Health Committee on Dec. 6th, 2018

[Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Liberal, Moncton—Riverview—Dieppe, NB]

Pardon me?

[Ben Lobb, Conservative, Huron—Bruce, ON]

Sorry; I said that I know that. We know that. I'm just saying that as the Minister of Health, what can you do to change this?

[Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Liberal, Moncton—Riverview—Dieppe, NB]

Once again, the oversight is done by the practice of medicine, and that is the work that they do.

With respect to the guidelines that we've put in place, we've certainly seen some significant improvements in that area.

I'm going to share a story with you. This year I went to do an interview at one of the TV stations here, and the lady who was getting me ready for my interview asked me who I was. I explained to her that I was the health minister. She indicated to me that she was on opioids, and as a result of the prescription guidelines, her doctor had weaned her off of the medication she was on. As a result, she was really struggling, because she is a chronic pain survivor.

I think we have to keep in mind that these guidelines are put in place in order to ensure that medicine is practised effectively. However, it's going to be the overseeing bodies that do the oversight.

[Ben Lobb, Conservative, Huron—Bruce, ON]

Understood, yes.

I would be remiss if I didn't ask about the food guide and the issues around the agriculture community being very offended with some of the proposals for the food guide and the changes to it.

Do you have any comments on that, whether it be dairy, beef, etc.?

[Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Liberal, Moncton—Riverview—Dieppe, NB]

Well, first and foremost, I am very excited that our new food guide is going to be launched in the new year—

[Ben Lobb, Conservative, Huron—Bruce, ON]

I know you are excited; I don't think the agriculture sector is excited.

[Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Liberal, Moncton—Riverview—Dieppe, NB]

Well, with respect to the food guide, updating Canada's food guide has been a priority of ours. We recognize that the food guide as it is right now doesn't meet the needs of all Canadians. We live in a very multicultural country, and the food guide as it is really doesn't meet all of their needs. That's why they were updating it.

With respect to Canada's food guide, in no way are we telling people what to eat or what not to eat, but—

[Ben Lobb, Conservative, Huron—Bruce, ON]

Aren't you in a way, though, Minister?

I'm sorry for interjecting here, but aren't you, in a way, by—

[The Chair, Liberal, Bill Casey]

Mr. Lobb, your time is up.

[Ben Lobb, Conservative, Huron—Bruce, ON]

Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bill Casey]

I am going to go to Mr. Davies, because Mr. Davies was shortchanged the last time that the minister was here. I'm going to ask Mr. Davies to go next.

[Don Davies, NDP, Vancouver Kingsway, BC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Minister, unfortunately, we know that opioid deaths have gone up in Canada in every year of your government so far. Hopefully that's not the case this year, but it's been the case.

You mentioned that stigma is a significant reason for people not getting the treatment they need, and no doubt stigma is an issue that needs to be dealt with. However, the evidence that we've heard at this committee, whether it was through our opioid study or pharmacare or any other one, is that there is a profound lack of access in this country to timely, affordable, appropriate treatment.

We heard testimony just this week from an Ontario treatment centre that deals with children, 13-year-olds to 18-year-olds, that their wait-list is over 12 months. We heard this stark testimony that when someone is ready to get treatment, you must get them into treatment immediately. You can't even wait a day or you're risking a death sentence.

Now, you've mentioned $150 million, which I applaud the government for, but if you divide that by 13 provinces and territories, it works out to about $12 million per province or territory if you distribute it equally.

There seems to be a consensus among people in the addictions field that we need to rapidly expand and significantly increase new dollars for treatment if we're really going to start tackling this crisis.

Do you agree with that?

[Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Liberal, Moncton—Riverview—Dieppe, NB]

I certainly agree that treatment is needed. When people want to get the help they need, they certainly want to get the treatment in a timely fashion.

With respect to the initial investment that we've made this year of $150 million, it is to provide additional services in support to provinces and territories.

We also have to look at the $6 billion that we've invested in mental health services as well. We can't forget that the bilateral agreement has been signed and those moneys also address the issue of mental health and substance use issues.

Our government will continue to work with provinces and territories, as we recognize that treatment is an area where more needs to be done. We also have to recognize and make sure that people can receive the treatment they need when they need it.

We have to reach the clients where they're at. Sometimes we feel it's a—

[Don Davies, NDP, Vancouver Kingsway, BC]

Of course.

[Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Liberal, Moncton—Riverview—Dieppe, NB]

It may be a treatment model, but for some individuals it could be an overdose prevention site. We need to make sure that we reach the clients where they're at.

[Don Davies, NDP, Vancouver Kingsway, BC]

That's good to hear, and I would encourage as much money as possible going into treatment.

During the last election, the Liberal Party promised to end the discriminatory and unscientific policy that prevents men who have sex with men from donating blood. Instead, your government has just reduced the abstinence period from five years to one, in my view simply perpetuating the discrimination but reducing the quantum.

Why is your government refusing to end what the LGBTQ2 community and scientists across this country regard as a blatantly discriminatory policy and not adopting one that is based on science and behaviour, as opposed to a discriminatory assumption?

[Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Liberal, Moncton—Riverview—Dieppe, NB]

I think you're probably aware that Health Canada is a regulator and that we are not the one who ultimately can tell Canadian Blood Services what they do. Canadian Blood Services has reduced—

[Don Davies, NDP, Vancouver Kingsway, BC]

Didn't you reduce it from five to one?

[Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Liberal, Moncton—Riverview—Dieppe, NB]

Canadian Blood Services has made an application to reduce the deferral period from five years to one year. They brought that application to Health Canada. It was reviewed, and then from there we agreed.

We have been advised that they are going to be in the process very soon of coming forward again to reduce the deferral period from one year to three months. As soon as we receive that application, Health Canada will once again do the assessment, and then from there determine if it's going to be approved.

At the end of the day, we have to keep in mind that it's Canadian Blood Services that makes the application to us. We don't tell them what to do.

[Don Davies, NDP, Vancouver Kingsway, BC]

Fair enough, but with respect, Minister, I think the government does have the authority to act if they wanted to.

My last question is going to be a quick one.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bill Casey]

You may have one quick question.

[Don Davies, NDP, Vancouver Kingsway, BC]

On vaping product promotion, we heard recently that Imperial Tobacco Canada is openly flouting the federal rules and running lifestyle ads for Vype ePen 3 on television and social media and elsewhere. Despite complaints to your ministry, no action has been taken.

Minister, why is your ministry allowing Imperial Tobacco Canada to break the law and have lifestyle advertising on vaping pens when that's clearly against the law?

[Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Liberal, Moncton—Riverview—Dieppe, NB]

Mr. Davies, I have to say that I'm very proud of the anti-smoking strategy that we brought forward this year. We've made significant investments when it comes to plain packaging for smoking. We made sure that we made significant changes in that area, even when it comes to smoking, and I'll get into vaping.

The Canadian Cancer Society has indicated that the regulations and the plain packaging that we are bringing forward are actually the best that they've seen in the world, so we are certainly tackling this head-on.

When it comes to vaping products, we've made several recommendations and changes there as well, and we are restricting marketing for vaping products. We will continue to monitor this situation. We are very proud of the work we have done to ensure that this industry is regulated and we do all we can to ensure that no marketing practices are allowed.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bill Casey]

Minister, I think you'd better check the clock. It might be time for you to go.

Thank you, everybody, for your good questions, and your good answers too.

[Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Liberal, Moncton—Riverview—Dieppe, NB]

Mr. Chair, if I may, merry Christmas to all the members as well.