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CBC
15-05-2025
- Health
- CBC
Seniors' advocate calls on N.L. government to overhaul care system
A blistering report from Newfoundland and Labrador's seniors' advocate calls for a complete overhaul of what she calls a broken system. The report was written in response to the provincial government's inaction to implement recommendations outlined by the auditor general's office in February, says Susan Walsh, which followed a separate report that found troubling instances of mistreatment of seniors in care. "Unfortunately, we have not seen an implementation plan from government on the 23 recommendations that it contained," Walsh told reporters Thursday. "The system is broken. It needs a full redesign.… This is a call to action. For too long, seniors have waited to see change in the long-term care and personal care home systems and it has not happened." The report outlines 11 new recommendations, many of which centre on changing how long-term care and personal care homes are governed in Newfoundland and Labrador. Walsh says she wants to see all responsibilities of care for seniors — from home support to palliative care — moved from the Department of Health and Community Services to the new Department of Seniors. That department is a new addition to government by Premier John Hogan. It's headed by Minister John Abbott. WATCH | Susan Walsh says seniors are afraid to go into long-term care: Seniors' advocate slams 'broken system,' says seniors afraid to go into long-term care 2 hours ago Duration 0:35 "If given the proper authority, this could be the beginning of change," Walsh said. "We are concerned that the community services for seniors are getting lost in the Department of Health, because the Department of Health really has such a strong focus on acute care." The report also calls on the new department to create an action plan to see February's recommendations implemented. It wants to see that done through a continuum of care strategy that sets legislative standards for programs and services and outlines consequences for non-compliance. Walsh pointed to legislation currently in place in Alberta that could benefit Newfoundlanders and Labradorians. "We're the only province in the country at this point who doesn't have long-term care legislation. But now, we have a learning. Let's not just create legislation for long-term care, and then 10 years from now realize, 'Oh, we should have a continuum.' Let's go there today," she said. Walsh said the family and resident council system also needs to be greatly improved to help seniors. She called for each personal and long-term care home in the province to have its own council that reports to a council for each health zone of Newfoundland and Labrador Health Services. In the House of Assembly on Tuesday, PC Leader Tony Wakeham brought the issue to the floor. "The challenge with this is the lack of action," he said. "They create good reports, but then it's extremely frustrating when the recommendations you make don't get acted upon." Health Minister Krista Lynn Howell told the House that work is underway to develop continuum care legislation and draft operational standards for personal care homes. Speaking with reporters at a separate health-related event on Thursday, Hogan — who was the minister of health in February — said the department accepted the findings of the February report and takes the recommendations seriously.
CBC
27-04-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Miss the provincial Liberal leadership debate? Watch the full thing here
Liberal leadership candidates John Abbott and John Hogan squared off in a debate on CBC News on Wednesday. If you missed it, we have you covered. Watch the entire debate, commercial free, right here.
CBC
02-04-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Who will be N.L.'s next Liberal leader? MHAs pick sides in the final leg of the leadership race
Some of the most influential political players in the premier's government are backing John Hogan. Meanwhile, six MHAs are voicing their public support for John Abbott. Reporter Terry Roberts has that story.
