Evidence of meeting #29 for Health in the 43rd Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was vaccines.
A video is available from Parliament.
1:55 p.m.
Liberal
Anita Anand Liberal Oakville, ON
Thank you, but I will answer in French.
Let's be clear. The scientific research is ongoing, and the testing phase is only in its infancy, but we are not sitting idly by. The first COVID-19 vaccines were approved just three months ago.
1:55 p.m.
Bloc
Luc Thériault Bloc Montcalm, QC
You have nothing to say on the subject, then. That's fine.
Now I will turn to the health minister. The harder it is to vaccinate people, the more people who will die. The longer the pandemic goes on, the more hospitals have to triage patients. The more they triage, the more the condition of non-COVID-19 patients worsens. Representatives of the Canadian Association of Radiologists told the committee that non-COVID-19 patients could end up dying because of delays in getting their conditions diagnosed and treated before it's too late.
What do you plan to do about that?
1:55 p.m.
Liberal
Patty Hajdu Liberal Thunder Bay—Superior North, ON
We've been quite clear that we'll be there for provinces and territories now and into the future to, first of all, get through this pandemic together. Regardless of what it takes and regardless of what it costs, the federal government will be there for Quebec and Quebeckers. We continue to be there financially, with equipment, with vaccines and indeed with people.
After we manage to get the country in a more stable health situation, the Prime Minister has been clear that he will be more than happy to have a conversation about what enhanced health transfers could look like at that point.
1:55 p.m.
Bloc
Luc Thériault Bloc Montcalm, QC
Excuse me. I realize that's what your plan is, but I have a solution for you, Minister.
You could transfer the $28 billion to the Quebec and provincial governments now so they can start addressing the triage problem and know how much breathing room they have as this third wave gets under way. You could do that, instead of thinking that the problem will get fixed later, as though it were already possible to anticipate post-pandemic requirements. We haven't even gotten through the pandemic yet.
We will have gotten through it once we've dealt with all the patients who have suffered the consequences of triaging, patients who will have paid the price during the pandemic. The destruction caused by the pandemic will include all those patients who get left behind, Minister. Why won't you give Quebec and the provinces the breathing room they need to care for patients now?
2 p.m.
Liberal
Patty Hajdu Liberal Thunder Bay—Superior North, ON
Thank you, MP Thériault.
This year alone, Quebec has received the direct transfer of $13 billion: $9.7 billion in health transfer dollars and $3.07 billion in the safe restart agreement.
We also deployed the Canadian Red Cross. We have paid for and delivered 4.7 million rapid tests, over 2.8 million vaccines and 76 federal contact tracers. The Prime Minister has been clear, MP Thériault—
2 p.m.
Bloc
Luc Thériault Bloc Montcalm, QC
That's not what I am talking about, Minister.
Despite the ad hoc investments the government is currently making, the provinces, territories and Quebec need predictable funding so they can provide care to people and fix their health systems. That means you need to act now and grant those transfers. You know as well as I do, the provinces and Quebec need $28 billion more than what the government has provided thus far on an ad hoc basis.
2 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Ron McKinnon
Thank you, Mr. Thériault.
We will go now to Mr. Davies.
Mr. Davies, go ahead, for six minutes.
April 16th, 2021 / 2 p.m.
NDP
Don Davies NDP Vancouver Kingsway, BC
Thank you to the ministers for being here.
Minister Hajdu, as Minister of Health, are you the minister responsible for the Public Health Agency of Canada?
2 p.m.
NDP
Don Davies NDP Vancouver Kingsway, BC
PHAC's website says that PHAC is Canada's lead agency responsible for public health, emergency preparedness and response, and infectious disease, control and prevention.
Is that your understanding of one of PHAC's mandates?
2 p.m.
Liberal
Patty Hajdu Liberal Thunder Bay—Superior North, ON
Yes. We obviously work with partners across governments, but yes.
2 p.m.
NDP
Don Davies NDP Vancouver Kingsway, BC
You are familiar with the concept of ministerial accountability, are you?
2 p.m.
Liberal
2 p.m.
NDP
Don Davies NDP Vancouver Kingsway, BC
On March 25, the Auditor General tabled what I think can only be described as a scathing and comprehensive indictment of PHAC's preparedness for the COVID pandemic.
The report found that PHAC failed to test or update its readiness plans prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, in direct violation of the agency's internal standards and recommendations stemming from the H1N1 pandemic.
