Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I want to thank all the witnesses for their hard work to support our seniors. We're very grateful to them.
I am going to start with Ms. Mackenzie.
During the course of COVID, in my riding, I had numerous long-term care facilities where many, many people died. I had four facilities where over 50 people died. I watched facilities that were not only understaffed but underequipped in the sense that there were four people to a room where there should not be any more than one or two in today's society. I saw very well-meaning but underpaid and understaffed nurses and PABs. I saw families kicked out and caregivers who were meaningful and necessary to the patients kicked out. People died not only of COVID, but of neglect. It was a tragedy.
While this is within provincial jurisdiction, Ms. Mackenzie, you talked about enforceability of national standards and how they could be made meaningful. Could you talk a little more about whether or not you agree that national standards are important in this case and how they could be made meaningful and enforceable?
Thank you.