Health Committee on Oct. 9th, 2020

[The Chair, Liberal, Ron McKinnon]

Thank you, Mr. Van Bynen.

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

Mr. Chair—

[The Chair, Liberal, Ron McKinnon]

Ms. Rempel, please go ahead.

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ron McKinnon]

Actually, before you do so, let me interject.

This is an important motion, and Ms. Rempel, I am absolutely going to give you an opportunity to respond to it. I'm suggesting that perhaps with the number of studies we have already considered, including the COVID study we were doing prior to prorogation and so forth, that we might want to have a separate business meeting to deal with all of these issues and to prioritize them, and so I'll ask you all to consider whether you're interested in doing that.

Having said that, I will pass the floor over to Ms. Rempel Garner.

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I really do find a lot of encouragement in the spirit of this motion that's on the floor. I try not to put my personal life into the public domain, but as somebody who is separated from her family due to COVID-19 measures, I understand the impact on mental health of some of these measures. Talking to other people who are in situations similar to mine, I know that's tough, and that's just one group of people. There are people who have lost their jobs or who are experiencing domestic violence or mental health breakdowns. It's certainly something that I think is important for our committee to look at.

That said, our committee has been prorogued for some time due to the government's decision to prorogue Parliament. Today we are seeing record numbers of cases in Ontario, as well as shutdowns of businesses again. This particular issue needs to be looked at not just in light of the evidence that was considered in the previous session of this Parliament but also in light of what has happened over the last couple of months. We need to have answers on the rapid testing procurement process, vaccine status and the decision to shut down the early warning system. There are several issues this committee needs to look at, and mental health is certainly one of them, but I think it needs to be done in a more holistic way. I certainly support this particular motion, but it needs to be done in the context of a larger motion and within the larger picture.

The other thing I would say, Chair, is on your comment to reschedule this for a separate business meeting. I don't agree with that. We've lost nearly two months of this committee and we're in the middle of what I would call not a second wave but a tsunami. There are things that this committee has to look at with regard to its role and to scrutinizing the government's response.

I know there is a desire among certain committee members to look at a perhaps more holistic motion, and with that, I move to adjourn debate on this motion.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ron McKinnon]

We have a motion to adjourn debate. I believe that is non-debatable, so I will ask the clerk to conduct a vote.

(Motion agreed to: yeas 6; nays 5 [See Minutes of Proceedings])

[Don Davies, NDP, Vancouver Kingsway, BC]

Mr. Chair, on a point of order, with regard to future conduct of the committee, that was an unusual voting order. Generally the votes always begin with the government side and then go through the official opposition, the Bloc and us. I just found it unusual to start voting in that order, so it's something I think we should straighten out for future votes.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ron McKinnon]

Thank you, Mr. Davies.

I believe that the voting order is at the discretion of the clerk, but if the clerk wishes to speak to this he can. We can certainly consider this as something to take up later.

[The Clerk]

I will adjust to the will of the committee. I don't mind, honestly. I'm sorry about that.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ron McKinnon]

Ms. Rempel Garner is next.

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I move:

That, pursuant to Standing Order 108(2), the Standing Committee on Health commence a study on the emergency situation facing Canadians in light of the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, and that this study evaluate, review and examine all issues relevant to this situation, including the following:

a) rapid and at home testing approvals and procurement process and schedule, and protocol for distribution;

b) vaccine development and approvals process, procurement schedules and protocol for distribution;

c) federal public health guidelines and the data being used to inform them for greater clarity on efficacy;

d) current long-term care facility COVID-19 protocols as it pertains solely to federal jurisdiction;

e) the availability of therapeutics and treatment devices for Canadians diagnosed with COVID-19;

f) the early warning system Global Public Health Intelligence Network (GPHIN);

g) the government’s progress in evaluating pre or post arrival rapid testing for travellers;

h) the availability of paid sick leave for those in quarantine and voluntary isolation;

j) the adequacy of health transfer payments to the provinces in light of the COVID-19 crisis;

k) the impact of the government’s use of WHO advice in early 2020, decision to delay the closure of borders and delay in the recommendation of wearing of masks on the spread of COVID-19 in Canada;

l) the Public Health Agency of Canada’s communication strategy regarding COVID-19;

