During the leaders' debate, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was asked if he would put his mother, Margaret Trudeau, in long-term care. He ultimately dodged the question.
"During the pandemic, Canadians watched in horror, the suffering of their most vulnerable and frail loved ones in long-term care," said APTN journalist Melissa Ridgen.
Ridgen then asked Trudeau: "If you had to place a family member in a long-term care facility, would you?"
With his mother turning 73, "that is certainly something we're reflecting on." Though he said, "she's doing wonderfully right now."
"We won't have to make that decision right now," he added: "Don't worry, mum," he said jokingly.
"Some dads and some moms don't have to worry. They will have the money," said Bloc leader Yves-Francois Blanchet. "Of course, some do."
Conservative leader Erin O’Toole also commented that he and his family have a loved one in long-term care.
"I put a loved one in long-term care — my grandmother — and we've been in touch with her [constantly]," he said.
"The reality is we've heard from seniors across this country who've been tremendously worried about this pandemic and family members worried about that. We know that the conditions of work for the people who are in those long-term care homes often dictate the conditions of care for seniors," said Trudeau.
He proposed hiring 50,000 new personal support workers to aid provinces and increase the minimum salary to $25 an hour for people who care for elders in long-term care facilities.
O’Toole pivoted to attack Trudeau for calling an election during the pandemic.
"Why did you not have that approach to the election? Mr. Trudeau, we're in the fourth wave."
O’Toole said his vision for long-term care revolved on building provincial partnerships, adding the Conservatives, if elected, would have a $3 billion fund that the provinces could draw on for infrastructure upgrades to long-term care facilities.
"That's in addition to our $60 billion commitment over ten years to the public health care system," he said, adding they would uphold universal access consistent with Canadian healthcare.
Blanchet added: "Quebec should have resources without conditions because it is their responsibility, their knowledge, their expertise. We need to give them the care they need — the care they deserve — those responsible for that care are the provinces."
Blanchet said when the military came to Quebec, they wrote a report concluding that Quebec "lacked resources [and] money" to sufficiently provide care.
O’Toole confirmed a Conservative government would place no restrictions on Canada Health Transfers and other healthcare-related funding.
"We need to partner with the provinces, not create fights," O’Toole reiterated.
"Learning from the gaps of long-term care [exposed by the] pandemic is something we need," he concluded.
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