Government Operations Committee on May 8th, 2024

[Laila Goodridge, Conservative, Fort McMurray—Cold Lake, AB]

Again, I appreciate this and the latitude that is given in committee, but we are currently discussing an amendment to the motion, not the motion more generally, so I call relevance.

[The Chair, Conservative, Kelly McCauley]

As with Mr. Sousa, can we get to the amendment, please? We're on the changes that Mr. Bachrach originally proposed to Mrs. Goodridge's amendment.

[Irek Kusmierczyk, Liberal, Windsor—Tecumseh, ON]

Basically, I'm just saying that all of this, including the amendment, belongs in HESA.

The point I'm trying to make is twofold.

The first point is that HESA has already demonstrated in the past that it has the ability to study contracts and the procurement process when it comes to purchasing medicine, vaccines and drugs. HESA can do that.

The added benefit of having this debate at HESA is that the folks at HESA have already done the legwork. They have done tremendous work. They have had 33 witnesses testify on this issue. They have had 18 briefs. They've developed an expertise. They have an institutional memory. They have a body of knowledge, research, work and of testimony from people who are on the front lines. HESA is the best-placed committee, to use my colleague's arguments and description, to do it justice. HESA is the best-placed committee to deal with this complex challenge that we are facing, the best place to do justice to this challenge that is costing lives.

I have all the faith that folks at HESA will be able to look at the production papers and the contracts and be able to understand them in the broader context of the opioid study they are presently conducting. That is my point. That is the point I'm trying to make.

When you look at what we're facing here, time is of the essence. This is not a time for us to posture. It is not a time for people to try to seek different platforms in order to score political points, manufacture their clips or raise their funds. This ain't the committee to do it. This ain't the time to do it. Certainly, this isn't the issue on which to do it.

That's what I see as the motivating factor and driver of what my colleagues across the way from the Conservative Party are trying to do here. This very motion is in front of the HESA committee. Again, they're looking for platforms, and I'm not going to stand for that. I'm not going to support that—

[Laila Goodridge, Conservative, Fort McMurray—Cold Lake, AB]

On a point of order, just as a point of reference, no, this very motion is not at HESA. That is not factually accurate.

Second of all, this is not about manufacturing clips. I think it is degrading to suggest that's what this is. This is, quite simply, an amendment to a motion. If they don't like the amendment, vote against it.

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Conservative, Kelly McCauley]

Thank you.

On the last point, please, can we get to the amendment?

[Irek Kusmierczyk, Liberal, Windsor—Tecumseh, ON]

For me, if you look at the challenges we're facing here, this is important, and it goes straight to the heart of the amendment we're discussing here, as well. You had in Alberta...I know a lot of the conversation, a lot of the focus and a lot of what the Conservative Party is talking about is British Columbia. That's all they're talking about right now—British Columbia. It's ironic that their members of Parliament from Alberta aren't talking about Alberta and what's happening in Alberta. I don't understand it. I don't understand why a Conservative Alberta MP is talking about British Columbia and not talking about what's happening in their own communities.

That's got to be some kind of.... I'm not even going to say what I think it is, but it's a game. In Alberta, you had 1,700 deaths last year. This is from an article in The Globe and Mail entitled “Alberta drug deaths soar to highest level ever recorded”, and yet you don't hear Alberta MPs from the Conservative Party standing up in the House and asking questions about Alberta drug deaths soaring to the highest level ever. This isn't the place to play politics with people's lives. This isn't the committee. This isn't the issue.

My message to my colleagues from the Conservative Party is, “Move on.” This needs to be dealt with at the HESA committee. That's where it belongs, because 200 people lost their lives in Alberta in the month of April. That is the highest number ever recorded—200 in April—in one month.

You had 7,000 opioid calls in 2023. That's a 43% increase in Alberta, and I think it was either the chief of the police or the chief of the EMS who said he doesn't think that's going to abate anytime soon.

