Bruce Grey Owen Sound MPP Bill Walker is pressing the minister of health and long-term care to testify before a commission inquiring into the Elizabeth Wettlaufer murders of seniors in long-term care.
Bill Walker pressed Eric Hoskins during question period today to clarify if he would seek standing at the public inquiry.
Walker says the minister's participation is crucial as he is directly responsible for all of the policies and regulations governing Ontario's long-term care sector.
Walker says if the minister believes that safety and protection of seniors in long-term care is a priority, then he needs to speak at the inquiry looking into what went wrong.
The inquiry was established in August after Wettlaufer was convicted of eight murders, four attempted murders, and two counts of aggravated assault while she worked as a registered nurse caring for long-term care patients
The inquiry will next hold hearings in St. Thomas on December 12 and 13.
“If the minister says the safety and protection of seniors in long-term care is his priority, then why is he refusing to speak at the public inquiry tasked with investigating what went wrong in the system?” Walker challenged.
“The minister needs to stop sitting on his hands and take action to protect seniors in long-term care. I suggest he start by facing the public inquiry that is tasked with getting to the bottom of the circumstances and contributing factors that allowed eight residents to be murdered,” Walker said. “His testimony is really a necessary precursor to understanding and fixing the policies, procedures, practices and oversight mechanisms so that these tragedies don’t happen again.”
“The minister’s lack of will to act is truly disappointing and will not help efforts to restore Ontarians’ confidence and trust in the long-term care system,” concluded Walker.
