(Queen’s Park) – Simcoe North MPP Garfield Dunlop criticized the new McGuinty government today for its “anti-senior” policies. Most recently, the McGuinty Liberals implemented a retroactive property tax increase for long-term care facilities that takes valuable dollars away from quality patient care.

“In March 2003, Dalton McGuinty made an election promise to increase operating funding to long-term care facilities by $430 million annually, including a per-patient funding increase of $6,000,” said Dunlop. “Since coming to office, the new McGuinty government has ignored this promise and the residents of long-term care facilities.”

In response to a question in the House yesterday from P.C. Health Critic Elizabeth Witmer, Ontario’s Health Minister refused to commit to immediately provide the funding needed to fulfill this promise. The Minister has also not delivered on the promised $30 million annual increase as of April 1 for resident care needs.

“Dalton’s assault on seniors has continued with broken promises that hit the very heart of our seniors’ population,” said Dunlop in a statement to the Ontario legislature yesterday. “Enough is enough. The Premier must stop targeting our seniors, here and now.”

In his Statement, Dunlop cited several Liberal broken promises that hurt Ontario’s seniors, including:

· Canceling the seniors’ property tax credit that would have put $450 million more in the pockets of seniors across Ontario each and every year;

· Removing the cap on hydro rates, after promising to keep it in place until 2006;

· Considering the delisting of drugs and higher fees for the Ontario Drug Benefit program, after promising to improve the system; and

· Failing to cut auto insurance rates by 10 percent, and instead, causing the rates to increase astronomically.

Contacts:
Garfield Dunlop
(705) 327-4500 (cell)