Government Operations Committee on May 15th, 2024

[Lloyd Longfield, Liberal, Guelph, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you for welcoming me onto the committee this morning. It was a bit of a last-minute invite on a very interesting topic.

I wanted to add a little bit of local context from Guelph, the riding that I represent, regarding the safe supply programs here. I don't want to belabour things, but one of the issues I have with the motion overall that I think the amendment is trying to address is that the problem on the street is not caused by drugs that are provided for safer supply.

The problem on the street is, and I'm reading from the annual report from the Sanguen Health Centre, that “Access to safer supply reduced overdose risk and has kept clients alive”.

[Garnett Genuis, Conservative, Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB]

I have a point of order, Mr. Chair.

This is not on the topic of contracts—

[Lloyd Longfield, Liberal, Guelph, ON]

It's actually on—

[The Chair, Conservative, Kelly McCauley]

I'm sorry. Let me interrupt.

Go ahead on the point of order, Mr. Genuis.

[Garnett Genuis, Conservative, Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB]

It's not on topic. It has nothing to do with the contracts. Mr. Longfield is re-engaging in this filibuster.

Let's get to a vote.

In any event, the rules require him to be on topic.

[The Chair, Conservative, Kelly McCauley]

Thanks, Mr. Genuis.

We are debating the amendment so could you stick to the amendment, please.

[Lloyd Longfield, Liberal, Guelph, ON]

I appreciate that but I'm a little insulted by a point of order, as I am a substitute on the committee.

I am getting up to speed with the discussion. The points that I'm bringing forward may or may not have been addressed already. There are two other areas, very briefly. The access to safer supply has reduced the fentanyl from the street supply as well as the use of other unregulated substances; and the access of safer supply reduced consumption of drugs by injection and increased oral consumption of medications.

The contracts that we're looking for are really a red herring. The actual problem is coming from the street, it's not coming from drugs that are being supported by the Government of Canada and purchased by the local clinics. We're looking for information that really isn't relevant to the problem at hand on our streets and I think we have to watch out for that.

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Conservative, Kelly McCauley]

Thanks. I appreciate your finishing right there.

Colleagues, we have used our allotted time for this session.

I am adjourning.