Thank you, Chair.
Thank you, Minister, for being here today.
We all know that seniors have been hit particularly hard during this pandemic, whether it's social isolation or their health. It's been a very difficult year. We know this is true, and even more so for seniors who are living in long-term care facilities.
These challenges in long-term care are not new challenges. This committee actually has a report from the previous Parliament called "Advancing Inclusion and Quality of Life for Seniors". There were a number of recommendations to address this issue in it. We do know that there have been outbreaks happening, and this is continuing. Now we're in the second wave. Fatalities are on the rise. There's need for immediate action from every level of government. Every level of government has some type of jurisdictional responsibility.
Chronic understaffing, recruitment and retention are major concerns in long-term care. Minister, how are you working with the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion to address the labour shortage?