CBC
20-03-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Still no trial decided for 2021 N.L. election challenge amid slow-moving lawsuit
A slow-paced lawsuit alleging problems with the province's 2021 "pandemic election" finally saw some movement Thursday morning, but the case is now at risk of being tossed altogether. Lawyers for Elections N.L. and John Abbott argued it's too late for a three-year-old controverted election application to go to trial, given the next general election is just months away at most. The lengthy lawsuit began when St. John's man Whymarrh Whitby alleged that issues during the last provincial election — including issues about special ballets — resulted in his right to vote being denied. Three candidates — former provincial NDP leader Allison Coffin and PC candidates Jim Lester and Sheila Fitzgerald — have been calling for a new byelection in their respective ridings since. Whitby, Coffin and Lester were all at Supreme Court in St. John's for Thursday's hearing. Whitby's lawsuit against Elections N.L. and former chief electoral officer Bruce Chaulk is co-signed by Coffin, who lost her St. John's East-Quidi Vidi seat to current Liberal MHA John Abbott. The pair is represented by Will Hiscock, who said Thursday that he is prepared to go to trial. "We have the numbers to make this not a purely academic challenge, but a real and material challenge," Hiscock told Justice Garrett Handrigan. Most of the morning hinged on one section of the House of Assembly Act, which Elections N.L. lawyer Andrew Fitzgerald interpreted as saying a byelection cannot occur within six months of a general election. Hiscock, however, argued the act stated that there is simply no obligation to hold a byelection in that period, and said irregularities caused significant challenges during the previous provincial election. Trial readiness In his readiness argument, Hiscock said he is prepared for trial, with at least 60 individuals in the St. John's East-Quidi Vidi riding who allegedly ran into irregularities in the election that prevented them from voting. That number is high enough to beat the magic number test in this case, which is a formula the Supreme Court uses to determine whether an election should be annulled. John Samms, the lawyer for John Abbott, argued that he and his client had no role in delaying the lawsuit, and that the plaintiffs have not taken any chances to speed up the process — proving, he argued, they are not ready to go to trial. Samms wants the matter to be "fully evaporated" by April 14 of this year — the presumed "drop dead" date for this matter. "Barring another pandemic, we will never see another election like this again," he said, arguing that a trial would be too expensive, lengthy and unnecessary. The lawsuit is not meant to replace one sitting member of the House of Assembly with another, Hiscock said, but rather to void the 2021 election altogether. According to Handrigan, the lawsuit is at the eleventh hour. "But we're not at the twelfth," Hiscock replied as those sitting in the courtroom laughed.
Yahoo
20-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Still no trial decided for 2021 N.L. election challenge amid slow-moving lawsuit
Whymarrh Whitby alleges his right to vote was denied in the 2021 provincial election. He and former NDP leader Allison Coffin are still in court over it. (Patrick Butler/Radio-Canada) A slow-paced lawsuit alleging problems with the province's 2021 "pandemic election" finally saw some movement Thursday morning, but the case is now at risk of being tossed altogether. Lawyers for Elections N.L. and John Abbott argued it's too late for a three-year-old controverted election application to go to trial, given the next general election is just months away at most. The lengthy lawsuit began when St. John's man Whymarrh Whitby alleged that issues during the last provincial election — including issues about special ballets — resulted in his right to vote being denied. Three candidates — former provincial NDP leader Allison Coffin and PC candidates Jim Lester and Sheila Fitzgerald — have been calling for a new byelection in their respective ridings since. Whitby, Coffin and Lester were all at Supreme Court in St. John's for Thursday's hearing. Whitby's lawsuit against Elections N.L. and former chief electoral officer Bruce Chaulk is co-signed by Coffin, who lost her St. John's East-Quidi Vidi seat to current Liberal MHA John Abbott. The pair is represented by Will Hiscock, who said Thursday that he is prepared to go to trial. "We have the numbers to make this not a purely academic challenge, but a real and material challenge," Hiscock told Justice Garrett Handrigan. From left, Elections N.L. lawyer Andrew Fitzgerald; John Samms, lawyer for John Abbott; and Will Hiscock, who is representing Whymarrh Whitby and Allison Coffin. (Patrick Butler/Radio-Canada) Most of the morning hinged on one section of the House of Assembly Act, which Elections N.L. lawyer Andrew Fitzgerald interpreted as saying a byelection cannot occur within six months of a general election. Hiscock, however, argued the act stated that there is simply no obligation to hold a byelection in that period, and said irregularities caused significant challenges during the previous provincial election. Trial readiness In his readiness argument, Hiscock said he is prepared for trial, with at least 60 individuals in the St. John's East-Quidi Vidi riding who allegedly ran into irregularities in the election that prevented them from voting. That number is high enough to beat the magic number test in this case, which is a formula the Supreme Court uses to determine whether an election should be annulled. John Samms, the lawyer for John Abbott, argued that he and his client had no role in delaying the lawsuit, and that the plaintiffs have not taken any chances to speed up the process — proving, he argued, they are not ready to go to trial. Samms wants the matter to be "fully evaporated" by April 14 of this year — the presumed "drop dead" date for this matter. "Barring another pandemic, we will never see another election like this again," he said, arguing that a trial would be too expensive, lengthy and unnecessary. The lawsuit is not meant to replace one sitting member of the House of Assembly with another, Hiscock said, but rather to void the 2021 election altogether. According to Handrigan, the lawsuit is at the eleventh hour. "But we're not at the twelfth," Hiscock replied as those sitting in the courtroom laughed. Download our free CBC News app to sign up for push alerts for CBC Newfoundland and Labrador. Sign up for our daily headlines newsletter here. Click here to visit our landing page
