Senator Petten: Senator Gold, only two thirds of long-term care homes use the interRAI, the leading resident assessment tool connected directly to the Canadian Institute for Health Information. Will the government commit to dedicating resources to facilitate the usage of the long-term care facility interRAI tool by every Canadian long-term care home?

Hon. Iris G. Petten: My question is for the Leader of the Government in the Senate. I recently met with the Canadian Association for Long Term Care which brought up the importance of improving data collection in long-term care.

Senator Gold, will the government commit to two vital initiatives: one, prioritizing the funding of IT systems critical for data collection; and two, devising, delivering and financing a nationwide health workforce data strategy that encompasses the long-term care sector?