Jeannot Castonguay

[Health, November 7th, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, I must say that, since the events of September 11, this government, with the Minister of Health and all ministers responsible, has taken action daily to improve our security systems, our checkpoints throughout the country.

It has been in touch with the provinces, starting with frontline health care workers.

The important thing is to begin with the excellent health care system we already have in place, to ensure that the necessary measures are taken by frontline workers to identify the risks threatening us—

[Health, November 2nd, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, first, I would like to assure the House that protecting Canadians' health against a possible influenza pandemic is one of Health Canada's greatest concerns.

To that end, the Government of Canada has reached an agreement with Shire Biologics to have it provide a vaccine for all Canadians in the case of such an outbreak.

Thanks to this measure, Canada is the first country in the world to develop and implement a flu vaccination strategy in the event of a pandemic.

[Hepatitis C, October 30th, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, I want to take this opportunity to talk about an important subject that concerns all Canadians. I am talking about hepatitis C. I want to congratulate the member for St. Paul's for her dedication to this cause and for her efforts to have the month of May recognized as hepatitis C awareness month.

I know the member has worked tirelessly to defend this cause and I am glad she decided to raise the issue in the House.

Earlier this year, a motion to make the month of May hepatitis awareness month was debated in the House. The motion before us today is very much in line with the previous motion.

I will use the rest of my time to talk about hepatitis C and the initiatives taken by Health Canada to deal with this most important public health concern.

Hepatitis C is a virus that can be transmitted by blood. It infects the liver and can cause serious damage. A test to detect hepatitis C was developed in 1989 and was introduced in Canada when it became commercially available in June 1990. Before that, in cases of hepatitis of an unknown type, it was referred to as non-A, non-B hepatitis.

Among the groups most at risk of contracting hepatitis C are those who received blood transfusions before screening for the virus began in 1990, persons exposed to contaminated needles, and health care staff who suffer needlestick accidents with contaminated needles.

It is believed that the risk of transmission to newborns or transmission via sexual contact with an infected person is low.

In approximately 10% of cases, the source of infection is unknown or undisclosed. According to estimates, up to 8% of Canadians--somewhere between 210,000 and 275,000 people--carry the hepatitis C virus.

While some people may experience symptoms such as fatigue or jaundice, many others present no symptoms at the beginning of infection. The hepatitis C virus progresses slowly within the body. Symptoms may take up to 20 or even 30 years to manifest themselves after the initial infection.

In 1998 the federal government, more specifically Health Canada, allocated $50 million over five years to design a prevention, support and research program to assist Canadians with hepatitis C.

In addition, over the next 20 years the government will transfer $300 million to provincial and territorial governments in order to provide the medical care that people with hepatitis C require. This financial assistance guarantees that no Canadians, regardless of where they live, will be forced to pay for needed care and treatment, particularly services and treatment such as new drug therapies and home care nursing.

One of the main objectives of the prevention, support and research program is to educate Canadians and raise awareness about hepatitis C.

Consultations with key stakeholders revealed that the greatest challenge for an awareness campaign would be to inform and educate target groups without frightening them. It is of the utmost importance that messages not create false perceptions regarding the virus, and that they not contribute to stigmatizing those persons who are infected with or affected by the virus.

Among the general public, increased awareness of hepatitis C will help create an environment that is supportive of people infected with or affected by this disease.

For persons who are unaware that they are infected, early diagnosis offers the possibility of adapting their lifestyle to slow the progression of the disease. As well, there are promising developments in treatment options.

The hepatitis C program includes care and treatment support. This component is aimed at raising hepatitis C awareness by making the public better informed about the disease and the risk factors associated with it. During its first two years of existence, the program was aimed mainly at increasing capabilities and developing tools for professionals and other care givers as well as community support groups by providing medical and practical information on hepatitis C.

Prevention and community support are also part of the hepatitis C prevention, support and research program. Community support includes programs aimed at supporting both a strong community response to the needs of people with or living with hepatitis C, and a significant role for community organizations in the program .

