Government Operations Committee on March 24th, 2021

[Kelly McCauley, Conservative, Edmonton West, AB]

Go ahead, if you have an answer, please.

[Anita Anand, Liberal, Oakville, ON]

I would appreciate not being interrupted in making my answer—

[Kelly McCauley, Conservative, Edmonton West, AB]

I would like an answer, please.

[Anita Anand, Liberal, Oakville, ON]

—and I will continue once I am sure that I can continue it.

[Francis Drouin, Liberal, Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, ON]

On a point of order, Mr. Chair, I'm having a hard time hearing. Can you control the conversation? I know Mr. McCauley is asking questions, but it doesn't mean that we have to lose our civility when we are engaging in a question-and-answer period.

Thank you.

[The Chair, Conservative, Robert Gordon Kitchen]

Thank you, Mr. Drouin. I would ask, recognizing the fact that the questioners only have five minutes' time commitment, that the answers be as succinct and clear as possible, such that they can get to the questions they would like.

I would also ask the questioners to be respectful of the minister in responding.

[Kelly McCauley, Conservative, Edmonton West, AB]

Will do.

[Anita Anand, Liberal, Oakville, ON]

We do not expect any interruptions in our deliveries from Europe.

[Kelly McCauley, Conservative, Edmonton West, AB]

What guarantee do we have that there will not be any interruptions, then? The EU story is pretty straightforward. What guarantees do we have?

[Anita Anand, Liberal, Oakville, ON]

To begin, our contracts are with Pfizer and Moderna. Those are suppliers that are not targeted by the EU restriction.

In addition, our diplomacy to date has continued to serve Canadians well as we continue to get vaccines out of Europe. As a result, we can assure Canadians that our vaccines will continue on schedule. That is the assurance we're receiving from our consulate and our ambassadors in Europe.

[Kelly McCauley, Conservative, Edmonton West, AB]

Do we have it written into the contracts, then, that these deliveries are guaranteed?

[Anita Anand, Liberal, Oakville, ON]

As I am sure you are aware, Mr. McCauley, the contents of our contracts are confidential. They require both parties' consent prior to making them public.

[Kelly McCauley, Conservative, Edmonton West, AB]

This is the same question, but on the Indian front. We heard out of India that they may be disrupting exports. What assurances are we going to have that we will still get these vaccines, please?

[Anita Anand, Liberal, Oakville, ON]

I appreciate the question.

We have 1.5 million doses remaining in our contract with the Serum Institute. I spoke today with the High Commissioner of India to Canada, who assures us that the contractual commitments that the Serum Institute has made will be observed. That is indeed the work we are continuing to ensure through our diplomatic efforts and through our conversations with the Serum Institute.

[Kelly McCauley, Conservative, Edmonton West, AB]

What's the backup plan, if such assurances do not work out, whether through the EU or India?

[Anita Anand, Liberal, Oakville, ON]

I'm glad you asked that.

The key is to remember that Canada has a diversified portfolio of vaccines. Seven APAs were entered into, for up to 400 million doses. That allows—

[Kelly McCauley, Conservative, Edmonton West, AB]

I'm thinking of the approved vaccines.

[Anita Anand, Liberal, Oakville, ON]

—Canadians to have access to multiple vaccines.

The approved vaccines are J&J, with 10 million single shot doses; AstraZeneca, with 20 million doses; coming from the United States; Moderna and Pfizer, also with 44 million doses—

[Kelly McCauley, Conservative, Edmonton West, AB]

If the EU and the India ones are interrupted, you're comfortable that we'll just simply slide in the Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca, then.

[Anita Anand, Liberal, Oakville, ON]

I think it's more complicated than simply “sliding in” anything. In actuality, we are negotiating with a number of partners and organizations around the world to ensure a consistent flow.

We've moved 17 million vaccines from the third quarter to the second or first quarter. That's why we're getting 9.5 million vaccines into this country this month alone, Mr. Chair.

[Kelly McCauley, Conservative, Edmonton West, AB]

Are you able to share with us whether it's in the contracts that there will not be disruptions for vaccine deliveries for Canadians?

[Anita Anand, Liberal, Oakville, ON]

Excuse me. I believe I've answered this question already.

[Kelly McCauley, Conservative, Edmonton West, AB]

You will not, then, share with us that information?

[Anita Anand, Liberal, Oakville, ON]

What I will share with you is that our contracts are governed by confidentiality clauses, which I as a minister respect and our government respects, in order to protect our vaccine supply chain—

[Kelly McCauley, Conservative, Edmonton West, AB]

I just have one more question.