Health and Long-Term Care Critic France Gélinas is calling on the McGuinty government to consult with Ontarians before implementing a new home care model in the province.

“The current competitive bidding model has decimated not-for-profit home care providers. It has compromised the quality of care provided to Ontarians and seriously undervalued and under-compensated those dedicated to providing home care. Ontarians deserve better than a re-tinkered competitive bidding system, they deserve to have their voices heard before any new home care model is introduced,” said Gélinas, MPP for Nickel Belt.

After massive community opposition in the Hamilton area to the loss of two longtime not-for-profit agencies to continue to provide home care service due to the McGuinty Liberals’ insistence on a competitive bidding process, Minister of Health and Long-Term Care George Smitherman finally halted the process.

However, Smitherman gave no indication that the awarding of any new home care contracts would be completely void of the competitive bidding process. Furthermore, he has failed to consult with Ontarians to determine the home care model they want.

“Ontario must eliminate the unstable and unreliable system of competitive bidding in home care that diverts public dollars away from patients care and into the pocket of for-profit companies. The McGuinty Liberals must listen to Ontarians’ concerns,” said Gélinas.

“New Democrats will continue to urge the McGuinty Liberals to end competitive bidding in home care across the province. Ontarians deserve the highest standard of care delivered by the right provider as close to home as possible. They deserve assurances that the destructive, competitive bidding process will not become the model used in their communities,” said Gélinas.