An Act respecting certain measures related to COVID-19

Sponsor

Jean-Yves Duclos  Liberal

Status

This bill has received Royal Assent and is, or will soon become, law.

Summary

This is from the published bill. The Library of Parliament often publishes better independent summaries.

This enactment authorizes the Minister of Health to make payments of up to $2.5 billion out of the Consolidated Revenue Fund in relation to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) tests.
It also authorizes that Minister to transfer COVID-19 tests and instruments used in relation to those tests to the provinces and territories and to bodies and persons in Canada.

Elsewhere

All sorts of information on this bill is available at LEGISinfo, an excellent resource from the Library of Parliament. You can also read the full text of the bill.

Votes

Feb. 15, 2022 Passed 2nd reading of Bill C-10, An Act respecting certain measures related to COVID-19

Government Business No. 8—Proceedings on Bill C-10Government Orders

February 14th, 2022 / 7 p.m.
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Bloc

Xavier Barsalou-Duval Bloc Pierre-Boucher—Les Patriotes—Verchères, QC

Madam Speaker, I have to admit that I am not familiar with the measures in Alberta or with how the Alberta government chose to manage the pandemic.

What I do know, though, is that the way the Conservatives want to combat the pandemic is, essentially, to lift public health measures. I have a harder time with that because I do not think the pandemic is over. We need to send the message that this is still serious, that the blockades outside Parliament need to stop and that people need to peacefully make their way home. The lockdowns will ultimately be lifted, but for that to happen, we need to start by getting the pandemic under control.

Government Business No. 8—Proceedings on Bill C-10Government Orders

February 14th, 2022 / 7 p.m.
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NDP

Alistair MacGregor NDP Cowichan—Malahat—Langford, BC

Madam Speaker, I think I definitely would agree with my hon. colleague that Bill C-10 and, of course, the motion that is shepherding it through the House in a fairly rapid fashion do show evidence of how quickly the federal government can move, when required, to bring in basic health policy.

I would agree with him. Now is the time if we are to learn any lessons from the COVID experience. We have to think about the legacy we will leave for future generations in Canada's health care system. Maybe if my hon. colleague could talk about the legacy system and about how this is really our opportunity to show that leadership and to show people right across the country and in communities everywhere that we need to leave them the health care system they are very much deserving of.

Government Business No. 8—Proceedings on Bill C-10Government Orders

February 14th, 2022 / 7 p.m.
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Bloc

Xavier Barsalou-Duval Bloc Pierre-Boucher—Les Patriotes—Verchères, QC

Madam Speaker, I think that if we want to go further, we will also have to think about why there is a desire to increase health care funding. It is because we, as a society, chose to ensure that all Quebeckers and Canadians can access health care without being forced to sell their home or take on lifelong debt just because they got sick once or twice and went through some tough times. It can be stressful and extremely difficult on families when one member has to stop working because of a long illness.

We must continue to work together to ensure that our health care system reduces social inequalities. We must ensure that everyone has access to care and can have good quality of life, free from undue stress if they become ill.

Government Business No. 8—Proceedings on Bill C-10Government Orders

February 14th, 2022 / 7:05 p.m.
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Bloc

Kristina Michaud Bloc Avignon—La Mitis—Matane—Matapédia, QC

Madam Speaker, I somewhat agree with what I am hearing today. Yes, we must act quickly, but the government should have been more forward-thinking when it announced certain budgetary measures. I think the technology of rapid tests was already known, and we should have known that we would need more of them quickly.

Does my colleague agree that the government should have acted more quickly, but without imposing closure, as it is so apt to do to skip over the normal legislative stages of a debate?

Government Business No. 8—Proceedings on Bill C-10Government Orders

February 14th, 2022 / 7:05 p.m.
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Bloc

Xavier Barsalou-Duval Bloc Pierre-Boucher—Les Patriotes—Verchères, QC

Madam Speaker, my colleague raises an excellent question. What we have been seeing since the beginning of the pandemic is that the government seems to be making everything up on the fly. When it has the opportunity to make decisions for the long term, it chooses to call an election or prorogue Parliament.

