Members of CARP – A new vision of aging – say the Ford Progressive Conservatives’ fall economic statement does not meet the real needs of seniors in Ontario.

CARP’s Chief Policy and Operating Officer Bill VanGorder has released a statement to Zoomer Radio News.

He says although upgrading long-term care homes and adding additional beds is important, the real need is for better homecare, and he says the proposed 3 year plan is not sufficient to meet those needs.

More affordable housing is important to many older Ontarians, but new builds are not enough. CARP members,he says, are looking for better rent control measures and renovation of current facilities managed by various levels of government .

And on the affordability crisis, VanGorder is in agreement with the opposition New Democrats in saying the economic statement does not prevent real measures to control rising prices.

It also does not address basic health care services such as wait times and access to a family health provider.

NDP Finance Critic Catherine Fife spoke to that issue as well.

“The Ontario Medical Association has been requesting strategic investment to address their administrative burden for doctors,” Fife explained to reporters on Thursday, “2.1 million Ontarians do not have a doctor in Ontario. The OMA says this would free up 2000 more doctors, so addressing that wait list of having access to a medical doctor in Ontario is something this government could have done today.”

Fife also says the Ford Tories missed the moment to address the housing affordability crisis from getting worse.

For his part, the finance minister says the government will be investing $3-billion in the new Ontario Infrastructure Bank, which Peter Bethlenfalvy says is a tool that has been successful around the world to get more things built faster.

He also announced larger than anticipated deficits due to updated economic revenue information and higher contingencies as well as slower economic growth projections for the next two years.