Health Committee on June 7th, 2021

[Iain Stewart]

I will do that.

[John Barlow, Conservative, Foothills, AB]

In that same vein, Mr. Stewart, was an analysis done on how the hotel quarantine program would fit into Canada's anti-racism strategy?

[Iain Stewart]

I'll have to look into that one, Mr. Chair, and honourable member.

[John Barlow, Conservative, Foothills, AB]

Mr. Stewart, we also recently learned that the Prime Minister will not be staying at a designated quarantine hotel when he returns from the G7. What is the anticipated cost of setting up a special hotel or a quarantine program for the Prime Minister and his staff when he returns from the G7?

[Iain Stewart]

The information I have at my fingertips on that topic is that the Prime Minister is quarantining and being tested and waiting for his test results before proceeding on to his approved quarantine plan. I don't have details of the nature that you're referring to, honourable member, at my fingertips at this time. We can look into your question and see what the answer is.

[John Barlow, Conservative, Foothills, AB]

By the sound of your response, Mr. Stewart, he will not be staying in a traditional hotel quarantine. Will he be doing something unique to the Prime Minister and staff then?

[Iain Stewart]

I, myself, don't have knowledge of whether a decision has been made in that regard. I know that different ideas and options have been discussed and considered, but I, myself, don't have the information you're asking for.

[John Barlow, Conservative, Foothills, AB]

Mr. Stewart, I find it strange that the Prime Minister of our country is travelling internationally, which he's asking every Canadian not to do, and that there wouldn't be a very detailed strategy and plan for his quarantine upon returning home. It's bad enough when he is going to be doing activities that he is telling every Canadian not to do.

There isn't a detailed strategy or plan for his quarantine upon returning home. Is that correct?

[Iain Stewart]

There is a detailed plan. We provided comment on different approaches. What I don't know is if a specific approach has been taken, and you're asking me for the dollar cost of that. I don't have the dollar cost of that.

[John Barlow, Conservative, Foothills, AB]

Mr. Stewart, how is it possible that we don't have the detailed plan for his quarantine upon returning home, or is that there and we're just unaware of what it would be?

[Iain Stewart]

I'm saying that different options were looked at, and we were providing comment on those different options. I don't know where that has ended up. I can ask and look into that for you.

[John Barlow, Conservative, Foothills, AB]

Can you provide those options that were expressed or provided, Mr. Stewart? Maybe they could include a financial breakdown of those options, as well, for the committee.

[Iain Stewart]

I will see whether that can be provided. As you know, we're not always able to provide advice given to ministers and so on. We will have a look at exactly what you're asking.

[John Barlow, Conservative, Foothills, AB]

With that, Mr. Stewart, the hotel quarantine program is in place, despite the panel's saying it should be ended. Why would the Prime Minister not be just using one of the quarantine hotels that are already in place?

[Iain Stewart]

If that decision has been made and made public, you would be better placed, perhaps, to direct the question to the Prime Minister or his official spokespeople.

[John Barlow, Conservative, Foothills, AB]

The minister has stated that she has consulted with the provinces on the expert panel's border measure recommendations. What were the results of those consultations? What did the provinces say about the expert panel's recommendation to end the hotel quarantine program?

[Iain Stewart]

Minister Hajdu discussed with her health minister colleagues the findings of the report and, in fact, had the panel come and talk about their findings and report. There was conversation afterwards.

Mr. Chair and MP Barlow, I don't remember off the top of my head specific comments back from individual provinces, but I'm sure it's a matter of public record. We can look into it and provide details from that discussion.

[John Barlow, Conservative, Foothills, AB]

Mr. Stewart, Congresswoman Stefanik, the co-chair of the northern border caucus, recently called for the United States to unilaterally open the border out of frustration with the Liberal government's lack of a plan to do so. Has your department provided any advice to the government on when fully vaccinated people will be allowed to cross into the United States without a quarantine?

[Iain Stewart]

As usual, we have done analysis and options on ways to approach this exact topic. That advice has been put forward. That would be, maybe, a question more appropriately put to a minister about what intentions they have. At this point, there's nothing public that I'm able to report on.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ron McKinnon]

Thank you, Mr. Barlow.

[John Barlow, Conservative, Foothills, AB]

Thanks, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ron McKinnon]

We go now to Mr. Van Bynen for six minutes.

[Tony Van Bynen, Liberal, Newmarket—Aurora, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you to our witnesses for joining us again today. I know that, over the past few months, some of you have made yourselves available a number of times to answer questions, and I know it's a very busy time for you. I want you to know that the extra effort to meet with us is greatly appreciated.

I want to ask Deputy Minister Matthews a few questions on accountability to taxpayers, specifically on the subject of mobile health units.

There are some that have gone looking for conspiracy and cronyism where there is none, and I will ask you to clarify this for us with a few details.

What were the pandemic circumstances at the time that MHUs were identified as a possible necessity? Why was this anticipatory investment made?

[Bill Matthews, Deputy Minister, Department of Public Works and Government Services]

This was done at a time when you were seeing things like emergency rooms overrun, with lack of space being an issue. You saw the cruise ship in New York Harbor, and we did notice that other countries were taking steps to put in place plans for mobile hospital units or health units.

I think the important point here is just how long these things take to design and implement. The design is one piece, but acquiring all the equipment that goes with it is another. You can't just purchase these off the shelf.

What was done at that time was that contracts were put in place for two different designs, one with Weatherhaven that goes inside an existing structure—and that's the one that has been deployed in Ontario—and another model with SNC-Lavalin and partners that is designed.... Sorry, the Weatherhaven one is a stand-alone one; it's not inside a building. The SNC-Lavalin and partners' one goes inside an existing building like an arena or something like that.

We worked to line those contracts up. Then we worked with health officials to design them and get going with procuring the equipment that would be necessary should these need to be deployed. As you know, we have requests from Ontario, and some units have actually been deployed.

[Tony Van Bynen, Liberal, Newmarket—Aurora, ON]

Just as it was for the rest of the world, this was an issue of thinking ahead and disaster planning.

I know that PSPC was primarily responsible for executing procurements on behalf of the client departments that came to you with the MHU request. Did they provide you with the rationale on why they were needed?