"If government increased the grant to the VON for the provision of home care services, this strike could be over," said Mr. Joyce. "Instead, we have people in this region going without the care and health services they need on a daily basis. Government has today confirmed that it has an extra $23 million that it saved from the public sector strike earlier this year. I suggest the Premier look at re-investing some of this money in people and provide the estimated $40,000 to the VON that could end this strike.

"Last April, Trinity North MHA Ross Wiseman stated that it would not be acceptable to expect home care workers in St. John’s to work without receiving a wage increase. Now that he is part of a government, and parliamentary secretary to the Minister of Health, he can follow-up his words with actions and resolve a similar strike in western Newfoundland. We have not heard from Mr. Wiseman on this issue. Does he hold the same beliefs as he did last year? Where do the two local MHAs, Premier Williams and Justice Minister Tom Marshall, stand on this matter? Does Premier Williams agree with his former Health Critic that these workers deserve wage increases? When will they start acting on behalf of the people of the Corner Brook area?

"The elderly and disabled people who rely on the VON for various services need this strike to be resolved immediately. The longer this strike goes on, the more strain it will place on our health care system. Providing a small grant increase could actually save government money in the long-term. Now is the time for government to become involved and ensure that the VON workers can return to work in a timely manner."