Evidence of meeting #42 for Health in the 43rd Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was doses.
A recording is available from Parliament.
12:50 p.m.
Deputy Minister, Department of Health
Well, we received a robust regulatory package at the request of the manufacturer. It was reviewed thoroughly by the scientific staff. On the basis of that review—
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Deputy Minister, Department of Health
—the expiry was changed to the beginning of July. Therefore, the doses have not expired.
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Conservative
Michelle Rempel Conservative Calgary Nose Hill, AB
Okay. It just that what you had said to Mr. Davies was a little bit misleading. I wanted to get that on the record.
Brigadier-General Brodie, first of all, congratulations on your appointment. It is well deserved.
I am wondering if the government has given you any advice on accepting surplus vaccines from the U.S., such as what the mayor of Windsor is requesting.
12:50 p.m.
Brigadier-General Krista Brodie Vice-President, Logistics and Operations, Public Health Agency of Canada
Thank you, Mr. Chair, and honourable member.
No, I have not received any advice on that. It's not a responsibility that falls within my portfolio at the Public Health Agency.
Thank you.
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Conservative
Michelle Rempel Conservative Calgary Nose Hill, AB
Okay.
Have you talked to anybody within PHAC or Health Canada or the minister's office about accepting these surplus doses from the U.S.?
12:50 p.m.
BGen Krista Brodie
Mr. Chair and honourable member, certainly there are live, ongoing and regular discussions with respect to the donation portfolio and acceptance of other doses, and whether they are coming in based on offers or on APA agreements. So yes, there are many discussions in that regard.
12:50 p.m.
Conservative
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BGen Krista Brodie
Mr. Chair and honourable member, that is not part of the discussions I have had, no.
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Conservative
Michelle Rempel Conservative Calgary Nose Hill, AB
Thank you.
Mr. Stewart, picking up on some of the questions my colleague, John Barlow, was asking, has the Prime Minister's Office asked you for any advice regarding the Prime Minister's quarantine requirements?
12:50 p.m.
President, Public Health Agency of Canada
The Prime Minister's Office has not asked us for advice regarding quarantine requirements. We have had discussions with the Privy Council Office regarding—
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Conservative
Michelle Rempel Conservative Calgary Nose Hill, AB
Okay.
In the advice you provided to the PCO, was there anything as to why the Prime Minister couldn't stay at a current designated hotel quarantine site?
12:50 p.m.
President, Public Health Agency of Canada
We've looked at different scenarios and provided comments. We didn't provide advice of the nature you are requesting, honourable member.
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Conservative
Michelle Rempel Conservative Calgary Nose Hill, AB
Is there any reason the Prime Minister couldn't stay at an existing designated quarantine hotel site?
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President, Public Health Agency of Canada
Mr. Chair, I'm not well-positioned to answer an open question of that nature.
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Conservative
Michelle Rempel Conservative Calgary Nose Hill, AB
Well, I mean, you are the head of PHAC, so is there any reason—
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President, Public Health Agency of Canada
There could be many reasons, many causal factors. The way you're phrasing the question is just very open-ended.
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Conservative
Michelle Rempel Conservative Calgary Nose Hill, AB
Sure. Is there a reason that the Prime Minister of Canada shouldn't stay at a designated hotel quarantine site, but every other Canadian would? What makes him special?
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President, Public Health Agency of Canada
Those considerations might be best discussed with the Privy Council Office. They're more aware of security threats—
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Conservative
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President, Public Health Agency of Canada
—and other things that I might not be aware of.
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Conservative
Michelle Rempel Conservative Calgary Nose Hill, AB
Okay, security.
Are there any public health reasons for him being unable to stay at a quarantine hotel?
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President, Public Health Agency of Canada
There are a number of options for the Prime Minister that would be consistent with having a test, waiting one day for the results and then going into quarantine. These are the essential elements of our policy.
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Conservative
Michelle Rempel Conservative Calgary Nose Hill, AB
But that would be a different process from what every other Canadian would go through. Is that correct?
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President, Public Health Agency of Canada
It depends on which way it were structured.