You have a committee that is studying this issue. It has had eight meetings and will have a ninth one tomorrow, with 33 witnesses and 18 briefs. You have a committee that has dealt with contracts before. It's not new to them. They've dealt with it. They have the expertise. They know the questions to ask, and yet they're coming here because they're looking for clips.

I can't support that on principle. It belongs in HESA. They have the expertise. I can't support this amendment, and I can't support this motion that is before us because, again, like I said, on principle, I just disagree with the Conservatives and their play-calling on this issue. It just doesn't belong here. We don't have the full picture of this crisis here in our committee.

Again, it's interesting because, as my colleague reminded me, Alberta does not have a safe supply policy, unlike neighbouring British Columbia. Again, yes, you're seeing increases in British Columbia. Their challenges are mounting. The challenges they're facing are increasing, but you're also seeing increases in Alberta and in Saskatchewan, and you're not seeing Alberta or Saskatchewan Conservative MPs talking about that. That is shameful, because that just clearly shows they are looking at this issue with one eye, and they're politicizing it and playing politics with it. They're playing politics with the 42,000-plus lives lost to the opioid crisis since 1996. It's crazy, and they want to come here and use our committee as a platform.

[Kelly Block, Conservative, Carlton Trail—Eagle Creek, SK]

I have a point of order, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Conservative, Kelly McCauley]

Excuse me, Mr. Kusmierczyk.

Mrs. Block, please go ahead.

[Kelly Block, Conservative, Carlton Trail—Eagle Creek, SK]

Mr. Chair, Mr. Kusmierczyk is not only misleading the committee but misleading Canadians who may be watching this filibuster when he says that this issue has not been discussed by Saskatchewan and Alberta MPs. On November 20, 2022, the leader of the Conservative Party of Canada actually put out a very comprehensive video on this issue. We were raising this issue long before the Province of British Columbia asked the federal government to reverse their policy.

I'd ask that he stop misleading Canadians.

[The Chair, Conservative, Kelly McCauley]

Thank you, Mrs. Block.

Mr. Kusmierczyk, could we please stick to the amendment? I don't want to be in a position of having to force us to move on to the next speaker because we're becoming repetitive or not sticking to the topic at hand.

[Irek Kusmierczyk, Liberal, Windsor—Tecumseh, ON]

Sure, and I'm happy to let some of my colleagues raise their concerns about this issue as well. Thank you, Chair, for the opportunity and the leeway, as well, to talk about this issue. It's just too damn important, and there are too many lives at stake. There's no room for any politics or politicking in this committee, in the House, and really across the country. This issue is too great. Again, as I said, we believe very strongly on this side that this issue, this study, belongs at HESA—.

[Laila Goodridge, Conservative, Fort McMurray—Cold Lake, AB]

I have a point of order.

[Irek Kusmierczyk, Liberal, Windsor—Tecumseh, ON]

I've outlined the reasons that we believe it belongs at HESA—

[The Chair, Conservative, Kelly McCauley]

I'm sorry, Mr. Kusmierczyk. There's a point of order, please.

Go ahead, Mrs. Goodridge.

[Laila Goodridge, Conservative, Fort McMurray—Cold Lake, AB]

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I appreciate the Liberal members' continued attempt at filibustering because they're afraid they will lose this vote.

It is worth noting that when British Columbia begged and pleaded with the Liberal federal government to reverse the legalization policy in B.C. that was contributing to tragic overdose deaths, it took this government 11 days of inaction before they finally responded to B.C.'s plea.

[The Chair, Conservative, Kelly McCauley]

Colleagues, I allow all sides to get their full points of order. I'm more than happy to cut everyone off immediately if that's the case.

That being said, colleagues, we are out of resources, so I will be adjourning. However, before we do so, I will note that we will be taking this debate back up on Mrs. Goodridge's amendment at our next meeting, and Mr. Kusmierczyk will have the floor when we return.

We are adjourned.