Health Committee on June 18th, 2021

[Sébastien Lemire, Bloc, Abitibi—Témiscamingue, QC]

Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ron McKinnon]

We go now to Mr. Davies.

Mr. Davies, go ahead for one minute, please.

[Don Davies, NDP, Vancouver Kingsway, BC]

Dr. Dumont, I know that Lu'ma Medical Centre profoundly understands the importance of social determinants of health. You have partnered with the Lu'ma Native Housing Society. According to their website, there are over 3,500 individuals and families on Lu'ma's wait-list for housing with subsidy. People wait many years before landing housing with subsidy provided.

I'm wondering if you could briefly describe the importance of housing and the impact it has on health in your patient cohort.

[Dr. Michael Dumont]

Housing is critical. I think of it as the primary social determinant of health. We start with housing as our first intervention if we have a patient coming to see us for the first time who is experiencing homelessness or is underhoused.

We're fortunate to work with a partner organization like Lu'ma housing to be able to connect our patients with that support. Part of our interdisciplinary team is having social navigators to help with housing applications and treatment program applications.

[Don Davies, NDP, Vancouver Kingsway, BC]

Thank you so much for your fabulous work.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ron McKinnon]

Thank you, Mr. Davies.

Thank you to all the witnesses. On behalf of the committee, I certainly want to thank you for all your time and all of your efforts in sharing with us your expertise, for helping us with our study and certainly for what you do on a day-to-day basis to move us forward.

Thanks to all of you.

With that, we will suspend and bring in the next panel.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ron McKinnon]

I call this meeting back to order.

Welcome to the second part of meeting 45 of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Health.

The committee is meeting today at this point to study supplementary estimates (A), 2021-22: votes 1a and 5a under the Canadian Food Inspection Agency; vote 5a under the Canadian Institutes of Health Research; votes 1a, 5a and 10a under the Department of Health; and votes 1a, 5a and 10a under the Public Health Agency of Canada.

I would like to welcome the witnesses.

Appearing today is the Honourable Patty Hajdu, Minister of Health.

Appearing with the minister we have, with the Canada Border Services Agency, Denis Vinette, vice-president, travellers branch. From the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, we have Dr. Siddika Mithani, president. From the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, we have Dr. Michael Strong, president. From the Department of Health, we have Mr. Stephen Lucas, deputy minister. With the Department of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, we have Monik Beauregard, associate deputy minister. From the national advisory committee on immunization, we have Mr. Matthew Tunis, executive secretary; and with the Public Health Agency of Canada, we have Dr. Theresa Tam, chief public health officer; Mr. Iain Stewart, president; and Brigadier-General Krista Brodie, vice-president, logistics and operations.

With that, I would invite the minister to present a statement for 10 minutes, please.

[Patty Hajdu, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.

Thank you for the opportunity to appear before all of you today to speak to the supplementary estimates (A) for the health portfolio.

First of all, I wish to thank the committee members for their exceptional work over the last several months as Canada responds to COVID-19 and the pandemic. Your diligent oversight is key to ensuring we continue to work effectively together to protect Canadians during the pandemic and beyond.

COVID-19 continues to dominate our work in the health portfolio. It's, therefore, the driving force behind the spending plans I'll outline for you today.

Today, I'm joined by Dr. Stephen Lucas, deputy minister, Health Canada; Iain Stewart, president, Public Health Agency of Canada; Dr. Theresa Tam, chief public health officer; Brigadier-General Krista Brodie, vice-president, vaccine rollout task force, logistics and operations; Dr. Siddika Mithani, president, Canadian Food Inspection Agency; and Dr. Michael Strong, president, Canadian Institutes of Health Research.

I'll begin with an update on our ongoing response to COVID-19.

It's pleasing for everybody to see that disease activity continues to decline across Canada. We're seeing fewer new cases, and the number of people who are severely ill is also decreasing as overall infection rates come down. At the same time, the vaccine supply continues to increase, making it possible for more and more Canadians to get their first and second doses. As of earlier this month, there was enough Moderna vaccine delivered to the territories to fully vaccinate 85% of the adults who live and work there.

In total, 29 million doses of vaccine have been delivered across Canada. I believe that's probably outdated a bit as of today. As a result, more than 70% of eligible adults in Canada have already received at least one shot.

These trends are encouraging and of course increased vaccination, combined with strict public health measures, are working. The national case count is now at its lowest level in weeks, and we are hopeful the summer ahead will be a safer and healthier one for all of us.

Nevertheless, we are at a critical junction in the pandemic. As immunity builds across the population, we have to continue to work to keep those infection rates low, so that everybody has a chance to get fully vaccinated. This is particularly important with the more transmissible variants of concern circulating in most provinces and territories.

That's why, for the time being, we're asking all Canadians, whether they're vaccinated or not, to continue to follow their local public health guidance. Some extra caution now will set the stage for a safe reopening in the months to come and a resumption of our lives with, hopefully, a resumption of our capacity to have more normal activities in the fall.

In the health portfolio, we're focused on keeping Canadians healthy and safe as we navigate this precarious moment in the pandemic. The supplementary estimates I'm presenting today support this commitment.

