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"Why are we investing $9 million of our tax dollars so that some billion dollar corporation from Toronto can make a profit?”— Michelle Gawronsky, MGEU President
Winnipeg (08 Sept. 2017) — At a news conference on September 7, Michelle Gawronsky, President of the Manitoba Government and General Employees' Union (MGEU/NUPGE), took aim at the government’s announcement that it will be outsourcing transitional care to a for-profit Ontario corporation as part of their so-called “enhanced home care” scheme.
New polling results show Manitobans are overwhelmingly opposed to privatizing home care
“Privatizing home care didn’t work in the 90s, and it won’t work now,” Gawronsky said. “We should be building on the public, universal system that we have, and is amongst the best in Canada.”
“I think Manitobans are starting to feel betrayed,” Gawronsky said.”This government promised us that they would create 1,200 new personal care home beds, only to cancel projects in Lac Du Bonnet and Winnipeg. They promised us they would protect public services and those providing those services, only to admit they will be privatizing parts of home care, starting with a Toronto-based corporation. There is a trend here, and it’s very, very worrying.”
Health care changes going too far, too fast
Another recent poll showed that the vast majority of Manitobans believe the government’s recent changes to the health care system are going too far, too fast, and are motivated by the bottom line rather than improving care.
“It’s clear the government is scrambling with their big rush to close hospitals and cut programs and care providers and they’re willing to auction off part of our health care systemto try and deal with it,” Gawronsky said. “In other words, they’re ignoring Manitobans’ priorities to solve a problem of their own making.”