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The Ontario Liberal party is warming up to the idea of removing private companies from the provinces long-term care and home care sectors.

The shift came as two sweeping reports into COVID-19 and long-term care shook the Progressive Conservative government last week. Liberal Leader Steven Del Duca, speaking to reporters on Friday, left the door open for his party to overhaul for-profit elder care, if elected next year.

Based on everything Ive seen and heard, and all the discussions and the tragic circumstances of the last 12 or 13 months, Im at a point where I do not believe mixing profit with care in this space at all is compatible anymore, Del Duca told iPolitics on Friday.

I cant see any compatibility, he added.

The Liberals are in the midst of developing their 2022 election campaign platform, meaning Del Duca couldnt commit to an official position, but his comments last week were the strongest yet on the issue.

If the Liberals choose to embrace a fully publicly funded elder care system, they will join Ontarios NDP, which unveiled a plan to remove private companies from the long-term care and home care sectors in October.

The NDPs plan would spend $6 billion over eight years in one-time capital investments to expand the sectors capacity, plus $3 billion in annual operating costs. If implemented, Ontario would spend 50 per cent more a year on long-term care than it does now.

On Friday, Ontarios commission reviewing COVID-19 in long-term care released its final report after an almost eight-month investigation. One of the reports recommendations urged the government to reassess the long-term care sectors business model.

READ MORE: Early instructions failed to contain COVID in Ontario nursing homes: AG

It is difficult to see how one can build a culture of excellence in care when care is only a means to profit on the infrastructure and hoteling of seniors, the report read.

COVID-19 has seriously undermined the reputation of for-profit homes. The commission has repeatedly heard about the distrust of the private sector when it comes to providing care. A new model is needed to reset the balance, it continued.

Del Duca acknowledged that Ontario couldnt flick a switch and remove profit incentives from long-term care, but he said the status quo isnt acceptable to the people of Ontario.

He also took aim at long-term care company executives.

Three of the largest for-profit chains paid out tens of millions of dollars in dividends to their shareholders during this crisis when they were receiving at least $90 million in pandemic support from you and I, Del Duca said. That just goes right to the heart of that incompatibility.

NDP Leader Andrea Horwath told iPolitics on Friday the Liberals have no credibility when it comes to long-term care.

The Liberals had 15 years to deal with long-term care and they didnt, Horwath said. We all saw where long-term care was when COVID hit.

Del Duca said he will have more to say about his partys elder care policies in the coming weeks, as the Liberals platform comes together.

READ MORE: Ontario NDP pitches eight-year plan to overhaul long-term care

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