Over the past year and a half, Health Canada has financed about 120 community initiatives at the local level, including peer support, hepatitis C education, needs assessments, training and strengthening of community capabilities.

Among the current hepatitis C national initiatives, there is the establishment at the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse of a database on hepatitis C and injectable drugs; the preparation of a series of working and research papers on topics such as injectable drug use and prevention of hepatitis C.

The research component of the program has increased the amount of available research results, bolstered the research community capabilities, and added a wealth of information to the data used to make decisions regarding hepatitis C policies and programs.

This component has financed 27 research projects and 11 research and salary awards through the Canadian Institutes for Health Research, and has contributed to the financing of a research chair on liver disease at the University of Manitoba Health Sciences Centre Foundation.

Several projects have been financed including HCV-HIV co-infection assessments, the establishment of social networks for injectable drug users as well as a review of the literature on animal models.

In co-operation with the blood borne pathogens division of Health Canada, the research on hepatitis C component has financed better monitoring sites, control of VHC, studies on the economic burden of VHC, and on its prevalence in first nation people and Inuit in four communities.

In partnership with the bureau of HIV/AIDS, STD and TB, the program has financed research on VHC and the young aboriginals on the street.

Finally, the research component has contributed to the creation of the Canadian network on viral hepatitis.

The implementation of the hepatitis C prevention, support and research program is a constant reminder that the Government of Canada is looking after problems such as those raised in the hon. member's motion.

For example, Health Canada supported the proclamation by the Canadian Liver Foundation of the month of March as the Help Fight Liver Disease Month. The hepatitis C virus can cause serious liver diseases.

Health Canada has been one of the main proponents of the first Canadian conference on hepatitis C, held in Montreal in May 2001. This event has been a convergence point for researchers on hepatitis C, caregivers for those affected by hepatitis C and people infected by the virus or affected by the disease.

This instructive conference was an opportunity to present research results, to share ideas, and to update one's knowledge. The Canadian Hemophilia Society, the Hepatitis C Society of Canada, the Canadian Liver Foundation and other not for profit organizations have co-operated with Health Canada so that this conference would be beneficial for all Canadians.

[Celiac Disease, October 29th, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to remind the House and all Canadians that the month of October has been designated Celiac Awareness Month.

Celiac disease is a condition in which the absorptive surface of the small intestine is damaged by a substance called gluten. This results in an inability of the body to absorb the nutrients necessary for growth and good health. According to current research statistics, close to one person in 200 may be affected by celiac disease, although most of them are not aware of it.

The Canadian Celiac Association is a national organization dedicated to providing services and support to persons with this disease.

I invite everyone to join with me in congratulating the many volunteers of the Canadian Celiac Association.

[Foreign Missions and International Organizations Act, October 22nd, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, recently the minister announced funding of $79 million to improve airport security.

Once again, I can assure the member that we are asking our employees to ensure that every piece of baggage belongs to a passenger, whether on domestic or international flights.

[Foreign Missions and International Organizations Act, October 22nd, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, first of all, the safety and security of our transportation system is Transport Canada's number one priority. The Minister of Transport was very clear and dealt with these subjects amply during oral question period and in his speeches during debate.

As I mentioned, while it is not a part of the government's general direction, without a doubt, we are prepared to study all possible measures to improve airline safety. We have tried to reduce threats to airline safety, both on the ground and in the air.

Security in Canadian airports and customs operations continue to be strengthened and we are accelerating the procurement of security and explosive detection equipment. We are limiting activities in restricted areas of airports, increasing the police presence in major airports, heightening passenger screening, and improving measures regarding baggage.

The Security and Emergency Preparedness Directorate of Transport Canada is responsible for the development and implementation of programs that contribute to the security of the national transportation system.

To this end, the department is co-operating with all of the relevant federal departments and organizations in Canada and with its partners in the United States, including the FAA, to prevent incidents that threaten the safety of our national transportation system.

We constantly assess our approach and our measures to provide a high degree of safety to travellers in this field that has been so tragically shaken. The minister and the government have made a number of announcements since September 11 on the subject of improvements to our excellent safety program. He was equally clear in stating that we must not discuss specific safety measures in public.

