Health Committee on May 21st, 2021

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

I have a point of order, Mr. Chair.

I understand that people don't like it when I am direct, but this is my time, and these are questions Canadians need answered. I won't be talked over or told what I can and can't do, so I will direct my time accordingly.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ron McKinnon]

We are expected to give due courtesy to the witnesses.

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

No. Being polite, in your opinion, is a tool of the patriarchy, and I will continue.

Thank you.

Dr. Stewart....

[The Chair, Liberal, Ron McKinnon]

It is a prerogative of the chair to allocate time.

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

Mr. Stewart....

[The Chair, Liberal, Ron McKinnon]

I normally delegate that to the members, but I would like to give the witness a chance to respond, please.

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

Then I will ask my question again.

Mr. Stewart, do you believe that, per the OIC—the government's direction—travelling across the border with a doctor's note to get a vaccine is medically necessary?

[Iain Stewart]

Mr. Chair and honourable member, the U.S. government has indicated that it doesn't view that as a reason to enter the United States.

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

I asked what our government was doing. What do you—

[Iain Stewart]

I will continue to answer your question, ma'am.

From our perspective, it entails risk. Somebody has to go across the border. They pose a potential risk for exposure in that country and then coming back, so it would be normal that they would do all of the testing and quarantine related to entering the United States.

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

Thank you.

To either Dr. Stewart or Dr. Lucas, on what date will fully vaccinated travellers be exempt from quarantine upon entering Canada?

[Iain Stewart]

If I may, Mr. Chair and honourable member, that's a question that, in fact, Dr. Tam, would probably be more appropriate to speak to.

[Dr. Theresa Tam]

There are both a public health set of considerations and operational....

One is that we want to see that Canada's epidemic is under control and that our population has had the chance to get fully vaccinated as well.

On the path—

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

On that point, Dr. Tam, earlier in your testimony, you noted the fact that there weren't enough Canadians fully vaccinated, and that this was part of the reason we weren't looking at allowing fully vaccinated travellers to be exempt from a quarantine hotel.

Do you have a date or a benchmark by which that might be lifted?

[Dr. Theresa Tam]

We have to look at the data as we go, but I think that we are on track to have two doses provided to Canadians by the fall.

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

So that's when fully vaccinated travellers would be exempt from quarantining. It's the fall.

[Dr. Theresa Tam]

There may be other provisions to change what we would do with vaccinated travellers en route to—

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

When would those be? When would that be happening?

[The Chair, Liberal, Ron McKinnon]

Thank you, Ms. Rempel Garner.

[Don Davies, NDP, Vancouver Kingsway, BC]

Mr. Chair, I have a point of order, if I may. I didn't want to interrupt my honourable colleague in her questioning, but I was advised about five minutes ago that this entire meeting has not been online up until, I think, maybe a minute or two ago. Is that the case? Journalists have not been able to follow this right up until about a minute ago.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ron McKinnon]

I'm not aware of that.

Mr. Clerk.

[The Clerk of the Committee, Mr. Jean-François Pagé]

Let me check with the technical people.

[Don Davies, NDP, Vancouver Kingsway, BC]

I'm advised that it's working now, but it hasn't been. Journalists have been contacting our media people and saying that the proceedings have not been online right up until a minute or two ago.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ron McKinnon]

Thank you for bringing that to our attention.

I'll ask the clerk, once he finds out about what's going on there.

I do understand it's going now.

Ms. Rempel Garner, I think you have.... Well, your time is officially up, but let's give you another 30 seconds, if you wish to finish up.

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

Thank you.

The fall is when fully vaccinated travellers would not have to go through a quarantine hotel to enter Canada, Dr. Tam.