Given the shifting nature of the pandemic, we've realigned some of our resourcing plans to better support our evolving work. In total, I'm seeking an additional $5.5 billion on behalf of the health portfolio, which includes Health Canada, the Public Health Agency of Canada, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.

Let me begin with Health Canada. Through these supplementary estimates, Health Canada will receive a net increase of just over $1 billion. This amount, which includes both new funding and funds reprofiled from last year, will go primarily towards Canada's COVID-19 response. This includes investments to strengthen the long-term care sector, improve virtual care and digital health tools, and safely restart the economy.

These estimates also include funding to support Health Canada's ongoing work in other areas, including $53.5 million for Canada's chemicals management plan, $27 million to extend the territorial health investment fund and $14.25 million to support the Mental Health Commission of Canada. There is also just over $15 million for employee benefit plans.

The Public Health Agency of Canada continues to focus on mounting a robust response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Through these supplementary estimates, the agency is proposing an increase of just under $4.4 billion. This includes new and reprofiled funds. Most of these requested funds will support the ongoing response to COVID-19, including research and vaccine developments, border and travel measures and isolation sites, and medical countermeasures. It will include testing, contact tracing and data management as part of the safe restart agreement.

Some funding will also go towards indigenous early learning and child care through the aboriginal head start program, as well as Canada's chemicals management plan.

Next, I'll turn to the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, which is seeking an increase of approximately $111 million in the supplementary estimates. This investment, resulting from a reprofile of the medical countermeasures phase three funding from 2020-21, helps address persistent and emerging gaps in the research on COVID-19 and priority areas such as variants and long COVID.

Finally, I will speak to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, or CFIA. As you know, the COVID-19 pandemic has put a great deal of pressure on Canada's food production and supply chain. With this in mind, CFIA is proposing a net increase of just over $35 million to help safeguard the integrity of Canada's food safety system. This includes an increase of $28.7 million to increase food inspection capacity and maintain a daily shift inspection presence in federally registered meat processing establishments. It also includes $6.4 million to support employee benefit plan adjustments.

Mr. Chair, as I said, this is a key moment in the pandemic. The government's top priority remains protecting Canadians' health and safety. With continued care, caution and vigilance, we will set the stage for a safe reopening and a return to all of the activities we have missed over the past year.

The supplementary estimates (A) that I presented today will support the important work that must take place before, during and after that transition.

My colleagues and I are happy to take your questions.

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ron McKinnon]

Thank you, Minister.

We will start our questions with Ms. Rempel Garner.

Ms. Rempel Garner, please go ahead for six minutes.

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

Thank you, Chair.

Mr. Stewart, are you aware of the House of Commons motion that was passed in the House yesterday regarding you?

[Iain Stewart, President, Public Health Agency of Canada]

Mr. Chair, honourable member, yes, I'm aware of the motion that was passed in the House of Commons.

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

There were two components to the privilege motion passed yesterday requiring Mr. Stewart to attend the bar of the House after question period on Monday to receive an admonishment to be delivered by the Speaker. It also requires you to deliver documents ordered by the House on June 2, so that they may be deposited with the law clerk and parliamentary counsel.

Mr. Stewart, do you intend to comply with both components of that motion on Monday?

[Iain Stewart]

Mr. Chair, honourable member, the motion is with respect to Monday. For those of us who are working on the COVID pandemic, that's a while from now. I'm aware of the motion and what it requires of me. I look forward to Monday as it comes.

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

Are you aware that Parliament is supreme and that your opinion is immaterial in this regard?

[Jennifer O'Connell, Liberal, Pickering—Uxbridge, ON]

I have a point of order, Mr. Chair.

The relevance of this questioning, given the fact that this meeting is either on supplementary estimates or COVID and [Technical difficulty—Editor] suggest, Mr. Chair, that you rule that the member stick to the topic of the meeting.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ron McKinnon]

I certainly would recommend to all members that they stick to the topic of the meeting.

I will invite Ms. Rempel Garner to carry on.

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

On that point of order, Chair, before my time starts, the supplemental estimates do cover a wide variety of expenditures, including the matter that's at hand here, so I believe it's within scope and I will start—

[Jennifer O'Connell, Liberal, Pickering—Uxbridge, ON]

I'm sorry, Mr. Chair.

On that point of order, can Ms. Rempel Garner specifically point out what section of supplementary estimates she's referring to in her questions around the motion in the House? I'd like to be able to refer to it.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ron McKinnon]

Thank you, Ms. O'Connell.

We do allow quite broad latitude here, but I would invite Ms. Rempel Garner to respond, if she wishes.

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

Thank you, Chair.

Mr. Stewart, do you intend to comply with both components of the privilege motion passed yesterday as ordered by the House?

[Jennifer O'Connell, Liberal, Pickering—Uxbridge, ON]

On a point of order, Mr. Chair, I've asked that the specific.... Ms. Rempel Garner said she was referring to—

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

On point of order, Chair, this is debate.

[Jennifer O'Connell, Liberal, Pickering—Uxbridge, ON]

—supplementary estimates and I asked that she refer to it if she's going to continue this line of questioning. I have not received that answer.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ron McKinnon]

Thank you, Ms. O'Connell.

I did ask Ms. Rempel Garner if she wishes to respond to that question. I take it that she does not. I'll leave it up—

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

On a point of order though, Chair, that is debate.