Madam Speaker, what more can I say, after my colleague's magnificent speech? She really is an excellent critic for seniors.
She went over all the aspects of the NDP motion that are problematic. This motion presupposes that national standards are needed. I see that assumption as a contemptuous premise, not contemptuous of seniors but of those who provide care for them.
By moving this motion, which imposes national standards without having to debate them, the NDP is claiming that it would have done better. On what basis can they say they would have done better in these circumstances?
Obviously, what happened in long-term care facilities was catastrophic. At the beginning of the pandemic, Quebec made the decision to transfer patients to long-term care facilities to free up hospital beds, because many believed the pandemic would overwhelm the hospital system. Many believed that hospitals would become hot spots or red zones. Since some people were waiting for spots in long-term care facilities, Quebec thought it was a good idea to free up hospital beds so that the system would be able to respond to and withstand the first wave of the pandemic.
The decision was made in good faith. No one wanted what happened in the long-term care facilities. Investigations by the coroner and the ombudsperson might provide more information on what was done well and what could have been done better.
It is a disaster, and it is unprecedented. Where was the personal protective equipment? Why was the national stockpile depleted? Why did we send PPE to mainland China when our stockpile was depleted? Why did we not protect those who infected the residents at the long-term care facilities? Why has the government failed to increase health transfers for the past 30 years, something that would have prevented PSWs from needing to work at two or three facilities just to make ends meet?
This pandemic has shed light on the weaknesses in the network. Every expert that testified at the Standing Committee on Health told us that the pandemic has laid bare the weak links in the system and that this is the result of chronic underfunding in health.
The government turning around and telling the provinces and Quebec what they must do, claiming they could have done better, is nothing short of contempt. I am a bit surprised because Quebec does not need national standards to take care of its people and re-evaluate itself. Investigations are under way and there will likely be others. The debate on nationalization has already started, but it is worth noting that in politics, universal standards are never very good.
In Quebec, 86% of long-term care homes are public. In Canada, the average is 46%.
The Canadian Institute for Health Information estimated in a report that 73% of long-term care home costs in Canada were covered by provincial, territorial and municipal systems and agencies, whereas 23% of costs were covered by residents or through their private insurance.
I want to get back to the notion of jurisdictions. Lucien Bouchard, who was the leader of the official opposition in the House and served as premier of Quebec, said that successive governments in Quebec have always set out to reaffirm Quebec's jurisdictions, to ensure that the people of Quebec retain control over their economic, social and cultural development. In response to my New Democrat colleague's claim earlier that our only concern was the Quebec nation, I want to point out that this objective is not in any way connected to a government's position on the status of Quebec.
Incidentally, it is shocking and rather odd to see the NDP, which rightly and aggressively advocates for indigenous peoples to gain control over their social, economic and cultural development, trying to diminish the Quebec nation's control over health care.
When I spoke about my colleague's bill to establish a Canadian pharmacare program, I said that he had ignored Quebec. Today, that seems very obvious to me in this motion. However, what is needed is an increase in health transfers. If there is anything we can learn from this pandemic, it is that Quebec and the provinces must be able to plan for the future and rebuild their health networks.
Is the federal government's priority to give care providers the means to take care of our people? After 30 years of neglect, will it finally contribute its fair share once and for all in order to rebuild our health care systems and properly take care of our citizens? Have we ever seen a federal government lose an election on the issue of health? I have been interested in politics for quite some time and have never seen that. However, I have seen it at the provincial level and with a Quebec government. Why would a provincial government lose an election on the issue of health? Because that is a provincial jurisdiction.
All the federal government has to do is provide its share. Those with the expertise will provide the care. Claiming that they would have done better and that standards are going to solve the problems is just wishful thinking. Yes, there must be discussions, but Quebec is capable of having them and taking corrective action. Standards for Quebec's long-term care facilities, the CHSLDs, already exist, namely in the act respecting health services and social services. This legislation can be improved and it will definitely be improved as a result of the investigations under way.
The Bloc Québécois is here to apprise the House of Commons of the unanimous motions and the consensus of the National Assembly. The National Assembly unanimously adopted a motion condemning the idea of national standards for CHSLDs and demanding an increase in health transfers.
Madam Speaker, how much time do I have left?