Editor:
I and many other local NDP voters are finding it difficult to tell the difference between our MLA’s position on privatization of seniors’ care and that of the previous Liberal government.
Nicholas Simons’ letter last week (“A victory for some”) is clearly unresponsive to public concerns. The Labour Council letter from Ed Erickson in the same issue (“31 cents a day per senior”) is an eloquent argument against for-profit health services. My experience with my parents in care reminds me how bad it gets when pre-prepared meals are shipped from Alberta, the laundry is unsupervised, and dying seems an attractive option.
Now that I am in my 80s, I want to remind Nicholas that this is a “life or death” issue for seniors. There is no substitute for sympathetic, caring employees who feel they have some control over their lives and the lives of patients. The continuity of a strong, independent union in a publicly operated health facility should be most important to any thinking senior, especially at just 31 cents a day.
Joe Harrison, Garden Bay
