Health Committee on Nov. 1st, 2023

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

Okay.

In the mandate letter, there is a commitment of $4.5 billion over five years—straight up—for a mental health transfer. We are post-COVID and a lot of people are still suffering. In fact, more people are suffering now than pre-COVID. I'd say we did an okay job helping people get through COVID, but right now COVID recovery needs to come in the form of mental health and a response to that.

Are you going to push for the $4.5-billion promise, since $1.5 billion was supposed to be spent by now? Are you committed to that, or is it a broken promise? This is on top of the 2017 commitment and bilaterals.

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

I thank the member for his question. I appreciate his strong advocacy in this area.

As you mentioned, the 2017 commitment is still ongoing, and those funds are still being distributed. We've made that commitment. That funding will be there.

In our work with provinces and territories.... The conclusion we came to in February during our collective discussions with our counterparts was that the best way to provide mental health care for our communities is through an integrated care approach. That is what we are doing.

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

The transfer is cryptic. It's going into four priority areas, but we don't how much is going in. The $4.5 billion was promised on top of the 2017 amount. I'm calling on you, urgently, to roll out a $4.5-billion mental health transfer as a COVID recovery response measure.

In terms of the toxic drug crisis, you have a renewed Canadian drugs and substances strategy. I'm glad to see that it's an integrated, coordinated and compassionate model. Compassion means action. Where are the timeline and the plan to respond to this crisis with resources and targets?

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

I thank the member for the question.

The launch of the CDSS was on Monday. A key thing that we anchored in this renewal of the CDSS was to look at this from a very integrated approach. That means 15 departments will be involved in rolling out the strategy going forward.

We are in the process of putting the consultations together to ensure that we have cross-pollination of policies and successful outcomes in the rollout. At this point in time, we don't have a specific timeline, but work is ongoing. We also announced on Monday 52 projects under SUAP that will be continuing that work.

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

Minister, almost 40,000 people have died.

Since your government came to power in 2016, you've spent less than 1% in terms of responding to the toxic drug crisis versus what you've spent on COVID-19. That is purely from the stigma that's attached to what's going on. I want to know when your government's going to prioritize this issue and give it an urgent response.

Why hasn't the Prime Minister held a first ministers meeting with all of the premiers, given that in my home province it's the leading cause of death for people aged 59 and under?

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

I thank the member for the question.

You're right. We've spent about a billion dollars to date on the overdose crisis. We continue to make commitments towards it.

On the number of deaths that you are referring to, I would also say that we've overturned nearly 50,000 overdoses during that time. We've had 4.1 million individuals visit safe consumption sites. We've distributed over 1.5 million naloxone kits, which also go to saving lives.

To insinuate that the government has done nothing.... I don't really see that.

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

I didn't say nothing. I'm saying this: In a health crisis, incrementalism costs lives. We demonstrated the urgent way we can respond and overcome barriers. We broke down barriers in all levels of government to respond to COVID-19. We need to do that here.

You know I went to Portugal this summer. I learned from the Portuguese about what an integrated, compassionate and coordinated model looks like. I also learned what a health-based emergency looks like. They rolled that out. They had 250 people on methadone. They scaled that up to 35,000. The army came in, built labs and produced it at cost. They built 96 therapeutic treatment centres to create just-in-time treatment.

When is your government going to respond to it like the health emergency that it is?

Portugal had 100,000 chronic, problematic drug users. We have 100,000 in B.C. alone, and we're half of the population. When are you and your government going to react like other countries around the world?

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

I thank the member for the question.

I would say that we are responding. We have ongoing programs in place.

I would also say that we recently met with our counterparts in Charlottetown. Province by province, we wouldn't necessarily always agree on the treatment programs, prevention and harm reduction plans, as each province has its lens in health care on what it would to do, but there was a strong commitment with my counterparts around the table to ensure that we are working together. We have actually agreed to meet quarterly now because we understand the urgency.

This will take an all-level-of-government approach. It is not for the federal government to solely dictate how we intervene in this. There's no one silver bullet. We won't be able to overcome the toxic drug supply or the overdose crisis in a split second. It will take time, planning and commitment from all levels of government to do it together.

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

What's impressive for me is that we found a way to break down barriers within hours during COVID-19. Here we are eight years in. I'm looking to you, Minister, to break down those barriers and demonstrate a real sense of urgency. There are things that we all agree on around this table. Let's advance them.

Are you willing to do that? Are you willing to bring the premiers together, work with the Prime Minister and come up with an urgent—actually urgent—response to this crisis?

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

As I said, the first step towards that—

[The Chair, Liberal, Sean Casey]

That's the last question. Answer briefly, please, and then we'll go to who's next.

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

As I said, I have asked my counterparts and they've responded to have us meet on a quarterly basis to begin to address that urgency.

[The Chair, Liberal, Sean Casey]

Thank you, Minister.

Thank you, Mr. Johns.

Next is Mr. Majumdar, please, for five minutes.

[Shuv Majumdar, Conservative, Calgary Heritage, AB]

Thank you.

Minister, it's good to see you.

I'm curious. Are you aware of which year drug policy was moved from justice to health?

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

I don't have that history, but I'm happy to ask officials.

[Shuv Majumdar, Conservative, Calgary Heritage, AB]

It was in 2016.

Are you going to allow medical assistance in dying for addictions?

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

Medical assistance in dying in terms of mental illness as the sole.... Could he clarify what he means by that, please?

[Shuv Majumdar, Conservative, Calgary Heritage, AB]

Are you going to permit MAID for addictions as a prescription—as an option?

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

As the member well knows, the guardrails around MAID are for individuals who have a condition that is irremediable and terminal and has not been answerable to any other forms of treatment.

[Shuv Majumdar, Conservative, Calgary Heritage, AB]

Do you believe that addictions qualify in that realm?

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

I believe that each individual who has a substance-use health issue has a different path and a different series of complex needs that need to be assessed, and there are experts who are far more qualified to determine what the—

[Shuv Majumdar, Conservative, Calgary Heritage, AB]

You're the minister responsible for setting policy for this.

How many deaths happened because of the opioid crisis in the first quarter of last year?

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

I'll ask my officials to answer that question in terms of statistics.

[Shuv Majumdar, Conservative, Calgary Heritage, AB]

That's okay.

When this entire file was moved to health in 2016, what was the total number of deaths from the opioid crisis?

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

Could you answer, Stephen?