Ont. NDP pitches long-term care revamp as part of their 2022 election platform

TORONTO — Ontario’s New Democrats are presenting a multibillion-dollar plan to revamp the long-term care sector as the first plank of their 2022 election platform.

The official Opposition is set to unveil its vision for the sector at a press conference this morning.

The plan calls for a shift to a public, not-for-profit, long-term care system over the course of eight years, phasing out private operators.

The party says it would also create 50,000 additional resident spaces in smaller “family-like” homes in that time.

The NDP estimate the plan would cost $6 billion in capital costs over eight years and $9.5 billion in operational funding over six years.

The party also says it will boost worker pay by $5 per hour.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 9, 2020.

The Canadian Press