Doug Ford's response to the coronavirus has surprised a lot of Ontarians -- including me. Despite that, Bob Hepburn writes, Ford will soon face a day of reckoning:
That day will come when the findings are released by the first of several inquiries being set up to investigate Ontario’s troubled long-term care system. Ontario’s nursing homes have been hot spots of COVID-19 outbreaks, with about 1,700 residents killed and more than 5,000 infected so far.
For decades, far too many of these facilities have been understaffed, underfunded, overcrowded, poorly managed and badly in need of repairs and upgrading.
Ford insists he wants answers to what’s wrong with the system, adding “we need to get this fixed.” He also suggests it’s not his fault because he inherited a mess from the previous Liberal government.
But the fact is that Ford did nothing to improve the situation before the virus hit:
In fact, though, Ford has done little to improve conditions in these facilities since being elected on June 6, 2018. Indeed, in many cases his actions — or inactions — have actually worsened conditions.
And Ontarians have been here before:
That’s what happened to former premier Mike Harris, who in 2001 was riding high in polls until he had to testify at the inquiry into the Walkerton water scandal. On the stand, Harris was questioned about whether his government’s policies were in any way to blame for the tainted water outbreak, which killed seven and sickened more than 2,300 residents in the Walkerton area.
Just three months after testifying, Harris abruptly announced his resignation. One year after the damning Walkerton findings were released in 2002, the Conservatives under then-leader Ernie Eves were trounced by the Liberals in the provincial election.
Ford is facing the grim possibility of having to testify in four — and possibly more — investigations into conditions in the long-term care system.
Provincial ombudsman Paul Dube is launching a probe into how the government handled the system in the pandemic. Ontario’s patient ombud office will probe systemic problems, focusing on staffing levels and more. Long-Term Care Minister Merrilee Fullerton has promised an “independent commission” to study the system and opposition parties are calling for a separate, full public inquiry.
Ford’s record with the long-term care system has been abysmal since he was elected.
First, the Ford government dropped the mandatory annual inspections of all homes that was adopted by the previous Liberal government. Only 2,800 inspections were conducted in 2019, most of them related to specific complaints or to critical conditions.
Second, Ford cut funding increases for the long-term care system to less than the rate of inflation.
Third, there’s been no movement on any of the new long-term care beds that were approved before the 2018 election.
Fourth, Ford made no move to address critical staffing issues, including the shortage of nurses and the low pay and lack of full-time work for personal support workers in these facilities.
Fifth, his government was exceedingly slow in providing protective equipment to staff and testing staff and residents for COVID-19 — with much of it coming only after many deaths.
Sixth, Ford cut some $1 billion over a decade to Toronto Public Health, funds vital for helping to ensure health safety in long-term care residences.
Ford deserves credit in the present. But his past will catch up with him.
Image: National Post