The Minister of Transport and the Government of Canada have announced a broad range of new measures to improve safety of operations in Canada's airports. These initiatives will provide more than $69 million for new equipment and related activities in Canadian airports.

[Foreign Missions and International Organizations Act, October 22nd, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, I can assure the member that the officers performing security checks at airports will have the necessary training and will meet very strict criteria.

I can also add that the department and the government will ensure that any baggage will be checked as belonging to a passenger on both domestic and international flights.

[Foreign Missions and International Organizations Act, October 22nd, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to respond to the question raised by the hon. member on September 18, 2001, on airline safety.

I would like to begin by providing assurances that the safety and security of travellers have always been and will continue to be the prime concern of Transport Canada.

Following the events of September 11, 2001, and in the days that followed, the situation was constantly being closely monitored and measures were reviewed to provide for the resumption of air travel.

These measures and the other components of the aviation safety system, including the requirements that pertain to screening officers, are continuously being re-examined.

The government has already responded to the airline industry's concerns by announcing on October 2 its intention to compensate the airlines affected. This compensation is to cover losses resulting from the closure of air space in the days that followed the September 11 tragedy.

The government is establishing high standards for screening activities. It requires screening officers be trained to certain standards and that they act immediately to correct anything that hinders screening operations.

Screening officers assigned to preboarding must follow a rigorous program of training, which includes both theoretical and practical training, before they are certified. The law requires them to take refresher courses every two years.

On October 11, the Minister of Transport, in a series of important announcements on security measures, indicated that he would be investing $55.7 million in the purchase of sophisticated explosives detection equipment and high tech electronic equipment. This technological equipment will be used to screen cabin and checked baggage.

This announcement followed the minister's statement on September 25 that Transport Canada would be purchasing explosive detection equipment for priority airports in Canada. The Canadian security program incorporates all of the standards of the International Civil Aviation Organization and is one of the best in the world.

For obvious security reasons, information on the implementation of the new equipment will not be released.

I would like to provide assurances that Transport Canada takes its responsibility for ensuring the safety and security of travellers very seriously. Should any component of the system need to be changed, Transport Canada will react quickly to ensure the necessary changes are made.

[Strychnine Solutions, October 22nd, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member for Lakeland has questioned why Canada's then regulatory body, Agriculture Canada, did not carry out impact studies prior to its withdrawal of liquid strychnine concentrate from the market in 1992.

The fact is, no significant economic impact on farmers was anticipated as a result of restricting access to liquid strychnine concentrate products.

And no impact study done at that time would have uncovered any evidence that farmers' economic well-being would be adversely affected. Farmers would continue to have the same level of pest control to combat ground squirrels, commonly known as “gophers”, after the liquid strychnine concentrate was withdrawn as they had when it was available.

This was a reasonable assumption to make, because there were similar, yet safer ready to use products available on the market, ones that offered an equivalent or greater amount of strychnine compared to bait prepared from liquid concentrate products.

It was only several years after the discontinuation of liquid strychnine concentrate that evidence began to emerge that there were problems involving the effectiveness of the ready to use baits.

Therefore, in 1992 it was reasonable for the government to expect that the withdrawal of liquid strychnine concentrate would not pose an economic hardship on farmers, beyond some slightly increased costs to strychnine users who previously had used their own grain for bait formulation. It was also reasonable, and in keeping with its responsibility for safeguarding the health and safety of Canadians, and their environment, for the government to take action on liquid strychnine concentrate.

Strychnine is, after all, a highly toxic product that has been associated with poisonings of non-target species, including pets, wildlife and possibly humans.

The government's expectation that the discontinuation of liquid strychnine was a reasonable and prudent step was based on the Department of Agriculture's two years of consultation, through the Western Forum and the then Canadian Association of Pesticide Control Officials, with agriculture and wildlife control officials in Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba and Saskatchewan.

During that consultation period, no serious economic effect on the farm economy of the west was foreseen as a result of the disappearance of liquid strychnine concentrate; if there had been, then an economic impact study would undoubtedly have been done.