Essentially, it is not really willing to delve into certain issues or do things properly. It would rather shove decisions down people's throats as quickly as possible so they do not have time to think about it, analyze it or ask questions. It is a shame that the government is taking this approach.

Government Business No. 8—Proceedings on Bill C-10Government Orders

February 14th, 2022 / 7:05 p.m.
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Bloc

Caroline Desbiens Bloc Beauport—Côte-de-Beaupré—Île d’Orléans—Charlevoix, QC

Madam Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to wish a happy St. Valentine's day to my partner, who is lovingly supportive of my involvement in politics, as well as to my colleagues of all stripes in the House, and to all the people of Beauport—Côte-de-Beaupré—Île d'Orléans—Charlevoix, especially.

We urgently need the federal government to commit to increasing health care funding for Quebec and the provinces from 22% to 35%. That would make everyone, especially seniors, very happy. That should not come as news to anyone.

There is nothing wrong with spending an additional $2.5 billion on rapid tests, but this is exactly the kind of enticement we are all too familiar with. The government often uses such thinly veiled tactics to win people over. What people really want, however, is federal health transfers that are adequate, adapted, indexed and planned for the long term.

What has happened in recent years has been a nightmare, and the nightmare only became worse with the pandemic. I keep telling myself that we are going to wake up from this bad dream. As the saying goes, everything is connected to everything else. Today we are witnessing the frustrations of a certain segment of the population here on Parliament Hill and across the country, and while we have been hit hard by the pandemic's toughest waves, it is not because Quebec and the provinces lack the leadership or the skills to maintain an effective and functional health care system. Our expertise is more than sufficient.

We are lacking the resources to get through this. What is lacking is adequate federal funding. Imagine how different things would be if successive federal governments since 1958 had lived up to their responsibilities in health care. Imagine managing health care without constant cuts, suffocating reforms and restrictive measures, which in the long run cause people to steer clear of nursing programs. Imagine that there is no shortage of home care services, no triaging in hospitals, no psychiatric departments being closed, no striking workers and no pressure tactics motivated by inadequate wages and unsustainable conditions.

It is reasonable to conclude that had past federal funding been adequate, Quebec and the provinces would have had enough money to properly maintain their health care services, implement technological development tools and use forecasting tools for recruitment, training, hospital and paramedic services, and home care for an aging population, and better prepare for a potential health crisis.

There is also a wide range of community services and supports for caregivers, the homeless, psychological support and suicide prevention that would have benefited. In short, if there is one thing that we absolutely must take away from this pandemic, it is that health is the number one priority for the public as a whole and that the government has a duty to act on the public's priorities.

Unfortunately, since 1958, all the wonderful people in health care have had to keep coming up with ways to make up for the lack of federal funding, with the help of countless volunteers who I wish to sincerely thank. These volunteers go all out to help foundations, produce telethons and organize fundraisers with spokespeople who are usually from the arts sector and are always generous. The public has also rallied to compensate for the many shortfalls that have multiplied all these years. This has all served as a stopgap to counter the inertia, denial and indifference shown by the federal government since 1958, no matter which party has been in power, I would add.

The Bloc Québécois represents Quebec's social democracy, offering hope for an education system and universal public health system that are worthy of a G7 country.

Quebec and Canadian taxpayers get up in the morning and go to work wanting to participate in society because they believe in it. They believe that it is the right thing to do. If we make them feel like their efforts are worthless, that their taxes and money are not worth anything; if, the more they are taxed and after years of taking their lumps and staying the course, they see that their efforts are in vain because they met their obligations, but the government did not do the same, then we end up in the situation we are in now: an impasse.

Not everyone is out in the streets. Not everyone sees themselves in this muddled mood with mixed messages and demands, but many are at home deeply disappointed about the current situation and the federal government's crisis management, simply because federal money is not getting to the right place in the right way. They are losing confidence, quietly disengaging and becoming cynical. Is that a shame? Yes. Is it surprising? I hope not.

