Bill C-293 (Historical)

Pandemic Prevention and Preparedness Act

An Act respecting pandemic prevention and preparedness

This bill is from the 44th Parliament, 1st session, which ended in January 2025.

Sponsor

Nathaniel Erskine-Smith Liberal

Introduced as a private member’s bill. (These don’t often become law.)

Status

Second reading (Senate), as of Oct. 22, 2024
(This bill did not become law.)

Summary

This is from the published bill.

This enactment enacts the Pandemic Prevention and Preparedness Act to require the Minister of Health to establish, in consultation with other ministers, a pandemic prevention and preparedness plan, which is to include information provided by those ministers.
It also amends the Department of Health Act to provide that the Minister of Health must appoint a national pandemic prevention and preparedness coordinator from among the officials of the Public Health Agency of Canada to coordinate the activities under the Pandemic Prevention and Preparedness Act .

Elsewhere

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

Bill numbers are reused for different bills each new session. Perhaps you were looking for one of these other C-293s:

C-293 (2021) An Act to amend the Criminal Code and to make consequential amendments to another Act (interim release and domestic violence recognizance orders)

C-293 (2016) An Act to amend the Department of Health Act (Advisory Committee)

C-293 (2011) Law An Act to amend the Corrections and Conditional Release Act (vexatious complainants)

C-293 (2010) An Act to amend the Criminal Code (means of communication for child luring)

Votes

June 5, 2024 Passed 3rd reading and adoption of Bill C-293, An Act respecting pandemic prevention and preparedness

Feb. 8, 2023 Passed 2nd reading of Bill C-293, An Act respecting pandemic prevention and preparedness

Debate Summary

This is a computer-generated summary of the speeches below. Usually it’s accurate, but every now and then it’ll contain inaccuracies or total fabrications.

Bill C-293, the Pandemic Prevention and Preparedness Act, aims to improve Canada's readiness for future pandemics. It proposes establishing an expert review of Canada's COVID-19 response, developing a pandemic prevention and preparedness plan, and appointing a national coordinator to oversee the plan. Some members are concerned the bill doesn't go far enough and have called for a public inquiry, while others have concerns the bill oversteps federal jurisdiction and could negatively impact agriculture.

Liberal

Supports pandemic preparedness: The Liberal party supports Bill C-293's aim to ensure future governments prepare for and prevent pandemics. They emphasize the importance of passing legislation to ensure that Canada is better prepared for future pandemics, learning from the COVID-19 experience and implementing necessary measures.
Focus on prevention: Liberals believe the core of the bill is accountability to Parliament through a regularly updated pandemic preparedness and prevention plan. They state the costs of prevention and preparedness pale in comparison to the human and economic costs of a pandemic.
Importance of expert review: The Liberal party emphasizes the importance of reviewing Canada's COVID-19 response to learn lessons and apply them to future pandemic preparedness. They advocate for a national pandemic prevention and preparedness coordinator to oversee and implement the plan.
Collaboration is essential: The Liberal speakers highlight the importance of collaboration with provinces and territories. These levels of government are at the forefront of the health system in Canada and are responsible for implementing public health interventions within their jurisdictions.

Conservative

Opposes the bill: The Conservative party opposes Bill C-293. Members feel it is an overreach of authority, will undermine provincial authority, and will not help prepare Canada for a future pandemic.
Secret government review: Some Conservative members are concerned about the secret pandemic review being conducted by the health minister at the same time that this bill was before committee.
Impacts on agriculture: Concerns were raised about the bill's potential to negatively impact the agriculture sector, particularly livestock farming, through new regulations and the promotion of 'alternative proteins' like crickets.
Undermines trust: The Conservative party is concerned that the government's pandemic response has undermined trust in government and institutions. There is a need for accountability and an independent reckoning.

NDP

Oppose advisory committee: The NDP is against Clause 3, which establishes an advisory committee reporting to the Minister of Health, deeming it insufficient for a transparent and independent review of Canada's COVID-19 response. They advocate for a public inquiry instead.
Support pandemic preparedness: The NDP supports the bill's provisions requiring the Minister of Health to establish a pandemic prevention and preparedness plan and appoint a coordinator. They will support the bill if their amendment to remove the advisory committee is adopted.
Push for public inquiry: The NDP emphasizes the need for an independent, comprehensive, and public inquiry into Canada's COVID-19 response, highlighting the limitations of the proposed advisory committee. They criticize the Liberals and Conservatives for blocking a motion to establish such an inquiry under the Inquiries Act.
Address pandemic failures: The NDP highlights failures such as the disproportionate impact on Indigenous communities and the crisis in long-term care homes. They insist a public inquiry is necessary to address these failures and ensure better preparedness for future pandemics.

Bloc

Opposed to Bill C-293: The Bloc Québécois is opposed to Bill C-293. They believe the bill's approach, which includes creating an advisory committee and a prevention plan, is insufficient and risks overstepping federal jurisdiction.
Independent public inquiry: The Bloc favors an independent public inquiry into the COVID-19 pandemic to ensure a non-partisan, objective review of the government's actions and to restore public trust. They feel an inquiry is needed to understand what happened and prevent future mistakes.
Federal government failures: The Bloc criticized the federal government's handling of several key areas during the pandemic, including border management, quarantine measures, the national emergency strategic stockpile, and the Global Public Health Intelligence Network. They argue these failures warrant a thorough and independent investigation.
Jurisdictional concerns: The Bloc is concerned about the federal government overstepping its jurisdiction into areas that are primarily the responsibility of the provinces, such as healthcare. They insist that any federal plan should focus on areas of clear federal jurisdiction.

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