My question is to the Premier. New Democrats know that dental care is health care. All Ontarians should have access to timely dental care with their OHIP card, not a credit card.

Heather, who lives in Windsor, was told there was a year-long wait-list for her to see a dentist through the Ontario Seniors Dental Care Program. After seven months, she received a call to tell her she no longer qualified for the program because she makes too much money. Heather makes $90 over the $22,200 income limit for seniors, a situation many seniors in my riding and across the province are experiencing.

Speaker, when will the Conservatives prioritize seniors’ health care and increase the income limit for the seniors dental care program?

Speaker, Heather’s income is well below the poverty line, yet the Conservatives think she earns too much and doesn’t deserve dental care. Francis Hart had a similar experience with the seniors dental program. Francis hadn’t seen a dentist for years because he couldn’t afford to. In July, after waiting months for an appointment through the government’s program, Francis had to have all of his upper teeth removed. He was told to come back in a few months for dentures. When he returned, he was told he no longer qualified for the program. The government basically said, “Tough luck. Either live on liquids or live in even deeper poverty by earning less.”

My question is, when will the Premier stop treating dental care as a luxury that seniors must try to save up for or go without?

Interjections.