Of course not everything is black or white, but there is no denying that the impoverishment, the fragility, of our health care system is directly linked to the fact that the federal government is not paying its fair share to Quebec and the provinces. There is very clear evidence of cause and effect.

I would add that the reason we have to keep maintaining, then easing, and then reimposing health restrictions is not just because a handful of individuals refuse to get vaccinated, despite overwhelming evidence of the benefits of vaccines. It is also because our health care systems are unable to absorb the unexpected number of patients created by the pandemic.

With vaccination rates close to 90%, we might have expected to be getting out of the pandemic or at least have the end in sight. However, we are missing two essential, critical ingredients: a government willing to participate actively and fairly in the global vaccination effort, and robust and well-funded provincial and Quebec health care systems. Right now, we have a health care system that is broken.

Even though the vast majority of people are not out in the streets protesting right now, it does not mean that they are satisfied. People are fed up, but they still hold out hope for something better.

To those who are disillusioned and worried, to neglected and injured seniors, I say this: As long as I am standing here in the House, I will never stop defending the French language, their values, and their interests, and supporting their plans and their brilliant ideas.

My father used to say that there is nothing harder than to wake up someone who is not sleeping. If the federal government wants to spend $2.5 billion to provide rapid tests to Quebec and the provinces, fine. However, if it is still using this fragmented and unsustainable support to justify refusing to increase health transfers to 35%, I would say that it has totally forgotten the whole point of politics, which is to serve.

I would add that the best Valentine's Day gift we could give the public right now would be to agree to have the government commit to paying Quebec and the provinces their fair share of health care funding. If the government ends up refusing to meet its obligations, I would say that there is nothing harder than to wake up someone who is not sleeping.

Government Business No. 8—Proceedings on Bill C-10Government Orders

February 14th, 2022 / 7:15 p.m.
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Winnipeg North Manitoba

Liberal

Kevin Lamoureux LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons

Madam Speaker, we will have to agree to disagree with the Bloc on the whole issue of health payments. I believe the federal government contributes its fair share, and we continue to contribute in different ways.

Having said that, I am glad Bloc members seem to want to support the bill, but along with their friends in the Conservative Party, they are not recognizing the sense of urgency for the legislation. In the past, the Bloc would have recognized the urgency given the very nature of rapid tests. Why would the Bloc not support the importance of getting this bill through in a timely fashion by supporting the closure aspect of the motion today?

Government Business No. 8—Proceedings on Bill C-10Government Orders

February 14th, 2022 / 7:15 p.m.
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Bloc

Caroline Desbiens Bloc Beauport—Côte-de-Beaupré—Île d’Orléans—Charlevoix, QC

Actually, I think the parliamentary secretary and I do not have the same concept of what urgent means.

It is not urgent to fund rapid tests. What is really urgent is—

Government Business No. 8—Proceedings on Bill C-10Government Orders

February 14th, 2022 / 7:15 p.m.
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NDP

The Assistant Deputy Speaker NDP Carol Hughes

I will stop the clock, because we do not seem to have interpretation. I also saw that the image froze for a moment.

I invite the hon. member to repeat what she said.

Government Business No. 8—Proceedings on Bill C-10Government Orders

February 14th, 2022 / 7:15 p.m.
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Bloc

Caroline Desbiens Bloc Beauport—Côte-de-Beaupré—Île d’Orléans—Charlevoix, QC

Madam Speaker, I would like to say again to my colleague, the parliamentary secretary, that we do not have the same concept of what urgent means. Of course it is urgent to support the purchase of rapid tests, since public health authorities have assured us that they are necessary and effective and that we must use them.

However, what is urgent for us in the Bloc Québécois are health transfers and the need for a robust health care system. It is urgent because our health care system is broken. We cannot wait any longer. This is even more urgent than funding the purchase of rapid tests to buy time, which is what the government is doing on a regular basis these days.

