Leal writing to Smitherman about funding cut
Friday, April 30, 2004 - John Driscoll
Peterborough Liberal MPP Jeff Leal says he didn’t know anything about his government’s retroactive property tax funding cut until told about it when he met with area administrators at Riverview Manor April 23.

“I was blind-sided when told about it,” Leal told The OMNIway Wednesday. “I didn’t know anything about it.”

After getting more information on the issue, Leal said the government initiative has "quite a substantial impact” on home operators. “I am writing a letter to Health Minister George Smitherman about this issue and I hope the government will address the situation,” he said.

The Ontario Long Term Care Association (OLTCA) has raised the issue with the government, which has promised to take another look at its decision to retroactively decrease property tax funding for homes for 2003 with a sharper decrease for 2004.

That government initiative has hit OMNI hard, amounting to the loss of almost $1.2 million over two years, according to Fraser Wilson, OMNI CEO.

Leal was at Riverview to receive the results of the OLTCA's “My 5 Top Priorities” campaign. The campaign drew 22,000 ballots, primarily from staff, residents and families at homes across Ontario.

The results show overwhelming support for more funding for staff and services to residents as the top priority.

Leal, who has served on the board of St. Joseph’s Health Care Foundation which operates the Marycrest home in Peterborough, said the results of the ballots came as no surprise to him.

“I met earlier with representatives of Fairhaven and Marycrest homes,” he says. The concerns expressed there were quite similar to those at (the April 23) meeting,” he said.

In the Peterborough area, the level of long-term care is a very important issue, Leal pointed out. Peterborough has one of the highest percentages in the province of seniors among the population, much higher than the Ontario average, he said.