Ontario’s Opposition we have watched too long as we pay more and get less in health care services. It’s time for patient-centred reforms that make the patient – not bureaucracies, not administrators – the focus of our health care system.

Tim Hudak has announced plans to grow our investments in health, while instilling the patient centred focus we deserve.

Specifically, we will increase annual investments in health-care by $6.1 billion by the end our first term. At the same time we will introduce a rigorous system of patient satisfaction and health outcome measures including the establishment of wait time guarantees for emergency room visits.

To accomplish our goals we will need to take aim at eliminating fraud and waste in health care and reducing administration.

The Ontario PC plan will target the costly health bureaucracies that take money from direct patient care. We will put a stop to scandals like eHealth and limit health care dollars towards ever-expanding salaries for administrators.

For example, the LHINs are unelected, unaccountable, faceless bureaucracies that the Dalton McGuinty Liberals hide behind whenever there are beds to close, emergency rooms to shut, or nurses to lay off. To date, $300 million health care dollars have been diverted from frontline care to pay for salaries and administration. We will close the LHINs and redirect those dollars to patients.

We continue to advocate bringing more doctors to communities that need them. We will do this by encouraging doctors, nurses, nurse practitioners and physician assistants to work collaboratively. We will increase residency placements for medical students from Ontario who have training outside Canada and want to return home to practice. Locally, the excitement surrounding plans for a new Port Dover Health Centre – ideally building on the success of the Delhi Community Health Centre – will go a long way to attracting and retaining physicians and other health professionals.

Our plan also includes improvements in health care for Ontario seniors with 40,000 long-term care beds – 5,000 new and 35,000 upgraded. And we will give homecare users more dignity, more flexibility and more say in determining where they acquire these important services.

For all we pay in taxes, we should receive the highest quality services in the country. In many cases, it’s not about more money but rather about rethinking and revitalizing the way our services work. We will work to ensure we receive the world class health care services we deserve.

Politics

Ontario Gov’t Calls For New Health Care Deal

1 Comment

Ontario Calls For New Long-Term Deal On Health Care

McGuinty
Government Committed to Helping Families

Ontario is calling on the federal government to work with the provinces to deliver a new long-term deal on health care.

 

That’s the message Premier Dalton McGuinty delivered today during a speech to the Ottawa Chamber of Commerce.

 

Ontario welcomes Ottawa’s recent commitment to 6 per cent increases in health transfers, but Ontario is also seeking a long-term commitment from the federal government — who pay only 23 per cent of Ontario’s health costs.

 

Further health care reforms are needed to meet the needs of Ontario’s rapidly aging population. A new long-term deal should focus on giving seniors more options in their homes and communities.

 

Ontario has made significant progress in health care. This is in part because the current health accord invested in strategic reforms such as wait times and access to care. In fact, Ontario is now a national leader in reducing wait times and 94 per cent of Ontarians have a family doctor.

 

QUOTES

 

“Ontario is moving forward with improvements to our health care system. We can do even more with a strong federal partner. The renewal of long-term funding for health care will be the most important issue facing our governments in the coming years.”

— DaltonMcGuinty, Premier of Ontario

 

QUICK FACTS

 

  • The current 10-year federal health agreement expires in 2014.
  • In the next 10 years, 1.6 million Ontarians will turn 65, the traditional retirement age — that’s twice as many people as between 1981 and 1991.
  • According to the Canadian Institute for Health Information, seniors account for 14 per cent of the population but 44 per cent of health care spending.
  • The Fraser Institute’s 20th annual waiting list survey found Ontario had the shortest wait times for surgical and other therapeutic treatments.
  • The 2011 Wait Times Alliance report showed that Ontario had the shortest total wait times in Canada.

 

 

 

 

 

LEARN MORE

 

Here’s a check-up on our health care system.

 

Ontario seniors are successfully receiving care at home now.

 

 

 

Premier’s Media
Office: 416-314-8975

 

ontario.ca/premier-news

Disponible
en français