Minister, do you accept responsibility for that failure?
2 p.m.
Liberal
Patty Hajdu Liberal Thunder Bay—Superior North, ON
I accept responsibility for receiving the Auditor General's report, and I have been clear that we accept all the recommendations in the report.
2 p.m.
NDP
Don Davies NDP Vancouver Kingsway, BC
The Auditor General's report also found that PHAC failed to resolve shortcomings in Canada's health surveillance information and data systems first identified by the Auditor General in 1999, 2002 and 2008.
Minister, do you take responsibility for that failure?
2 p.m.
Liberal
Patty Hajdu Liberal Thunder Bay—Superior North, ON
I have been clear since the beginning of the pandemic, and as a public health professional in my prior employment, that it is very important that we invest not only in health care, but also in protection and promotion of health, which is public health. I continue to say that we need to make those investments. In fact, that's why the fall economic statement commits hundreds of millions of dollars to bolstering the capacity of the Public Health Agency of Canada.
2 p.m.
NDP
Don Davies NDP Vancouver Kingsway, BC
The Auditor General's report found that PHAC failed to “assess the pandemic risk” posed by COVID-19 or the “potential impact were it to be introduced into Canada”. As a result, the Auditor General found that the agency “underestimated” the potential danger of COVID-19 and continued to assess the risk as low until after the World Health Organization had declared a global pandemic. By then, Canada had already recorded over 400 confirmed cases, and community spread was under way.
Minister, do you take responsibility for that failure?
2 p.m.
Liberal
Patty Hajdu Liberal Thunder Bay—Superior North, ON
Every step of the way, as you know, MP Davies, we have been guided by public health advice, science and research. We have responded to the pandemic with strengthened measures every step of the way.
I have been clear: We accept all recommendations of the Auditor General. No Canadian would argue with the need to invest in public health, and certainly that is the commitment of our government. We will ensure that the Public Health Agency of Canada has the funds and the resources it needs to continue to strengthen its response.
2 p.m.
NDP
Don Davies NDP Vancouver Kingsway, BC
The report also notes that GPHIN, which was established in 1997 specifically to provide early warning of a threat such as the one posed by SARS-CoV-2, was not properly used when an outbreak of viral pneumonia in China was detected in late 2019 and early 2020. The report also documents that PHAC rescinded analysts' authority to issue alerts in 2018.
Minister, do you take responsibility for that failure?
2:05 p.m.
Liberal
Patty Hajdu Liberal Thunder Bay—Superior North, ON
As the member opposite knows, I was not the minister of health in 2018, so it was a surprise to me as well when I heard the report in The Globe and Mail, which is why I ordered the independent investigation. Of course, we have an interim report from the independent investigators, who have concluded that although the alert was not issued, it in fact did not stop the beginning of our response and that our response started very quickly, as Dr. Tam had internal information and convened a committee of public health officers across the country on January 2.
2:05 p.m.
NDP
Don Davies NDP Vancouver Kingsway, BC
The Auditor General's report found that PHAC failed to verify compliance with quarantine orders for two-thirds of incoming travellers and did not consistently refer travellers for follow-up who risked not complying. That happened under your watch, Minister.
Do you take responsibility for that failure?
2:05 p.m.
Liberal
Patty Hajdu Liberal Thunder Bay—Superior North, ON
Certainly we've learned a lot through the process of working with our provincial and indeed local partners to strengthen enforcement when people are required to quarantine as per the Quarantine Act. I will say that we want to thank all those partners for their ongoing and strengthened response. This is a team Canada approach, and we need to work together at all levels to ensure that we're protecting the health of Canadians.
2:05 p.m.
NDP
Don Davies NDP Vancouver Kingsway, BC
Minister, if you aren't responsible for PHAC's comprehensive failure to prepare for or effectively respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, who is?
2:05 p.m.
Liberal
Patty Hajdu Liberal Thunder Bay—Superior North, ON
MP Davies, I'd like to take a moment to thank Dr. Tam, who has been working seven days a week around the clock, and, in fact, the thousands of PHAC employees, who have also been working around the clock seven days week doing their absolute best to respond to a global pandemic that is unprecedented. In fact, Canada's experience has been better than in some countries and worse than in others, but I will tell you that we should be extremely proud and grateful for the hard-working Canadians who have put their lives on the line and on pause to protect each other.