Health Committee on March 12th, 2021

[Patty Hajdu, Liberal, Thunder Bay—Superior North, ON]

As I've answered previously, Mr. Chair, there are plans to support provinces and territories should they need supplementary support to vaccinate their citizens.

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

Are there any plans right now for federally supported mobile vehicles and pop-up clinics to deliver vaccines?

[Patty Hajdu, Liberal, Thunder Bay—Superior North, ON]

We have planning under way; it's comprehensive. If the member would like to hear about it, we have an official who is actively involved in those two specific matters.

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

I have about two and a half minutes left.

[Patty Hajdu, Liberal, Thunder Bay—Superior North, ON]

So the member doesn't want to hear the details from the official?

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

They can table that with committee. I was just asking you if you had any plans to do that, but I think I got my answer on that question.

Does the federal government have any plans to set up websites, etc., to help people get appointments for vaccines?

[Patty Hajdu, Liberal, Thunder Bay—Superior North, ON]

Again, the member perhaps doesn't realize that it is in fact provinces and territories that have the right and the responsibility to administer health care, including vaccinations.

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

Okay, then there's no plan from the federal government to assist in that.

What percentage of people over the age of 65 have received a dose of a vaccine to date?

[Patty Hajdu, Liberal, Thunder Bay—Superior North, ON]

Perhaps I can turn to my officials for the percentage of people who have received doses. We may have some of that information.

Iain, would you like to speak about the provinces' programs?

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

I have a minute and a half left. You don't have that off the top of your head, Minister?

[Patty Hajdu, Liberal, Thunder Bay—Superior North, ON]

Let me be clear: We have a ream of data on vaccination, on the planning by provinces and territories.

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

You came here to—

[Patty Hajdu, Liberal, Thunder Bay—Superior North, ON]

I'm more than happy to provide that information through the appropriate officials and agencies. If you would allow them to have a moment to answer, we could get you the information.

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

You're the minister, and I asked you, and you don't have it. With the time I have left, I'd be happy if somebody would table that with committee. You don't have the answer to that question at your fingertips, and it's kind of a big question.

This is my last question, Minister. Do you agree with the statement that even if we sustain lockdown indefinitely, which would cost lives and do immeasurable harm to our children, we would not be able to eradicate this disease, referring to COVID-19?

[Patty Hajdu, Liberal, Thunder Bay—Superior North, ON]

I'll turn to Dr. Tam to talk about the most recent research.

[Dr. Theresa Tam, Chief Public Health Officer, Public Health Agency of Canada]

Mr. Chair, the coronavirus is found in every country and territory around the world, so It's unlikely to disappear from the global population for some time. Science is evolving, but that's where things are at.

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

Minister, would you care to answer whether you would agree with that statement or not?

[Patty Hajdu, Liberal, Thunder Bay—Superior North, ON]

I trust the expertise. I have a top-notch virologist as the chief public health officer and I trust her perspective. She is far more eminent in this area than I am.

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

Thank you, Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ron McKinnon]

Thank you, Ms. Rempel Garner.

We will go now to Ms. Sidhu. Ms. Sidhu, please go ahead for six minutes.

[Sonia Sidhu, Liberal, Brampton South, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Thank you to all the witnesses for appearing today. It's great to see Minister Hajdu again at our committee.

Today is a good day for Canada. Earlier today, the Prime Minister announced that from March 22 to May 10, Canada would be receiving one million doses of Pfizer vaccine every single week. This is good news for Canada's vaccination efforts.

Minister, as you know, Grace Manor long-term care home in my riding of Brampton South was one of the earliest-hit residences. The armed forces were called in. I understand that these facilities fall under provincial jurisdiction, but the federal government has also stepped up to keep those living and working in long-term care homes safe.

Can you tell me more about the support we have given to provinces and territories regarding long-term care?

[Patty Hajdu, Liberal, Thunder Bay—Superior North, ON]

Thank you very much to the member.

Mr. Chair, I think the member identifies rightly that the tragedy of loss of life in long-term care is something that I'll remember and something we've all been mourning this week, and indeed throughout COVID-19.

We also know that more needs to be done. The Prime Minister has been very clear that we will be there for provinces and territories as we move forward in the development of shared long-term care standards.

I will also say this: We didn't wait to take action. For example, through the safe restart agreement, we provided $740 million to provinces and territories to strengthen their protection and infection prevention control measures. We also proposed a billion dollars in the fall economic statement to create the safe long-term care fund. We've provided wage top-ups, Mr. Chair, which I think were critical to support the labour security of people working in long-term care homes, and we had the rapid response program that funded the Canadian Red Cross and allowed it to go into many long-term care homes in crisis to support those seniors who were struggling in some pretty difficult situations.

Finally, of course, the Canadian Armed Forces.... I think all Canadians will be grateful for the work they did in the first wave to protect seniors in Ontario and Quebec, particularly.

[Sonia Sidhu, Liberal, Brampton South, ON]

Thank you, Minister. Isn't it nice when nobody interrupts you?

Minister, as you know, those Canadians living with diabetes are more likely to have severe cases of COVID-19. Can you speak to how the government is working to support Canadians living with diabetes?

[Patty Hajdu, Liberal, Thunder Bay—Superior North, ON]

Thank you.

Mr. Chair, I would first like to congratulate the member on her incredible advocacy for people living with diabetes. We've met a number of times. I know she has done very much work in this space.

This is a specific challenge. Many of us know someone who lives with diabetes. It's a disease that many Canadians face. Again, delivery of health care falls to the provinces and territories. We're investing millions of dollars in research. It's an area where we support the provinces and territories to understand more about diabetes—not just how to prevent it, but also how to treat it and how to support people who are living with it.

Over the past five years, $230 million has been invested through the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. In addition to that, the CIHR is investing more than $30 million over the next seven years in new research as part of the 100 Years of Insulin: Accelerating Canadian Discoveries to Defeat Diabetes initiative. This is an important piece of work that we have committed to people who are living with diabetes, and to provinces and territories, so that we can, first of all, prevent diabetes, but also help support those people who are living with this disease.

[Sonia Sidhu, Liberal, Brampton South, ON]

Minister, while we are fighting COVID-19 as a country, we're also fighting another public health crisis. People are losing their lives to the opioid crisis across the country. We had a meeting with the Peel police in Brampton, where they dealt with seven overdoses and three deaths due to what they described as a bad batch of opioids. This is a public health issue.

Can you tell us how your department is working to combat the opioid crisis in Canada?