<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html charset=utf-8"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div><blockquote type="cite" class=""><div class=""><div dir="ltr" class=""><div class="gmail_quote"><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_attr"><font color="#000000" class="">Friends;</font></div></div></div></div></blockquote>I just received this note from a friend from long ago - Warren Kazor.</div><div>It does not make for a pleasant read, but it is indicative of the authoritarian government that now rules Ontario.</div><div>Allan</div><div><br class=""><blockquote type="cite" class=""><div class=""><div dir="ltr" class=""><div class="gmail_quote"><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_attr">---------- Forwarded message ---------<br class="">From: <strong class="gmail_sendername" dir="auto">Ontario Health Coalition via OntarioHealthCoalition</strong> <span dir="auto" class=""><<a href="mailto:ontariohealthcoalition@list.web.net" class="">ontariohealthcoalition@list.web.net</a>></span><br class="">Date: Mon, Nov 16, 2020 at 6:32 PM<br class="">Subject: [OHC] Quick Update & Message: Bill 218 passed just now<br class="">To: <<a href="mailto:ontariohealthcoalition@list.web.net" class="">ontariohealthcoalition@list.web.net</a>><br class=""></div><br class="">FYI.</div><div class="gmail_quote"><br class=""></div><div class="gmail_quote">✌ Warren 🛏<br class=""><div dir="ltr" class="">Dear all members and supporters,<div class=""><br class=""><div class="">The Ontario Legislature just voted on Bill 218, the law that indemnifies for-profit long-term care homes among other for liability for their negligence in the pandemic. The Ford government MPPs voted for Bill 218 and the NDP and Liberals voted against it. The Bill passed. One of the Opposition Parties (I could not see who on the livestream) requested a recorded vote: the result was 52 ayes and 38 nays. </div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">The NDP had brought an amendment earlier in the Standing Committee to carve out long-term care and retirement homes that the Conservative MPPs used their majority to vote down. </div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">The message to the long-term care industry is that they will not be held legally liable for negligence and that they are not required even to act with the normal requirement which, prior to this law, would have required a reasonable and competent effort to protect residents from harm from COVID-19. It is reprehensible that the Ford government has passed this legislation. </div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">The lawsuits will go ahead. The lawyers I have heard from are refiling their claims as "gross negligence". It will be a steeper hill to climb but they intend to try to climb it on behalf of their clients who are the families who have lost loved ones.</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">We will pursue our complaint to the Integrity Commissioner. It is our position that the government MPPs, including a number of government Ministers, Premier and other MPPs who brought this bill forward and voted for it, have received donations and have close ties with the for-profit long-term care industry, and that these should be investigated for conflict-of-interest and those MPPs should have recused themselves from the vote. </div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">I also want to add a note for those who are not aware. The Ford government has changed the rules of the Legislature to limit debate to just a few hours. It would have been impossible to pass this Bill so quickly before they did that. They also limited the public hearings to just one part-day, cutting out more than four dozen people, including family members of the deceased, from even being heard. The hearings were not televised, which I have never seen before, and the media could not watch them. These decisions are profoundly undemocratic, not to mention callous.</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">To the families who are directly impacted: we feel your heartbreak and your anger. We promise to continue to do everything we can do to improve care, protect those who rely on our health care system for their care, and finally achieve some accountability and justice for all that has happened. </div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">I am sorry to report such bad news. We will keep you apprised as we figure out next steps.</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">Please stay safe,</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">Natalie Mehra</div><div class="">Executive Director</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class=""><br clear="all" class=""><div class=""><br class=""></div>-- <br class=""><div dir="ltr" data-smartmail="gmail_signature" class=""><div dir="ltr" class=""><div class=""><div dir="ltr" class=""><div dir="ltr" class=""><div dir="ltr" class=""><div dir="ltr" class=""><div dir="ltr" class=""><div dir="ltr" class=""><div dir="ltr" class=""><div dir="ltr" class=""><div dir="ltr" class=""><div dir="ltr" class=""><div dir="ltr" class=""><div dir="ltr" class=""><font color="#6aa84f" class="">We rely on donations & memberships from people who care about protecting public health care for all according to principles of compassion, equity and the public interest. </font></div><div dir="ltr" class=""><span style="color:rgb(224,102,102)" class="">**</span><span style="color:rgb(224,102,102)" class=""> </span><font color="#e06666" class="">If you can, please</font> <font size="1" class=""><a href="http://www.ontariohealthcoalition.ca/index.php/donate-now/" target="_blank" class="">CLICK HERE</a></font> <font color="#e06666" class="">to donate or become a member.**</font></div><div dir="ltr" class=""><br class=""></div><div dir="ltr" class=""><font color="#6aa84f" class="">The most helpful way to donate is direct monthly withdrawal for the Health Coalition's work.</font> <font size="1" class=""><a href="http://www.ontariohealthcoalition.ca/index.php/donate-now/" target="_blank" class="">CLICK HERE</a>.</font></div><div dir="ltr" class=""><br class=""></div><div dir="ltr" class=""><font color="#6aa84f" class="">To peruse our store (filled with cool stuff!) please</font> <font size="1" class=""><a href="https://store.ontariohealthcoalition.ca/collections/all" target="_blank" class="">CLICK HERE</a></font>.<br class=""><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class=""><i class="">~ Protecting Public Medicare for All ~</i></div><div dir="ltr" class=""><br class=""></div><div dir="ltr" class="">Ontario Health Coalition<br class="">15 Gervais Drive, Suite 201<br class="">Toronto, ON M3C 1Y8<br class=""><a href="mailto:ohc@sympatico.ca" target="_blank" class=""><font color="#0000ff" class="">ohc@sympatico.ca</font></a></div><div dir="ltr" class=""><a href="http://www.ontariohealthcoalition.ca/" target="_blank" class=""><font color="#0000ff" class="">www.ontariohealthcoalition.ca</font></a><br class="">416-441-2502</div><div class=""><br class=""><br class=""></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>
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