Evidence of meeting #5 for Health in the 45th Parliament, 1st session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was program.
A video is available from Parliament.
Conservative
The Vice-Chair Conservative Dan Mazier
Do you realize that you're taking up more time so that you can't find your answer?
Liberal
Doug Eyolfson Liberal Winnipeg West, MB
I have a point of order.
Once other speakers finished their questions, even if the time was up, witnesses have been allowed to answer the question.
Conservative
The Vice-Chair Conservative Dan Mazier
Please go ahead and answer the question briefly. You have 15 seconds.
Assistant Deputy Minister, Controlled Substances and Cannabis Branch, Department of Health
Thank you.
When B.C. came in to seek an exemption, it was part of a comprehensive approach. We put in place requirements in a letter from the minister to B.C. to monitor, very closely, the progress on decriminalization as it related to the uptake of background services.
Conservative
The Vice-Chair Conservative Dan Mazier
You got your answer.
I would ask again to please table those remarks and all the results from that study, please. .
Mr. Bailey, you have five minutes.
Just so everybody knows, it'll be Mr. Bailey, Ms. Chi and Mr. Thériault for two and a half minutes, and that will be the end of the round.
Conservative
Burton Bailey Conservative Red Deer, AB
Deputy Minister, you testified last week that nicotine pouches are less harmful sources of nicotine.
If using nicotine pouches is less harmful than smoking cigarettes and if the Government of Canada's tobacco strategy is to reduce tobacco use to less than 5% by 2035, why is the government making it more difficult to access less harmful sources of nicotine, like pouches, over cigarettes?
Deputy Minister, Department of Health
Nicotine pouches continue to be available for those seeking them, but the decision—
Conservative
Burton Bailey Conservative Red Deer, AB
The minister gave us that answer before. I know about youth.
What I'm looking for is the answer that you're looking at reintroducing them into convenience stores.
Deputy Minister, Department of Health
The answer I can give, through the chair, is that we'll continue to monitor the situation.
If there's evidence that the concerns expressed by health professionals around unintended use by youth are no longer an issue, Health Canada would review the oversight mechanisms that currently exist for the sale of nicotine replacement therapies.
Conservative
Burton Bailey Conservative Red Deer, AB
Mark Holland was on a personal crusade to ban pouches except at pharmacy counters. This makes it much easier to purchase a pack of smokes than it is to find alternatives to cigarettes like pouches so that Canadians can quit smoking.
How does that make any sense, Deputy Minister?
Deputy Minister, Department of Health
At the time of the former minister's decision, there were concerns expressed about the appeal of these products and the availability of products to youth. The minister took some steps in response to that.
Conservative
Burton Bailey Conservative Red Deer, AB
His personal crusade, yes....
Given the Liberal government and the minister have identified speeding up drug approvals as a priority of national and economic significance, what has the department done to pursue regulatory reform and speed up drug approvals in Canada?
October 9th, 2025 / 12:55 p.m.
Deputy Minister, Department of Health
Thank you for the question.
We have made a number of commitments in respect of continuing to support increased access to treatments for Canadians. One of the initiatives we're committed to is to work more closely with our international regulatory partners in terms of work sharing and reliance, and we'll be taking further steps in that regard.
Conservative
Burton Bailey Conservative Red Deer, AB
Thank you.
It's working with other countries, so it's not really Canadian-based. That was the answer I was looking for.
I'm going to jump around to Oxaro again. Are we going to claw back any money for their failures, or are we just going to allow them to have the $36 million that they took to the bank and allow them to laugh at us? Are we clawing back that money, or are we just allowing them to keep $36 million of taxpayer money?
President, Public Health Agency of Canada
Thank you very much for the question.
We have an audit in place right now that is looking very carefully at all of the expenditures and processes. We look forward to the results of that audit to inform appropriate actions moving forward.
Conservative
Burton Bailey Conservative Red Deer, AB
All I can say is, when? I think Canadians deserve more of an answer. The fact that they are still running this is appalling.
I'm going to go to another question.
Again, is it easier to pick up a pack of cigarettes? Why are you so against the appeal of convenience stores selling nicotine replacement pouches? You keep telling me that it's about youth, but I don't buy that. I think of the person who has quit smoking and needs a nicotine replacement.
Why won't you allow the convenience stores to sell this?
Deputy Minister, Department of Health
The pouches continue to be available through pharmacies, as we've discussed around this table—
Conservative
Burton Bailey Conservative Red Deer, AB
Yes, and alcohol is sold in stores. You've told us the same answer now three times. I'm going to quit asking it.
I'm going to move over to the Canada Health Act again. The minister indicated that she is looking at access, which is one of the five pillars of the Canada Health Act. Are you aware of any things you've been looking at in terms of changes to the Canada Health Act?
Deputy Minister, Department of Health
The government remains committed to publicly funded and universal health care for everyone, which the Canada Health Act protects.
Conservative
The Vice-Chair Conservative Dan Mazier
That's okay. That's what you get for an answer.
Could you table any of those results of the question?
