Dr. Sherman: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This government’s assault on our seniors began in 2008 by cutting public long-term care beds, privatizing the delivery of home care and long-term care, and nickelling and diming our seniors with fees to make up for a growing list of delisted services.

The Premier said that allowing industry to meet seniors’ needs will create more jobs, quote, unquote. The only extra jobs will be for bankers to count the profits off the backs of our seniors. To the Minister of Seniors: why is this government turning our seniors into commodities to be sold on the market to the highest bidder?

The Speaker: The hon. minister.

Mr. VanderBurg: Well, thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you for that question. You know, I totally disagree with the member’s comments. The aging policy framework, that I was very much involved with, dealt with the demographic change and where this new department is going with the Department of Seniors. There is nothing of more importance than the seniors for me as a new minister. I will make this commitment to you and to everybody here that seniors are not a commodity. They are a very important piece of this province, and they’ll be treated that way.

Dr. Sherman: Mr. Speaker, I wish that were true. In fact, standing up for the seniors is what got me chucked out.

Given that the previous and current Premiers promised to add 1,000 new continuing care beds to the system without mentioning if any of them would be publicly delivered, to the minister of health: what are your marching orders from this Premier, and exactly how many of those beds will be both 100 per cent publicly funded and 100 per cent publicly delivered?

The Speaker: The hon. Minister of Health and Wellness.

Mr. Horne: Well, thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. It is, in fact, the position of this government that we are working to offer a range of housing options for seniors across Alberta and, for those seniors who need health care, to offer a health care component that allows those seniors to age and to be served in place.

The Speaker: The hon. leader.

Dr. Sherman: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Given that the only options are a range of private, for-profit options and given that the Premier has made a promise to increase funding to home care, which has also been overly privatized, to the Minister of Finance – yeah, you over there – how much more money will go into public home-care delivery, or is it all earmarked for private contracts and your PC privatization buddies?

Mr. Liepert: Well, Mr. Speaker, this member knows very well that that will be part of the budget that will be delivered in the new year.

The Speaker: Second Official Opposition main question. The hon. Leader of the Official Opposition.

Dr. Sherman: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Premier’s maiden speech shows that this government has no clue how to fix public health care. It doesn’t see the link between jammed emergency departments and ideological starvation of public home care and public long-term care. Now couples who can’t afford private facilities face involuntary separation or abandonment in the hospital emergency departments. To the Minister of Finance: will you end this government’s betrayal of our respected seniors and the values that Alberta was founded on and invest more in the public delivery of health care services to our seniors?

Mr. Liepert: Well, Mr. Speaker, I’m not sure where this member has been. This government supports seniors better than any other government in the country of Canada, and this minister here will ensure that that continues to happen.

The Speaker: The hon. leader.

Dr. Sherman: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I know exactly where I’ve been. I was on the wrong side.
Given that the Premier plans to open Pandora’s box by lifting the seniors’ housing cap and allowing private operators to charge whatever they can get away with, will the Minister of Seniors, please – will you, please – show some mercy to middle- and lower middle-income seniors, who will be priced out of the market by the Premier’s decision, and please reverse this ill-advised plan?

Mr. VanderBurg: Well, Mr. Speaker, I want to make sure that all people on the programs that we have today know that low-income seniors will always be guaranteed the support of this government. I was just looking at a list of recent announcements. Banff, Beaumont, Black Diamond, Calgary, Camrose, Claresholm, Edmonton, Leduc, Red Deer, Rocky View, Spruce Grove, St. Albert, Vegreville, Tofield: we’re building seniors’ facilities, and the Premier has made a very strong commitment that . . .

The Speaker: The hon. leader. [interjection] The hon. leader, please. [interjection] Third time, the hon. leader.

Dr. Sherman: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Given that Albertans are waiting for action and results, not announcements, and given that the Premier’s misguided quota system creates a huge crowd of second-class citizens waiting in the breadline for affordable housing and home care and the line grows every single day, doesn’t the Minister of Seniors see how wrong – how wrong – it is to leave so many of our seniors without any options that they can actually afford?

Mr. VanderBurg: Again, Mr. Speaker, let’s not feel that the public sector is the only way to resolve this issue. The private sector does have an opportunity to play a great role in this. It’s the outcome that I’m interested in – the outcome. Let’s talk about some of these projects that will be completed in the next 12 months: Grande Prairie, Edmonton, Peace River, Strathmore.

Mr. Speaker, we are acting on our commitments.

Alberta Hansard, November 28, 2011

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