Government Business No. 8—Proceedings on Bill C-10Government Orders

February 14th, 2022 / 7:15 p.m.
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Conservative

Damien Kurek Conservative Battle River—Crowfoot, AB

Madam Speaker, there has been a lot of discussion around the role of the provincial government and the role of the federal government, and then, of course, there is the role of municipalities as well.

Specifically, when it comes to rapid tests, I know the Province of Alberta was forced to procure tests at a significant expense because the federal government simply did not have the supply to keep up with the demand at the time. It appears that this bill is spending significant dollars to endeavour to address a problem that was really significant a number of months ago, but certainly one can call into question the relevance of that today. I am confused about how Liberals invoke closure to send the bill to the Senate, which is adjourned this week so they can debate it next week.

Does the member have comments on those points?

Government Business No. 8—Proceedings on Bill C-10Government Orders

February 14th, 2022 / 7:15 p.m.
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Bloc

Caroline Desbiens Bloc Beauport—Côte-de-Beaupré—Île d’Orléans—Charlevoix, QC

Madam Speaker, I did not understand if there was a question, but I can add to my colleague's comments by saying that there is no rush for rapid tests. It is not a matter of minutes or days.

A visit to hospitals throughout Quebec and the provinces will show that there are emergencies. They are caused by a shortage of staff, money and available beds. Solving this problem is very urgent, because patients are waiting right now in hospital hallways.

Government Business No. 8—Proceedings on Bill C-10Government Orders

February 14th, 2022 / 7:20 p.m.
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Bloc

Claude DeBellefeuille Bloc Salaberry—Suroît, QC

Madam Speaker, congratulations to my colleague on her speech. She really underscored the urgent need to agree to the premiers' demands and properly fund the public health care system in Quebec and the provinces.

Can she explain why it is so important to the Bloc Québécois that we go through the whole legislative process for Bill C‑10 even though the Bloc supports the bill?

Government Business No. 8—Proceedings on Bill C-10Government Orders

February 14th, 2022 / 7:20 p.m.
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Bloc

Caroline Desbiens Bloc Beauport—Côte-de-Beaupré—Île d’Orléans—Charlevoix, QC

Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for her constructive question.

This is about democracy. We need to take the time it takes. We cannot shut down debate on a whim. We in the Bloc Québécois are in favour of debate.

We are in favour of these tests, but it is important to go through the parliamentary process.

Government Business No. 8—Proceedings on Bill C-10Government Orders

February 14th, 2022 / 7:20 p.m.
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London North Centre Ontario

Liberal

Peter Fragiskatos LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Revenue

Madam Speaker, I will be sharing my time with the member for York Centre.

I am very proud tonight to rise and speak on behalf of our side to Bill C-10, an act respecting certain measures related to COVID-19. I am thankful for giving the bill the attention and priority that is required.

As members are aware, we have committed through this bill to continue our support of provinces and territories, workplace and not-for-profit organizations in managing the pandemic. In particular, the bill seeks to make rapid tests readily available for the purposes of early detection of COVID-19 positive cases and mitigating the transmission of the virus. I will first speak about regulatory approval of tests.

Since the start of the pandemic, Health Canada has put in place rapid, innovative and agile measures through interim orders to ensure prompt access to medical devices and to respond to the needs of Canadians. Canada has one of the most highly regarded regulatory frameworks for medical devices in the world. Health Canada's consistent approach throughout the pandemic has ensured that testing devices available in Canada have been high performing and reliable.

Health Canada has made it a priority to review applications for COVID-19 devices that meet an urgent public health need in Canada. Manufacturers of these devices must provide sufficient data to support the intended use, including the sensitivity established for the specific test. Tests that do not meet high standards of sensitivity values are not authorized for use, and Canada is one of the few countries with minimal post-market issues, including recalls.

As of the beginning of February, in fact, Health Canada has authorized 107 testing devices, including 10 self-tests and 27 tests that can be used in a point-of-care setting. Working with our public health partners, we have identified testing technologies that are the highest priority for evaluation at this time. Additionally, based on the information available to date, the authorized tests continue to be effective in detecting variants. Canada is also taking a proactive role by contacting manufacturers of self-tests that have been authorized in other jurisdictions and inviting them to submit applications for approval in Canada, and more self-testing applications are currently under evaluation by Health Canada.

