Health Committee on June 17th, 2024

[Gord Johns, NDP, Courtenay—Alberni, BC]

Do you believe that this is an addiction crisis or a poisoned toxic drug crisis?

[Ya'ara Saks, Liberal, York Centre, ON]

This is an issue of a poisoned toxic drug crisis that is leading to an addiction crisis.

[Gord Johns, NDP, Courtenay—Alberni, BC]

That's right.

Right now, your government is making policy decisions, health policy, on polling. This is absolutely cruel and harmful. The stigma is so real, just by doing the poll on decriminalization. Do you not agree? Do you not see this?

[Ya'ara Saks, Liberal, York Centre, ON]

I find the question, first of all, rather odd. We base our policy on evidence, science and interactions with health experts from across the country, so that we have a full and robust understanding. I don't think any responsible government addressing health care would guide its policy strictly on polling, so I take issue with that, Mr. Chair.

[Gord Johns, NDP, Courtenay—Alberni, BC]

Well, I can't think of any government doing polling on health care policy and health care decisions. That's my response to that.

Now, we know that there is nowhere in this country—no territory or province, even the Alberta model, which has one therapeutic centre built out of the proposed 13—where we have treatment on demand. I don't think we need to go and poll the public to see that we need to scale it up.

Why has your government not found a way through the jurisdictional quagmire, like you did through COVID, to ensure that we have a treatment and recovery program on demand to meet people where they're at now?

[Ya'ara Saks, Liberal, York Centre, ON]

As I stated earlier, this is exactly why, in addition to the $200 billion of agreements, of which $25 billion is towards mental health as a key principle, we're making these investments in health jurisdictions. This is why we put $595 million towards over 400 projects through the SUAP. This is why this government has put $1 billion on the table to address substance use and the overdose crisis in this country since 2016.

[Gord Johns, NDP, Courtenay—Alberni, BC]

You have the Canada drugs and substances strategy, and it's just that: a strategy. There is no timeline; there are no dollars tied to that timeline. Portugal took an approach where it had a timeline and had resources tied to the timeline. Minister, you have still not laid out a plan. We had an auto summit. I asked you repeatedly when we're going to have a first ministers' summit on this crisis. I'm not saying that auto theft isn't an issue, but this is a real issue.

You said that you were going to reinstate the expert task force. We have not heard explained or been told how that's going to roll out. When is the expert task force going to roll out? When are we going to have a first ministers' meeting? When are you going to actually table a plan with a timeline? People are dying rapidly. You don't need to do more polling to figure that out.

[Ya'ara Saks, Liberal, York Centre, ON]

Through you, Mr. Chair, I thank the member for his question.

I believe we are on a plan. The CDSS is exactly that. However, every agreement that has been signed with every jurisdiction is attached to a work plan—their plans of what they know best for their communities and the investments they need to make in addressing the mental health and substance use crisis.

That being said, we continue to work with them. We continue to add additional investments, whether it's through SUAP in the most recent round of $144 million or whether it's through the emergency treatment fund, which will be rolling out in the fall. We have to work with jurisdictions and we have to work with communities. They know best.

[Gord Johns, NDP, Courtenay—Alberni, BC]

Minister, it's still spending less than 1% of what your government spent in response to COVID. Why? It's because of the stigma. That is so clear and evident right now.

[The Chair, Liberal, Sean Casey]

Minister, please make your response brief. We're out of time.

[Ya'ara Saks, Liberal, York Centre, ON]

We are addressing this as a public health crisis with the utmost priority.

[The Chair, Liberal, Sean Casey]

Thank you.

Next is Ms. Goodridge, please, for five minutes.

[Laila Goodridge, Conservative, Fort McMurray—Cold Lake, AB]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Madam Minister, a supervised injection facility recently opened in Montreal's Saint‑Henri neighbourhood, a stone's throw from a school and day care centre. Children must take detours to avoid people who are shooting up drugs on the sidewalk. A lawyer familiar with the matter has described the situation as a “circus.”

When my colleague, Gérard Deltell, asked you about this, you said that you didn't know about the site.

What can you tell parents who are understandably worried?

[Ya'ara Saks, Liberal, York Centre, ON]

Through you, Mr. Chair, I thank the member for her question.

The member should know that this is a provincial safe consumption site that was authorized. It is regulated and operated by the province. In my own perspective, and certainly as a mother and as minister, as I've said repeatedly and say here now, public health and public safety are a priority in addressing the overdose crisis. However, in doing so, we also have to meet people where they're at—in the community—to have accessible health care, which is what safe consumption sites are.

[Laila Goodridge, Conservative, Fort McMurray—Cold Lake, AB]

Thank you, Madam Minister.

The Maison Benoît Labre, the safe consumption site that I just referred to, isn't on the list of authorized sites on Health Canada's website. Instead, it's on the list of sites still awaiting authorization. Is this site not authorized?

[Ya'ara Saks, Liberal, York Centre, ON]

It currently has an open application, yes.

[Laila Goodridge, Conservative, Fort McMurray—Cold Lake, AB]

Effectively, there are these injection sites that require having an exemption under section 56.1 of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act. It can have an open application with Health Canada, not be approved by Health Canada and be allowed to operate. Is that correct?

[Ya'ara Saks, Liberal, York Centre, ON]

As I stated, this site is operated and was authorized under provincial jurisdiction.

[Laila Goodridge, Conservative, Fort McMurray—Cold Lake, AB]

Has an exemption been given to La Maison Benoît-Labre?

[Ya'ara Saks, Liberal, York Centre, ON]

I believe the member answered her own question when she referred to the website.

[Laila Goodridge, Conservative, Fort McMurray—Cold Lake, AB]

How is it allowed to legally operate if there has not been an exemption given?

[Ya'ara Saks, Liberal, York Centre, ON]

Safe consumption sites are part of health care. Harm reduction is health care. I feel that I may need to remind the member of that.

[Laila Goodridge, Conservative, Fort McMurray—Cold Lake, AB]

I would also remind the minister that words matter. It is not safe; it is supervised. Her own website actually even says it is supervised.

Effectively, there are injection sites operating that do not have the legally required exemptions through the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, and you're completely A-okay with this.

[Ya'ara Saks, Liberal, York Centre, ON]

I will remind the member that from the health care lens we are operating in, harm reduction is a key pillar of health care service provision, which does include safe consumption sites and overdose crisis sites. That being said, with regard to her specific question on this site, I will defer to officials.

[Jennifer Saxe]

Thanks very much.

I'll just clarify that for the exemptions, there are individual site-specific supervised consumption sites that can be authorized under section 56.1, as you noted.

There are also class exemptions that have been provided to each province and territory to enable them to authorize urgent public health needs under their own authority. Health Canada has issued a class exemption to provinces and territories, Quebec included. It is under that class exemption that the current supervised consumption site or overdose prevention site that you're referring to is operating.