Evidence of meeting #9 for Procedure and House Affairs in the 43rd Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was elections.
A recording is available from Parliament.
11:35 a.m.
Treasurer, Canadian Association for Long Term Care
I would just add that I think Donna is quite right that people are very cautious. It's incumbent on all of us here to make it as easy and transparent as possible for people to vote in their homes. That's mostly what people are used to in long-term care. They don't go to other locations to vote in most cases; they get to do it from the comfort of their home. We need to find ways to do it that are safe and allow them to be fully engaged.
Your question is a good one, and it should be top of everyone's mind.
11:40 a.m.
NDP
Daniel Blaikie NDP Elmwood—Transcona, MB
If you don't mind, maybe we could get a brief answer to this question.
We have heard from the Chief Electoral Officer that the federal writ period can be between 37 to 51 days. He is of the view that it should be longer.
In your opinion, do you think that a longer writ period would have a salutary effect on voter turnout within long-term care facilities and the senior population generally?
11:40 a.m.
Chief Executive Officer, Ontario Long Term Care Association
We certainly, as an association, would advocate for a shorter period, just given the demands on staff. The more condensed and more defined the process can be, the more contained it can be. Certainly we think that the easier it can be, the better. We would prefer something that is not overly prolonged, given the demands on staff time around communication and support and education in the homes, recognizing that there may be more time required up front to put mechanisms in place.
11:40 a.m.
Treasurer, Canadian Association for Long Term Care
I would echo that. I think we're less concerned about the duration of the actual election campaign than we are about what we're doing here now, which is the pre-planning to make sure that we have thought of all the scenarios and that we have a plan in place that, hopefully, is communicated clearly in advance from Elections Canada across the country. If that's the case, then we could probably manage an election campaign of any of those durations.
11:40 a.m.
NDP
Daniel Blaikie NDP Elmwood—Transcona, MB
When we talk about training for people to be able to assist in care homes, we have heard that it's often done by returning officers, and returning offices, once they are set up within the election window.
Do you think it would be good for Elections Canada to begin offering training even in advance, so there are some people within long-term care facilities who have training to be able to assist when the writ drops, as opposed to trying to do it all within the election window?
11:40 a.m.
Treasurer, Canadian Association for Long Term Care
Yes. I would agree.
Speaking to our local returning officer, he was commenting on how it seems to be getting more difficult to find people to work in polling stations during elections. If that has been a challenge in the past, I expect it will continue to be a trend and a challenge, and in the middle of a pandemic, it may be exacerbated and even harder. Maybe getting to work on getting their workers lined up and maybe trained as well, as you say....
11:40 a.m.
Liberal
11:40 a.m.
Conservative
Karen Vecchio Conservative Elgin—Middlesex—London, ON
Thank you very much.
Today's conversation is going extremely well. We're hearing a lot of different information, starting with Dr. Duncan some of the information she's looking for, and then specifically on the issues Daniel is bringing up.
When we're looking at some of the easiest ways to make sure that we are not disenfranchising the voters but keeping safe the long-term health care facilities, starting with Donna, what would be some of the most positive things you could see Elections Canada doing that would have all people voting safely? What are some of the suggestions you have?
11:40 a.m.
Chief Executive Officer, Ontario Long Term Care Association
There's keeping voting in the home, whether that be through mail-in voting or using technology. Certainly through the pandemic, technologically enhanced engagement of our residents has escalated exponentially.
There's ensuring that public health is very much involved in working in partnership. I think Mr. Lee mentioned the stress and strain on personal protective equipment. We know, certainly in Ontario, that homes experiencing an outbreak would have access to N95 respirators, which we know are not easy to come by and very difficult to use, and that could increase the spread of infection. Certainly there's training, ensuring that anyone going into their home has infection prevention and control education themselves, so as not to put a greater burden on the staff and the volunteers who would be supporting the process in the homes.
There's thinking about the layout of the homes. Again, how we do this in a way that avoids contamination is going to be really, really important, and the sensitivity is important. I would say it's important that anyone supporting this process have empathy.
11:40 a.m.
Conservative
Karen Vecchio Conservative Elgin—Middlesex—London, ON
Jason, I'll move to you very shortly here as well. As you indicated, we have staffing challenges. I was speaking to people at a long-term care facility in our area. Because of the changes and people only being able to work at one place, they lost 30% of their employment from some of these homes, so we have that issue.