To advance regulatory approval of new COVID-19 tests, the regulator has approved over 100 clinical trials for COVID-19 products, many of which benefited from flexible approaches, ultimately helping to identify promising COVID-19 therapies sooner. In addition, it has leveraged its rapport with international regulators to share information on emerging technologies in the context of the rapid evolution of the virus while aligning and collaborating on regulatory and policy approaches. As new tests become available and approved for use in Canada, Health Canada works with provincial and territorial officials to acquire and distribute them.

There is also something to be said about biomanufacturing in this country. In order to secure a better supply of testing devices, it is essential that Canada increase its domestic biomanufacturing capacity. Investments in biomanufacturing capacity will reduce our reliance on imported products, strengthen our domestic industrial capacity and increase the resilience of our nation for years to come.

Budget 2021 made the government's commitment to the biomanufacturing sector clear with a $2.2-billion investment over the next seven years. The regulator is doing its part to support this as it recognizes that the strength of our regulatory system is an important consideration for companies looking to establish a Canadian presence. In fact, as of January 14 of this year, the Government of Canada purchased 30 million rapid tests from Artron Laboratories in Burnaby, British Columbia. These tests have been procured to fulfill immediate, emerging and long-term requirements.

Rapid test delivery is also very important. Rapid tests are proving to be another useful tool in our current response to the omicron variant. Thanks to a $3-billion investment through the safe restart agreement, public health units have extensive access to PCR tests and contact tracing resources, but rapid tests provide a further layer of protection by expanding testing into a broader range of environments, making testing even more accessible to Canadians and curtailing more quickly the spread of COVID-19.

I want to share the latest news on our pledge to deliver rapid tests free of charge to provinces and territories. The Government of Canada has negotiated with eight manufacturers to secure rapid antigen tests for the provinces and territories for the coming months. The Government of Canada has been buying and providing COVID-19 rapid tests free of charge to provinces and territories since October 2020 in line with its authorization of the first COVID-19 rapid test.

While the demand for COVID-19 rapid tests has increased significantly, the government has kept pace, being a reliable partner to provinces and territories, and that will continue. Since the start of the pandemic, we have procured 490 million tests, in fact.

In conclusion, testing is a critical part of Canada's response to the COVID-19 pandemic and how we adjust to everyday life. It allows us to identify outbreaks more quickly, isolate those who are sick, initiate contact tracing and support public health decisions at all levels of government. Equitable access to tests by all Canadians would help to limit the ongoing transmission of the omicron variant. It would help us to rebuild our economy and our lives. It would enable Canadians to know more quickly whether they are infected and to make choices that protect them and our communities.

As potential future waves of this pandemic come and go, we need to be able to weather the storm by using all the resources at our disposal. I trust that all hon. members of this House will agree that equitable access to testing would further protect all Canadians and help us through this pandemic. As a country we need the additional funding of $2.5 billion that Bill C-10 would provide to procure additional tests, and with members' support, we could make sure that every Canadian is in fact supported. We could unite on this point and unite in our common goal of being able to protect our health and to be able to rebuild our nation.

I will conclude by thanking health workers in my home community of London. I do not think that can be said enough. There will be disagreements in this House, and there are disagreements in this House, but one thing I hope we can unite on is recognizing the incredible contributions that they have made. Doctors, nurses and health workers of all kinds since the beginning of this pandemic have stood by members of our communities. London is a health care community and our identity in so many ways is based on that. We have world-class hospitals in our city.

Those constituents who continue to serve in hospitals, who continue to stand by my constituents, I cannot thank them enough. They know that this bill is very important, because while rapid tests are not a panacea as some think, they are a very important tool in combatting the virus. We know that from the health experts who have advised the government on the necessity of precisely this bill. That is why it is so important that we pass this. I hope we can pass it unanimously.