Evidence of meeting #95 for Health in the 44th Parliament, 1st session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was medicago.
A recording is available from Parliament.
President and Chief Executive Officer, Medicago Inc.
We did not specify why the WHO may or may not approve our vaccine to the Canadian government.
First, the fact that PMI was a minority shareholder was already public information. Second, the WHO used a kind of exceptional treatment in the pandemic situation. We discussed with the WHO to prepare for our application, but when they reviewed it, the situation changed.
Conservative
Gérard Deltell Conservative Louis-Saint-Laurent, QC
What did they say at the time you had that kind of discussion with the government?
President and Chief Executive Officer, Medicago Inc.
Do you mean the Canadian government?
Conservative
President and Chief Executive Officer, Medicago Inc.
We just described our clinical data with the vaccine and got their suggestions so that we could prepare the applications.
Conservative
Gérard Deltell Conservative Louis-Saint-Laurent, QC
Did anyone from the Government of Canada mention to you at that point that the company included a tobacco products manufacturer and that the WHO would never recognize its work?
Did the government warn you about this, yes or no?
President and Chief Executive Officer, Medicago Inc.
To my personal knowledge, I don't have the answer to the question.
Conservative
Gérard Deltell Conservative Louis-Saint-Laurent, QC
Pardon me, but are you saying that you do not want to answer or that you cannot answer?
President and Chief Executive Officer, Medicago Inc.
I don't know the answer to the question of whether there was anybody from the Canadian government or whether we were notified about that.
Conservative
Gérard Deltell Conservative Louis-Saint-Laurent, QC
Ms. Marquis, can you provide any clarification on this?
Did anyone in your company warn the federal government about this?
Sarah Marquis Vice-President, Legal Affairs and Corporate Secretary, Medicago Inc.
There was no discussion about that. I want to clarify something. The World Health Organization does not control Canada's export products. The WHO approved the vaccine among the surplus vaccines donated by certain countries.
Conservative
Gérard Deltell Conservative Louis-Saint-Laurent, QC
Yet, the WHO did not recognize the company. When the WHO said in March 2022 that it would not recognize the vaccine, were you surprised or rather did you realize that you had failed to raise the issue that had been spelled out in black and white since 2005?
Vice-President, Legal Affairs and Corporate Secretary, Medicago Inc.
The WHO could have made a different decision. It made that decision based on the other options available at that time.
Conservative
Gérard Deltell Conservative Louis-Saint-Laurent, QC
So you took a chance that the WHO would accept it.
Is that correct?
Vice-President, Legal Affairs and Corporate Secretary, Medicago Inc.
During our discussions with the WHO at that time, it did not raise the issue.
Conservative
Gérard Deltell Conservative Louis-Saint-Laurent, QC
The government invested $173 million of taxpayer money in your company. Can you release the contracts that were signed?
Let us be clear, Mr. Tada.
We don't want to know the formula for the vaccination. We don't want to know that, but when we talk about taxpayer money, we need clarity and transparency.
Are you willing to release your contracts with the federal government, without disclosing any scientific secrets, so that we can find out how taxpayer money was spent at that time?
President and Chief Executive Officer, Medicago Inc.
First, I want to clarify that we acted in good faith to satisfy all the contracts we made with the government.
Second, regarding the advance purchase agreement with PSPC, we already agreed that access to the unredacted copy of the agreement can be granted to the public accounts committee so that it can review the agreement for the country.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Sean Casey
Thank you, Mr. Tada.
Thank you, Mr. Deltell.
Ms. Vignola, you have the floor for two and a half minutes.
Liberal
Marcus Powlowski Liberal Thunder Bay—Rainy River, ON
A lot has been made of the fact that the WHO didn't approve the vaccine. That was partly attributed to the framework convention on tobacco control. I have some familiarity with the framework convention on tobacco control. I was actually part of one intergovernmental negotiating body meeting when the treaty was being formed.
Ms. Marquis, I'm pretty sure of the answer to this question, but is there anything specific in the treaty that would prevent the WHO from approving a vaccine that was made by a company that was involved in the tobacco industry?
Vice-President, Legal Affairs and Corporate Secretary, Medicago Inc.
The treaty does refer to the fact that investments that can further the interest of the tobacco industry could be considered by the WHO.
Liberal
Vice-President, Legal Affairs and Corporate Secretary, Medicago Inc.
It is “could be”.
Liberal
