Thank you, Madam Chair, and thank you to the minister and to the officials for coming.
I'm going to pick up on my honourable colleague's questions. I guess my concern is, as my colleague mentioned, that we are in response mode right now. We're at phase 5 pandemic alert. This virus is spreading rapidly. It is mild. No one can predict what the future will hold, but there is the possibility that the virus will mutate. I think we have to take every opportunity, as the minister said, to be vigilant.
I'm concerned that there is a drop in funding for preparedness from $38 million down to $26 million. I have an understanding that $400 million gives you some sense that there's help, and in reality we've learned it's $80 million per year. If we don't use it, we lose it. I'm wondering if the funding will be adjusted right now because we are in that response mode.
I'm going to ask a number of questions. You mentioned the antiviral strategy, which wasn't mentioned in 2006, 2007, 2008, or 2009. I guess my first question has to be what the national antiviral strategy is. We talk about 55 million doses. Have we stockpiled for 17% of the population or for 25%? The next question is, how much of that stockpile reaches its shelf life this year? When will that be replenished? The last question I'll ask is around our health care providers, who we are going to depend on to cope if the virus mutates. I'm hoping the minister can assure us that they will be protected and that antivirals will be made available to them.
Thank you.