For Immediate Release
May 13, 2022
Toronto, ON The Canadian Association of Retired Persons (CARP) calls on moderator Steve Paikin and all party leaders to ensure that seniors’ issues are prioritized during Monday’s leaders’ debate.
CARP members are encouraged to see, after years of neglect, that Ontario political party leaders are beginning to address seniors’ health care needs on the campaign trail. But, debate moderator Steve Paikin must keep up the pressure and challenge each party leader on their plans to support older Ontarians today and in the future.
https://carp-20230727.s3.amazonaws.com/2022/05/CARP-5-Top-5-Election-Issues-1.pdf
CARP has identified the top five issues of their 200,000+ members in Ontario and is calling on all 3.6 million Ontario voters over age 60 to demand that all candidates commit to supporting these priorities:
- Fund better home care
- Transform long-term care
- Drastically cut wait times
- Make vaccines more accessible
- Fund fitness for seniors
“The CARP 5 election priorities are completely non-partisan. They are ‘must-haves’ for older adults in Ontario and we believe every party and every candidate should come right out and say that they support THE CARP 5, and that they will act immediately to implement them, if elected. If a party leader or candidate won’t commit, change your vote.” – Anthony Quinn, CARP Chief Community Officer and Ontario Election Lead
ZoomerVoters are ‘mad as hell and they’re not going to take it anymore’.
They’re mad that a global pandemic has upended the pattern of their daily lives. They’re mad that 13000 lives have been lost to COVID-19 in Ontario and that over 11,500 were their demographic peers over age 60. They’re mad that over 4,300 died from the virus in long-term care homes that were not prepared to protect them.
“Plans that are five and ten years down the road won’t win our members’ votes any longer. Today, we have seniors waiting at home for a PSW who doesn’t show up! Today, we have tens of thousands on waiting lists for a long term care bed! Today, we have overflowing ERs! We want a leader who will take immediate action and be accountable.” – Anthony Quinn, CARP Chief Community Officer
Of all the important mandates that fall under provincial jurisdiction, including education, justice, children and social services, highways and transportation, culture and tourism – CARP members are laser focused on health care in this provincial election.
Health care is our largest provincial expense at close to $65 billion and almost 40% of Ontario’s annual budget. The CARP 5 are the issues of most concern to our members and taken together, offer solutions to ongoing problems and will help us to prepare for the growing number of older-adults who will be relying on an already strained system. That’s why it’s so important that these issues be front and centre in the leaders’ debate, and why CARP calls on moderator Steve Paikin to make sure it happens.
Media Contact:
Anthony Quinn
Chief Community Officer
-Ontario Election Lead
CARP
Email: [email protected]
Mobile: 416-888-4159
