Health Committee on April 30th, 2021

[Dr. Michael Strong, President, Canadian Institutes of Health Research]

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I'm pleased to respond to that question.

[Luc Thériault, Bloc, Montcalm, QC]

I asked the Minister. What is this attitude of transferring questions to officials on basic matters that require a political answer? Mr. Strong is not going to be the one deciding to increase or not increase health transfers. I asked a question about health transfers, and I want the Minister to answer it.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ron McKinnon]

Excuse me, Mr. Thériault, but your time is up.

[Luc Thériault, Bloc, Montcalm, QC]

The officials are there in support. If we want to turn to them, we will, and we have done so before. I want an answer from the Minister.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ron McKinnon]

Mr. Thériault, your time is up.

The witnesses may respond. It's up to the minister to decide who responds on her behalf.

Go ahead, Minister.

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

Dr. Strong, thanks; go ahead.

[Dr. Michael Strong]

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.

In fact, the numbers that the member was referring to actually include what are called statutory dollars as well, within the $2.6 million component. Those are the dollars that were invested by this government directly into the COVID-19 response, the whole-of-government research component of it. They are dollars that were rapidly brought into play and led to more than 20 different research programs to address the pandemic response.

They are, however, one-time dollars. The core budget of the CIHR has in fact grown between those two years and will continue to support the types of really valuable research that is non-COVID-directed and that you have asked about. The numbers to look at are in fact the comparators of 2019-20 with those for the current fiscal year, and not last year's, because of the extraordinary investments that were made.

Thank you very much.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ron McKinnon]

Thank you, Mr. Thériault.

We'll go now to Mr. Davies.

Mr. Davies, go ahead for six minutes.

[Don Davies, NDP, Vancouver Kingsway, BC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Thank you to all the witnesses for being here.

Minister, Canada's chief public health officer is an international expert in infectious disease and global health security. She has repeatedly stated that “no one is protected until everyone is protected”, and yet your government is refusing to support a request to temporarily suspend WTO rules that are preventing nations from producing vaccines to protect their citizens.

Is your own chief medical officer wrong or is your government's position at the WTO wrong?

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

Thank you for recognizing Dr. Tam's expertise and for acknowledging that she has a wide body of expertise.

She is absolutely correct that no one is protected until we all are protected. We know that COVID-19 is raging in a number of countries as we speak, including ours, and that we all need to focus on reducing domestic transmission.

Regarding the question about the WTO, that is a question for my colleague, Minister Ng.

[Don Davies, NDP, Vancouver Kingsway, BC]

Switching to a different subject, the Canadian Dental Association says that at least 32% of Canadians—one in three—don't have dental insurance. Millions of Canadians suffer from oral disease because they can't afford to visit a dentist. This disproportionately affects indigenous people, children, single-parent families, women and low-income Canadians. It leads to pain, serious illness, mental health issues, social exclusion and loss of employment opportunities.

Minister, considering that oral health is as important to overall health as the health of any other part of our body, why is your government doing nothing to address this serious gap in public health care?

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

Mr. Chair, I agree with the member opposite that we need to treat the body as a whole unit. As I've said to him previously, privately and publicly, if this committee would like to study how a national dental program would look in Canada, we would be happy to hear your deeper thoughts about how it would work across the country. Obviously the intersection with provinces and territories is very important, as is all health care delivery. I therefore look forward to the advice of this committee on that matter.

[Don Davies, NDP, Vancouver Kingsway, BC]

Thanks.

Minister, do you believe that criminalizing drug use works to discourage it or to promote recovery?

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

Mr. Chair, our government has been very clear that substance use is a health issue, not one of criminality. We know that there is a role for law enforcement to play and to be at all tables. In fact, the member opposite may not realize that when I was the author of the Thunder Bay drug strategy, law enforcement played a very important role in creating that strategy and was an important partner at the table.

We know that problematic substance use is best met with compassion and with treatment, and indeed with culturally appropriate treatment.

[Don Davies, NDP, Vancouver Kingsway, BC]

Minister, the opioid overdose crisis is Canada's other pandemic. Over 20,000 Canadians have died since your government took office. Last year was the worst year on record. Public health officers, addictions experts, people with lived experience, families and even the Canadian chiefs of police are calling for decriminalization and regulation of a safe supply to stop the poisoned criminal street supply and save lives. You and your prime minister refuse to follow this informed advice and overwhelming evidence. Why?

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

I think it's a bit of a misleading question. In fact, this government has legalized one previously illegal substance. That would be cannabis. We have worked with—

[Don Davies, NDP, Vancouver Kingsway, BC]

People aren't dying from cannabis, Minister. We're talking about opioids.

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

What—

[Don Davies, NDP, Vancouver Kingsway, BC]

You're criminalizing opioids. You refuse to decriminalize opioids. That's the question.

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

And—

[Don Davies, NDP, Vancouver Kingsway, BC]

Why do you refuse to decriminalize opioid use?

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

I'm sorry, Mr. Chair. You can tell me if you'd like me to answer the question or not. The member seems to want to speak.

[Don Davies, NDP, Vancouver Kingsway, BC]

Well, you haven't answered a single question so far, so I feel the need to interrupt, Minister.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ron McKinnon]

Mr. Davies, please let the minister answer. We need to be polite and courteous towards our witnesses.

[Don Davies, NDP, Vancouver Kingsway, BC]

I will say, Mr. Chair, it's discourteous for the minister not to answer questions that are put to her. She hasn't answered a single question I've put to her.

Anyway, carry on, Minister.