Alberta NDP’s seniors critic and former seniors minister, Lori Sigurdson announces the introduction of Bill 215: Seniors Advocate Act, with the support of Rick Brick, Federal Retirees district director in the Prairies and Northwest Territories.
On April 15, Alberta NDP’s seniors critic and former seniors minister, Lori Sigurdson, introduced a private members bill – Bill 215: Seniors Advocate Act – calling on Premier Kenney to re-establish an independent seniors’ advocate for Albertans.
Earlier this month, Federal Retirees launched a campaign to bring back Alberta’s independent seniors' advocate.
Now it’s your turn to join the call. Tell your MLA you support Bill 215 to bring Alberta’s independent seniors' advocate back.
The seniors' advocate would be an independent officer of the legislature to help seniors navigate services, provide policy recommendations to the government and conduct reviews on service providers to ensure seniors’ needs are met.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed unacceptable failures in how seniors are treated and cared for in Alberta,” Sigurdson said. “Seniors need a champion... I’ve heard from so many Alberta families who have suffered immensely through the pandemic and didn’t know where to turn. Over 1,200 residents in continuing care facilities have died from COVID-19 and change is needed now.”
Rick Brick, district director for Federal Retirees in the Prairies and Northwest Territories district, agrees. “If the Alberta government had not eliminated the seniors’ advocate in December 2019, that valuable resource would have been there to help elderly Albertans as we are dealing with the COVID pandemic. Effective and timely advice and action from the government based on the evidence presented to them from a true seniors' advocate might have helped mitigate that crisis.”
Tell your MLA you support Bill 215 and that it’s time to bring Alberta’s independent seniors’ advocate back. Use our form to contact your member of the Legislative Assembly. We’ve already put together a message for you, but feel free to add to it or write your own.