Ontario NDP Leader Andrea Horwath may have a lot of support in her call to have the government take over all private long-term care facilities in the province.
A survey by Angus Reid said two-thirds of Ontario residents and two-thirds of all Canadians surveyed think it is a good idea to nationalize those facilities.
Angus Reid surveyed 1,777 Canadian adults on May 18 and May 19. The poll has a margin of error +/- 2.3 percentage points 19 times out of 20.
The survey was taken before a bombshell report detailing severe neglect and abuse at five long-term care homes in Ontario.
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Right now, long-term care is under provincial jurisdiction, but there are calls for the federal government to impose national standards under the Canada Health Act. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has also indicated his government will consider it once a post-pandemic review takes place.
In Ontario, 1,335 of the province's 2,123 deaths have been in long-term care and retirement homes. That is about 62 per cent of the death toll, and most of them have been in private facilities.
The party that respondents most affiliated with tended to influence their response to the question. The majority of Conservatives thought it was a bad idea, about 53 per cent, while 47 per cent felt it was a good one. About 77 per cent of Liberals, 83 per cent of New Democrats, and 90 per cent of those who voted Bloc Quebecois agreed.
Quebec has suffered more than 4,000 COVID-19 related deaths. Overall, 77 per cent of respondents in that province felt long-term care should be nationalized, the highest rate in the country.