As was explained to the hon. member for Lakeland and this House during the debate on Motion No. 13 held on September 19, it has been verified through analysis that the concentration of strychnine found in today's ready to use products is very similar or actually greater than that found previously in baits prepared on the farm by mixing the liquid strychnine concentrate with farm available grain.

Since the strychnine present in the ready to use bait has been clearly shown to be of a concentration adequate for the control of gophers, it was suggested that other factors, such as baiting procedures, environmental conditions affecting the bait itself and lack of palatability might be responsible for poor performance of the ready to use strychnine baits.

To investigate these factors, the PMRA in 2000 and 2001 granted research permits to Alberta Agriculture, Food and Rural Development, or AAFRD, to assess the efficacy of various baits against gophers. These baits included those made from 2% strychnine concentrate, the standard ready to use bait made with oats, and bait made from more palatable substances such as canary seed.

Bait freshness and the type of bait seem to be important considerations in achieving good bait uptake and successful gopher control. Plans for a definitive comparison study to settle the question of whether a freshly mixed canary seed bait would be the most effective bait are currently being discussed with the provinces.

When the gopher problems in some parts of Alberta and Saskatchewan became so serious this past summer that the provincial governments requested emergency registrations to allow them to use the liquid strychnine concentrate, the PMRA granted these registrations.

Mindful of the risks associated with liquid strychnine concentrate, the registrations were for one season only, and the availability and use of the concentrate was highly restricted. An access program was put in place that allowed only agricultural fieldmen, in Alberta, or pest control officers, in Saskatchewan, to sell and distribute the liquid strychnine concentrate.

On November 16, the PMRA will meet with Alberta and Saskatchewan pesticide regulatory officials to review the further results of research and to assess the program that allowed restricted access to the strychnine concentrate during this summer's emergency registrations of strychnine.

Officials will discuss whether the access program worked, whether it provided reasonable availability, while mitigating any possible adverse effects of using liquid strychnine concentrate. Another topic to be discussed at this meeting will be the use of currently registered alternative products to strychnine.

I believe that the government has taken a justifiably cautious approach to making the liquid concentrate of strychnine available, given the nature of this poison. Strychnine has a very high acute toxicity. It acts quickly on the central nervous system,often causing violent convulsions which eventually lead to death through respiratory failure. And there is no effective antidote for this poison.

Canada is not alone in having taken action on strychnine. All above ground uses of strychnine have been prohibited in the United States since 1988. It is illegal to use strychnine for pest control in most European countries and its use is prohibited by the Berne convention on the conservation of European wildlife and natural habitats.

In closing, I would like to refer to a concern that several members raised in their speeches during the September 19 debate on Motion No. 13. They wondered why a product that utilizes ammonia to control gophers cannot be made available to farmers as quickly as possible as an alternative product to strychnine.

Members may be interested to know that a pre-submission consultation has taken place between the PMRA and the potential applicants in order to help the applicants submit a complete and correct application to register their product. As a next step, the agency is now considering exactly what type and how much information will have to be generated in order to support the registration of a pest control product based on ammonia. Although ammonia is a widely used commodity already registered under the Fertilizers Act, the PMRA must, under the Pest Control Products Act, ensure that a product presents no unacceptable risk to health or the environment before it can be registered for use as a pest control product in Canada.

I want the hon. member from Lakeland to be assured that the Canadian government has acted in consultation with affected provinces and stakeholders in the matter of restricting the availability of liquid strychnine concentrate for use in the formulation of strychnine baits on farms. With their co-operation it has moved to protect the health and safety of Canadians and their environment, and is equally committed to finding the means to help resolve the problem of gopher infestations in our western farmers' fields.

[Health, October 19th, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, I must say that I agree with the hon. member. We must look at the situation from a certain perspective. We must realize that there are threats, but we must remain calm and face the situation from a global perspective.

Yesterday, in order to improve the security and health of Canadians, the minister announced initiatives totalling close to $12 million, including close to $6 million to buy pharmaceutical products, close to $2.25 million to buy equipment for possible radio nuclear incidents, $2.12 million to improve a--