The Ford government is defending its support for home care.

Kiiwetinoong MPP Sol Mamakwa spoke on Thursday at Queen’s Park about a Sioux Lookout family’s five-year struggle to access services.

“Howard has spent the last five years trying to navigate a badly broken healthcare system, and things are just getting worse,” says Mamakwa.

“His family continues to be ignored and abandoned by this broken system. This government made big promises in 2020, saying Jeannie would get the home care she needs to live in dignity, and nothing has changed.”

Mamakwa says the family made presentations to pre-budget hearings in 2020 and this February.

The Health Minister’s Parliamentary Assistant, Robin Martin, says investments are being made.

She says a billion dollars has been earmarked, with more than half being spent on programs and services during the 2023-24 fiscal year.

“And that plan is working. We want to have a strong home and community care sector as a key part of our plan, and we want to make sure that these resources are available across the province, including in northern Ontario.,” says Martin.

But Mamakwa says those investments are not working for people in northern Ontario.