m) the development, efficacy and use of data related to the federal government’s COVID-19 Alert application;

n) the impacts of COVID-19 on mental health;

o) Canada’s level of preparedness to respond to another pandemic, and;

p) the availability of PPE in Canada and a review of Canada’s emergency stockpile of Personal Protective Equipment between 2015 and present;

q) The government’s contact tracing protocol, including options considered, technology, timelines and resources, and;

r) the government’s consideration of and decision not to invoke the federal Emergencies Act;

that this study begin no later than October 20, 2020, that the Committee table its findings in the House upon completion, that the government provide a response to these findings within 30 sitting days, and that evidence and documentation received by the Committee during its study of the Canadian response to the outbreak of the coronavirus commenced during the 1st Session of the 43rd Parliament be taken into consideration by the Committee in the current study.

2. That in order to fully study this emergency situation;

(a) an order of the committee do issue for all memoranda, e-mails, documents, notes or other records from the Prime Minister’s Office, the Privy Council Office, the Office of the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, Office of the Minister of Health, Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada, concerning options, plans and preparations for the Global Public Health Integration Network, since January 1, 2018, provided that these documents, organized by department, shall be provided to the clerk of the committee within thirty days of the adoption of this motion;

(b) an order of the committee do issue for a record of all communications between the government and the World Health Organization in respect of options, plans or preparations for any future operation, or absence thereof, of the Global Public Health Integration Network, since January 1, 2018 provided that these documents, organized by department, shall be provided to the clerk of the committee within thirty days of the adoption of this motion;

(c) an order of the committee do issue for all memoranda, e-mails, documents, notes and other records from the Prime Minister’s Office, the Privy Council Office, the office of the Minister of Public Services and Procurement, the office of the Minister of Health, Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada, concerning plans, preparations, approvals and purchasing of testing products including tests, reagents, swabs, laboratory equipment and other material related to tests and testing applications used in the diagnosis of COVID-19, since March 19, 2020, provided that these documents, organized by department, shall be provided to the clerk of the committee within thirty days of the adoption of this motion;

(d) an order of the committee do issue for all memoranda, emails, documents, notes and other records from the Prime Minister’s Office, the Privy Council Office, the office of the Minister of Public Services and Procurement, the office of the Minister of Health, Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada concerning plans, preparations and purchasing of personal protective equipment including gowns, gloves, masks, respirators, visors and face shields since, March 19, 2020, provided that these documents, organized by department, shall be provided to the clerk of the committee within thirty days of the adoption of this motion;

(e) An order of the committee do issue for all memoranda, emails, documents, notes and other records inclusive of correspondence with contracting firms and companies, from the Prime Minister's Office, the Privy Council Office, the office of the Minister of Public Services and Procurement and the office of the Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry concerning plans, preparations, article 1.3 designations and purchasing of ventilators since March 19th, 2020, provided that these documents, organized by department, shall be provided to the clerk of the committee within thirty days of the adoption of this motion; and

(f) that, to protect against the premature disclosure of national security matters, or personal privacy information, contained in the documents provided to the clerk prior to the release of the documents by the Clerk of he Committee, any potential redactions be undertaken by the Office of the Law Clerk and Parliamentary Counsel, provided that the process for redactions begin the day after the documents have been provided to the clerk of the committee, and shall last no longer than seven days, unless granted an extension by unanimous vote of the committee, and (i) that redactions be limited to the protection of national security matters, or personal privacy information to the exclusion of all other reasons, and (ii) that in the event of a request for an extension the request be accompanied by the release of all documents for which redactions have already been completed, and (iii) that in the event of multiple requests for extension, all documents for which redactions have been completed since the last request for an extension must accompany any additional requests for extension, and (iv) no request for an extension may exceed seven days and all extensions shall be granted only by unanimous vote of the members of the committee.

(g) Seven days after all documents have been provided to the Clerk of the Committee or the deadlines for their production have elapsed, as the case may be, and the redaction process mentioned in subparagraph (b)(ii) has concluded, invite the Minister of Health, the Minister of Public Services and Procurement, the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, and the Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry each to appear separately before the committee for at least three hours, provided that in respect of each of them who does not agree, within one week of the adoption of this motion, to accept this invitation for the length of time prescribed, the Chair shall be instructed to report to the House forthwith a recommendation that this committee be empowered to order his or her appearance from time to time.

