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On Thursday, the Liberals pledged to invest in the country’s long-term care system after the sector was hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Speaking in Victoria on Thursday, Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau announced that his party would spend $9-billion over five years for seniors in assisted care centres and those living alone. Much of the funding would go toward establishing a minimum $25 per hour wage for personal support workers, as well as $500-million to help train up to 50,000 new support workers.
“The conditions of work in long-term care become the conditions of care for our seniors,” Mr. Trudeau said.
Since health care is under provincial jurisdiction, these promises rely heavily on mostly Conservative premiers supporting the federal government’s plans. Mr. Trudeau said his party wants to work together with provinces on this issue.
Bloc Quebecois Leader Yves-François Blanchet is also speaking about health care today during campaign stops in Gatineau and Lachute, and talked about how the pandemic has revealed that federal funding is falling behind rising health care costs.
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh also addressed health care this morning during a stop in Edmonton. “We believe in expanding health care in general, and that’s why we’re talking about bringing long-term care into the public system,” he said, referencing the party’s plan to put an end to private, for-profit long-term care.
Conservative Leader Erin O’Toole focused on the issue of housing affordability today in Ottawa. He spoke about the party’s plan to build one million homes in the next three years and “stop foreign money from pushing prices out of reach.”
With files from Laura Stone, Marieke Walsh and Ian Bailey.
TODAY’S HEADLINES
LIBERALS PLEDGE $9-BILLION FOR LONG-TERM CARE - The promise includes support for seniors who choose to live at home, as well as establishing a minimum $25 per hour wage for personal support workers.
O’TOOLE HIGHLIGHTS PRO-CHOICE VIEWS IN QUEBEC - Working to distinguish himself from his predecessor, Conservative Leader Erin O’Toole told an audience in Quebec City that he believes in human rights, “including the right of women to choose.”
ELECTIONS CANADA PLANNING FOR UP TO 5 MILLION MAIL-IN BALLOTS - Elections Canada is planning for a significant increase in people wanting to vote by mail because of the pandemic, and says that not all of those ballots will necessarily be counted by the end of election day.
O’TOOLE SAYS UNVACCINATED CANDIDATES TO TAKE DAILY TESTS - As mandatory vaccination continues to be an issue on the campaign trail, Conservative Leader Erin O’Toole says candidates who are not vaccinated need to be tested daily. Meanwhile, two Ontario MPPs may be kicked out of Doug Ford’s PC party by the end of Thursday because they have not been vaccinated.
CANADA POISED TO RESUME EVACUATION FLIGHTS FROM AFGHANISTAN - The Canadian military is set to resume flights from Kabul shortly to evacuate people, according to the Defence Department. However, the window of opportunity for the rescue operation is set to close by the end of the month.
LEADERS
Bloc Quebecois Leader Yves-François Blanchet made an announcement in Gatineau this morning about health care, and then met with various health care officials before making visits to the hospital and pediatric centre in Lachute.
Conservative Party Leader Erin O’Toole made an announcement this morning in Ottawa on housing affordability. This evening, he’s scheduled to hold a virtual telephone town hall in New Brunswick and then one in Ontario.
Green Party Leader Annamie Paul is in the riding of Toronto-Centre again, where she’s scheduled to be in private meetings during the morning, and canvassing and meeting people in the afternoon.
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh is in Edmonton, where he talked about his party’s health care plan. Later he’s scheduled to visit businesses in the city with local candidates and speak with supporters.
Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau made an announcement in Victoria, B.C., about support for seniors and long-term care. He then flies to Calgary, where he’s scheduled to visit a community centre with a local candidate.
OPINION
John Ibbitson (The Globe and Mail) on how the early campaign days have thrown party leaders curveballs: “Afghanistan, vaccines and the Nova Scotia election are wild cards that have pushed all three federal party leaders off message. But because this election campaign is about whether the Liberals deserve a majority government, the Grits have been hurt the most.”
The Globe and Mail Editorial Board on how from Churchill 1945 to Nova Scotia 2021, elections are about what comes next: “Incumbent parties are not guaranteed points for leading during the crisis, even if their leadership was effective, and even if they got things mostly right.”
David Parkinson (The Globe and Mail) on how Canadian parties promise one million jobs, but we can get there no matter who gets elected: “It is actually more than just a nice, big, easily remembered and repeated number on which to hang one’s election promises (although it’s definitely that, too). It represents the gap that we will need to close to fully recover what has been lost in the pandemic.”
Lawrence Martin (contributor to The Globe and Mail) on what Canada and the U.S. can learn from the Afghan debacle: “The manner of the American retreat makes the Canadian war effort in Afghanistan seem all the more pointless, as Canadian veterans are now saying. A consequence will be a heavy reluctance by Canada and other allies to follow the Americans onto the battlefields.”
Timothy Garton Ash (contributor to The Globe and Mail) on after this Saigon moment, what if the U.S. never comes back?: “Seen on a larger canvas, this geopolitical moment demands the active commitment of Europe and China, India, Japan, Australia and many others. And it still requires the U.S. to come back to a leading role in the concert of democracies, no longer a hegemon but first among equals.”
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