Evidence of meeting #45 for Health in the 43rd Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was point.
A recording is available from Parliament.
NDP
Don Davies NDP Vancouver Kingsway, BC
Mr. Hajdu, there's not a person in the country, including Moms Stop the Harm, who ever asserts that decriminalization by itself will fix the problem.
Moms Stop the Harm also points out that criminalization forces drug users to get their drugs from the street, supplied by criminals, and with the poisoned, toxic street supply, this leads to avoidable overdose deaths. Do you agree with them?
Liberal
Patty Hajdu Liberal Thunder Bay—Superior North, ON
That's why, through this year, we've been so aggressive on funding safe supply projects across this country. Of course, it's not just about decriminalization. It is also about making sure that people have access to a safe supply. It's been a privilege to be able to work on these issues with multiple stakeholders. Unfortunately, some provinces and territories are not taking up the tools that I've offered them repeatedly in terms of making safe supply more easily accessible to people who use substances.
Finally, I'll say I find it ironic that this member is talking about decriminalization. In 2015, in fact, when I ran in the federal election, the Liberal Party was the only party talking about the legalization of cannabis. In fact, that member's party was not brave enough to talk about that. I will just say this: We are a party that believes in a pragmatic drug policy that will save lives. We believe we need to work with communities, and that's exactly what we're doing.
NDP
Don Davies NDP Vancouver Kingsway, BC
Yet you, Minister, and the Prime Minister have explicitly ruled out decriminalization of drugs. Tell me why.
Liberal
Patty Hajdu Liberal Thunder Bay—Superior North, ON
In fact, no, what I have said repeatedly in press conferences are two things. First, communities can determine the tools they need. My job as the Minister of Health federally is to help enable their access to those tools. Secondly, and the Prime Minister has said this as well, there is no silver bullet to solving the problem with opioids or any problematic substance use.
This is a comprehensive approach that includes many other areas that we're investing in: reducing poverty through the Canada child benefit, investments in affordable housing and supports for racialized and stigmatized members of our communities. That is the work—
NDP
Don Davies NDP Vancouver Kingsway, BC
Minister, a comprehensive approach that doesn't include decriminalization is not a comprehensive approach.
Liberal
Patty Hajdu Liberal Thunder Bay—Superior North, ON
I would argue that we have legalized cannabis in this country. I would say that—
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Ron McKinnon
Thank you, Mr. Davies.
That brings round two of our questions to a close. We'll start round three now.
We go with the Conservatives. I'm not exactly sure who's going to take that.
Go ahead, Mr. Barlow, for five minutes, please.
Conservative
John Barlow Conservative Foothills, AB
Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.
Minister, the expert panel on COVID-19 testing and screening provided very clear evidence that quarantine hotels have been a failure and recommended they be cancelled immediately and replaced with a comprehensive home quarantine.
When will the hotel quarantine program be scrapped?
Liberal
Patty Hajdu Liberal Thunder Bay—Superior North, ON
I think I've answered this question a number of times in the House, but I'm glad that I have an opportunity to speak to it a little bit more robustly.
In fact, what we have done is follow the advice of scientists and researchers on how best to reduce the importation of COVID-19, and every step of the way we have added measures to protect Canadians against COVID-19.
We'll be very careful and cautious in removing some of those measures. Of course, we thank the expert panel for their report. It provides a very useful road map, but we will not put the hard sacrifice of Canadians at risk. This has been an extraordinary time of sacrifice for Canadians.
Conservative
Liberal
Liberal
Conservative
John Barlow Conservative Foothills, AB
Thank you very much.
The science and data from that expert panel say that it's inefficient and ineffective and should be shut down immediately. Even the co-chair of that panel, Sue Paish, said that we don't have any evidence that establishes the efficacy of a three-day hotel quarantine program.
Do you agree with that panel's evidence on that data in this statement?
Liberal
Patty Hajdu Liberal Thunder Bay—Superior North, ON
First of all, I thank Sue Paish and the other members on that committee for their ongoing reflections on the role of border measures—
Conservative
John Barlow Conservative Foothills, AB
Do you agree with the statement, yes or no, that there's no proof—
Conservative
Liberal
Patty Hajdu Liberal Thunder Bay—Superior North, ON
I will also say that whatever we do next on the border will be guided through the lens of science and evidence, and we will not put the sacrifices that Canadians have made at risk.
Conservative
John Barlow Conservative Foothills, AB
That's interesting, because the science and evidence of that expert panel say that it has no effectiveness whatsoever. You can't say we're going to live by some of the evidence as long as it fits with our political view and ignore that which doesn't.
You've said in the past in the media that families will not be split coming back into Canada. Will children under the age of 12, who are ineligible to be vaccinated right now, be exempt from hotel quarantines?
Liberal
Patty Hajdu Liberal Thunder Bay—Superior North, ON
I stand by my word that we will not split families up when they return to Canada.
Conservative
John Barlow Conservative Foothills, AB
In that vein, does the entire family have to go to a hotel quarantine or will they be allowed to quarantine safely at home?