Mr. Chair, you, the members of the committee and the clerk should have received the full text of this motion in both official languages.

I realize that this is a lot; however, this committee has been inactive for some time, and we are in one of the greatest public health challenges that our country has ever faced. Many of the documents that I am proposing that the committee compel have been discussed in this committee before, and their coming to light was delayed by prorogation.

I think it is very important right now for our committee to get back to work and to be doing our job regardless. None of us has a government appointment, outside of Mr. Fisher, so our job is to hold the government to account across party lines to make sure that the government is serving the best interests of Canadians with the best possible response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

I certainly urge members of the committee to support this motion. It will allow us to get to work right away.

Also, we should not delay the compulsion of these documents. We will be going into a parliamentary recess over the next week, after being prorogued for some time. The adoption of this motion today will allow folks who are involved in pulling those documents—who should have been doing that already, because of the session in the previous Parliament—to finish that work in an expedient manner and allow us to start reviewing that information as quickly as possible.

If there are arguments made today that there is not enough time to review this, there is really nothing new here. These are all things that have been brought up in question period and in previous sessions of this committee, but we're now in a second wave, and the results of the government's response are showing, with an increase in cases as well as another economic shutdown in parts of the country, and that's concerning.

I would like to have this motion adopted today. I have endeavoured to include my colleague's component on mental health. I do think that's important, but it has to be considered within this broader context, so I would like us to get to work. I would like all members of this committee to really think about this in terms of their obligations as individual members of Parliament, not as one political affiliation or another who might be leaned on by the centre of their party. We need this done; we need this done well. I will not accept any delay on this issue . I will not accept any argument that we somehow need to wait.

You do have the motion in front of you, and I certainly hope we can proceed to adopting it.

[Sonia Sidhu, Liberal, Brampton South, ON]

I have a point of order, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ron McKinnon]

Yes, Ms. Sidhu, go ahead.

[Sonia Sidhu, Liberal, Brampton South, ON]

Mr. Chair, the opportunity was not given to me. I had my hand raised in the Zoom and physically, but the opportunity was not given to me.

I would like to bring my motion forward. My hand was up before Ms. Rempel Garner's.

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

I have a point of order on that point of order, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ron McKinnon]

Thank you.

Thank you, Ms. Sidhu. Ms. Sidhu, I apologize. That was my error. However, I did give the floor to Ms. Rempel Garner. I think that has to stand, but I do apologize. I'll have to keep an eye on that panel a lot better then I have been.

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

On a point of order, Mr. Chair—

[Sonia Sidhu, Liberal, Brampton South, ON]

But Mr. Chair—

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

I have a point of clarification, Mr. Chair. I would direct Ms. Sidhu's attention, when the minutes of this meeting come out, to the fact that after you had recognized Mr. Van Bynen, I believe, prior to reading the motions, I said that since you were taking a speaking list, I would like to speak first. You recognized me for that. In terms of proper procedure, you put me second on the speaking list.

Thank you.

[Sonia Sidhu, Liberal, Brampton South, ON]

Mr. Chair, may I speak?

Mr. Chair, if you can check on the Zoom...

[The Chair, Liberal, Ron McKinnon]

Just hold on one second.

Ms. Rempel, I did give you second place for responding to Mr. Van Bynen. Also, I did recognize you, later on, to move your motion. That was my mistake.

Ms. Sidhu, go ahead. You have something further to say.

[Sonia Sidhu, Liberal, Brampton South, ON]

Mr. Chair, I have a right to present my motion if my hand is raised in the Zoom before Ms. Rempel Garner.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ron McKinnon]

Unfortunately, I did give the floor to Ms. Rempel Garner. That was my mistake. I apologize.

With respect to Ms. Rempel Garner's motion, it's enormous. I think certainly there are aspects that are clearly within our mandate, but in terms of the whole motion, I don't think it's appropriate for me to rule on whether it's in order until I can see it and examine it in its entirety, so I would ask that this decision be deferred.

I'm not—

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

Mr. Chair—