8 months after Suzanne Brake retired, N.L. seniors are still waiting for replacement advocate
CBC
It's been eight months since Newfoundland and Labrador's first seniors' advocate retired, and a replacement has yet to be appointed.
Suzanne Brake was appointed in 2017 by the House of Assembly to identify systemic issues faced by seniors in the province and to suggest solutions.
MHA Jeff Dwyer, the Opposition PCs' critic for the Department of Children, Seniors and Social Development, says it's unacceptable that the position has been vacant for so long.
"Eight months ago, we had knowledge Dr. Brake was retiring.… In eight months we had a whole [fall] session of the House of Assembly where somebody could have been presented," Dwyer said Tuesday.
"To not even hear of a candidate to this point, and we're already at the first of February … it's never been anything said."
Dwyer said the advocate plays a key role in the province, giving seniors a platform on the provincial stage. He says he's heard about several issues from seniors in recent months, including problems in long-term care, the rising cost of living, and isolation throughout COVID-19.
"We need that attachment to our family and stuff, and sometimes we don't have the capacity to make those decisions for ourselves. But if the seniors' advocate is in place, at least there's someone there advocating on the behalf of someone who probably doesn't have the capacity to look after themselves," he said.
Dwyer called on the provincial government to make the appointment of a new seniors' advocate a priority when the winter session begins in March.
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