Mr. Speaker, obviously the NDP believes that the Canadian public needs to be well informed when it comes to situations such as a health crisis. People want to know that they and their families are protected by the government. They need to have faith that the government and public health agencies are ensuring their safety and security in these situations.
I want to ask a question specifically about the vaccine.
The government was slow to get the vaccine to trials. With respect, the member opposite has said that we can ask a question of the minister, but the Leader of the Opposition has been asking this question and we have not been able to get the answer.
The government sold the rights to a made-in-Canada vaccine for Ebola for only $200,000. The Americans were able to get their vaccine to trials one month before Canada did, and the minister has done nothing to expedite the trials.
My question is this: what steps did the government take to get the vaccine to trials before September, and why did it fail to intervene and ensure that this vaccine was available?