Almost two years after Liberals promised to criminalize elder abuse, the government yet to make any moves and the Justice Department says federal officials are still exploring the issue.

But Liberal M.P. Hedy Fry proposed Criminal Code amendments in June that she indicates the government broadly supports.

Fry says the bill is intended to prevent the horrifying stories of neglect that came out of long-term care during the pandemic from ever happening again.

The bill would criminalize owners and managers of long-term care homes for failing to provide the “necessaries of life” to vulnerable adults.

It would also give judges the ability to prohibit those convicted of the offence from volunteering or working in similar settings.

Experts say the bill would be a step in the right direction if the government supports it, but Ottawa should do a great deal more, like pushing provinces to enforce better standards by attaching strings to health transfers.