As you indicated as well, there's the issue of trying to find people who will work in these elections. The statistics show that the majority of people who are working as poll workers are seniors themselves, and many of them may be vulnerable to this disease as well.
Also, in talking about what you said, I just saw that the cost of a box of vinyl gloves has gone from $16 to $96 a box. That is what the County of Elgin is now having to pay. I think those are huge concerns as well.
One thing we've talked about is that, because of the current shortage of workers and the concerns about rapid testing—and I know that Marilyn Gladu talked about this—what are the protocols to enter one of your homes at this time?
I'll start with Jason. Do you use rapid testing? Do they need to show negative results? What are your requirements at this time?
11:45 a.m.
Treasurer, Canadian Association for Long Term Care
I'm located here in Prince Edward Island. We're probably not the best jurisdiction to use as an example because we've been very fortunate, with COVID-19 being very limited in the number of cases we've had. We've had no cases in long-term care homes. We currently have, I think, three cases across the province. We're very fortunate. As a result, our restrictions to the homes have probably been reduced to the lowest level you're going to find in the country.
Right now each of our residents is allowed to have three partners in care, which includes close family and friends, and they can more or less come and go from the building as they please. In addition to that, they can visit with people through a visiting schedule at a safe distance of six feet or more while wearing personal protective equipment. The access here in P.E.I. has really not gone back to the way it was, but we've been very fortunate and we are probably not the norm across the country, for sure.
11:45 a.m.
Conservative
Karen Vecchio Conservative Elgin—Middlesex—London, ON
Donna, I only have a few seconds. Can you add your thoughts on that?
11:45 a.m.
Chief Executive Officer, Ontario Long Term Care Association
Yes. We have two essential visitors who do an attestation—but not testing. Only staff are being tested every two weeks, and residents are tested when they become symptomatic. Essential visitors have to schedule visits, and there's only one essential visitor permitted at a time.
11:45 a.m.
Liberal
November 12th, 2020 / 11:45 a.m.
Liberal
Mark Gerretsen Liberal Kingston and the Islands, ON
Thank you, Madam Chair.
Ms. Duncan, I guess I'll start with you and pick up on the conversation you were having with Ms. Vecchio.
You said that the ideal scenario would be to have voting mechanisms inside the home. We've discussed a little bit the challenges with having polling locations set up inside a home. In your opening comments you said that mail-in ballots may be the simplest option for residents to manage and for staff to facilitate. Can you think of a mechanism that might be simpler than that, or would you say that this would be your preferred choice?
11:45 a.m.
Chief Executive Officer, Ontario Long Term Care Association
It's a great question.
Perhaps sometimes the oldest formats are the easiest formats. If you could pursue it more as an advance ballot or an advance polling process rather than having it exactly on voting day, that might be preferable, to work things out ahead of time. Perhaps there is some sort of online tool or mechanism that could be overseen and incorporated into the home. We recognize that not all communities have access to broadband, but certainly our residents, our family members, our volunteers, our staff and others have been using technology.
11:45 a.m.
Liberal
Mark Gerretsen Liberal Kingston and the Islands, ON
We've talked a lot about the safety of the residents, but what about the safety of the employees and what they have to be involved in to help to facilitate the voting, such as escorting residents to various locations? Do you believe that a mail-in option would also be the safest from the employee perspective?
11:45 a.m.
Chief Executive Officer, Ontario Long Term Care Association
I believe it would be easiest. It would reduce the amount of contact an employee would have with other people, certainly with the residents. They work at supporting the residents on a daily basis. They are accustomed to screening visitors; that has now been built into their role description, but less contact is better, and less foot traffic in the home—certainly in an outbreak situation—is ideal.
11:50 a.m.
Liberal
Mark Gerretsen Liberal Kingston and the Islands, ON
I want to change gears for a second.
There has been some discussion over the last hour here and there about fraud and the possibility of fraudulent activities. For starters, neither you nor Mr. Lee has studied this or looked into this, right? Any information that you're giving is anecdotal at best; is that fair to say?
Ms. Duncan.
11:50 a.m.
Liberal
Mark Gerretsen Liberal Kingston and the Islands, ON
As a follow-up question, given the vulnerability of many seniors notwithstanding the pandemic and the potential for fraud or people not voting or assisting others to vote in a way that properly reflects that individual, isn't that something that happens already, correct? It doesn't require a pandemic for that to occur. Would that be right, Ms. Duncan?
