Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I'd like to start by lending my voice to why I think this particular meeting is needed. The way I see it, we are asking the minister to appear for two different, very separate reasons.
The original request was to have the minister deal with the run-of-the-mill type of housekeeping that every committee deals with at the commencement of every session and, of course, a new Parliament.
We have the fall economic statement to discuss, as well as mandate letters, and the supplementary estimates, etc. I certainly doubt that our Liberal colleagues would dismiss any of these as being unworthy of committee time. I also doubt that they would dismiss the severity of this ongoing omicron variant that is sweeping across Canada and the world. It's certainly putting pressure on health care systems all over the world.
I am confident that Canadians at home watching this would agree that it deserves a dedicated meeting between us, the members of the Standing Committee on Health, and the minister. As members of this committee, we need to be able to do our jobs. Right now, that requires the minister's undivided attention, which I am certain he'd be more than happy to provide.
There's another unique benefit for our meeting here on a specific matter. This variant, along with massive surges in the number of cases, has also brought on a massive surge in division and rhetoric. Unfortunately, we've grown accustomed to seeing theories targeting those who are vaccinated, or insults and demeaning comments aimed towards those who cannot be or choose not to get vaccinated. Both are unfortunate and both are wrong, but both were expected.
What was not expected was hearing these comments coming out of the mouths of our leaders. Sadly, it's unacceptable, unbecoming and undeserving of anyone in high office, or in any office. For the Prime Minister to bring the character of any of my constituents of Hastings—Lennox and Addington into question over their vaccination status is deplorable.
I am fully vaccinated. I got my booster this week. Vaccines work. However, I do respect the decision of those who chose not to get vaccinated. As parliamentarians in an institution that's been created to represent all Canadians from coast to coast to coast, it is incumbent upon us to approach this issue as a committee with the goal of finding the solution to both the question of omicron and of vaccine hesitancy.
The only thing that most Canadians see is all of us at each other's throats in five-second sound bites or snide blasts on Twitter. That is not the Canada we know, and I have every intent to be forthright, productive and a voice for my constituents. We need to invest in education and encouraging prevention and a healthy focus. We need to lead by example, instead of division. Working together, and positively, I believe that we can do this. We can do it here, not as Liberals, not as Tories, not as Bloquistes or NDPers, but as parliamentarians and as Canadians on this health committee.