Industry Committee on Feb. 25th, 2021

[Dr. Karen Mossman]

I would disagree. I would think that we are incredibly competent across the country. We have experts at all of our universities and, in many ways and in many aspects, Canadian scientists lead.

I think what we're seeing here is that ability to bring everyone together and to integrate all of that knowledge in a way that's really focused on the task at hand. That is something which I think is a good outcome of the pandemic. We have learned to be much more open, much more transparent and much more collaborative. I would argue that we do have some of the top researchers and capabilities in the country.

[Dr. James Taylor]

Could I add to that point, please?

[Helena Jaczek, Liberal, Markham—Stouffville, ON]

It is my time, Mr. Taylor.

I'd like to follow up on the issue of collaboration with you, Dr. Mossman, and potentially with you, Mr. Taylor.

I was most interested in hearing what you had to say.

Dr. Nemer told us that, in her view or to her knowledge, there were some 200 vaccines under potential development in Canada, so the task force had a mammoth task, presumably, to filter through all these and look at clinical data and so on.

Would you not see collaboration between proponents, academia and manufacturing facilities as a way forward, and could you elaborate on how that might be operationalized?

[Dr. Karen Mossman]

This is exactly what we are proposing with Canada's Global Nexus, to bring together not just academics but industry, public health and government organizations to do exactly that so that we are working and leveraging all of the knowledge and infrastructure in a really systematic and collaborative way. That is exactly what Canada's Global Nexus is all about.

[Helena Jaczek, Liberal, Markham—Stouffville, ON]

Mr. Taylor, would you like to comment, since you are so enthusiastic?

[Dr. James Taylor]

Yes, I would like to comment. I think the questions around Canadian scientific abilities are not correct.

First, I'll give some examples. For example, the leading antibody therapeutic was developed here in Canada. The leading technologies for the delivery of the RNA vaccines were developed here in Canada. Canada has tremendous scientific abilities.

I think this panel is very helpful for understanding what we could have done better or what happened, but I think also we could be looking at what unique opportunities have arisen out of this crisis.

In times of crisis, interesting things happen. We've seen technologies like the ones we're involved in, others in Canada and other good companies, institutions and academics around RNA vaccines or other vaccine technologies. We should be thinking hard about how we capitalize on this opportunity, in addition to trying to get through the current major challenge we have, and really build the Canada we want for the future around these new abilities.

[Helena Jaczek, Liberal, Markham—Stouffville, ON]

Thank you.

I believe I have a little time left. I'd like to turn to Dr. Kobinger.

I read the conflict of interest protocol for the vaccine task force. To me, at least from what I see on paper, it is very robust. I'm wondering if you could explain the particular breach that you feel has been made with those conflict of interest guidelines. As an example, at the start of each meeting, co-chairs ask members to declare any conflicts with the agenda items, and they are asked to recuse themselves. Was that enacted in the time that you were on the task force?

[Dr. Gary Kobinger]

I believe it was. That being said, I was surprised and somehow alarmed, honestly, to discover conflict of interest that I didn't remember hearing during these meetings publicly, including for example, from one of the members that was.... The institution was receiving millions of dollars, and the claim was that she was not in conflict of interest because it was not her receiving the money in her pocket, but the process, I think, was in place.

Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Sherry Romanado]

Thank you very much.

That brings us to the end of the third round.

I'd like to thank all of the witnesses and our MPs today for excellent questions and excellent testimony. This has been very helpful for us.

With that, I will bid you adieu and thank you for your time today.

Before we adjourn, I want to remind the members of Parliament to please get their witness lists for the aerospace industry study to the clerk preferably by end of day tomorrow so that we can start inviting folks and make sure that the headsets that they require have time to get to them. Please send your lists to the clerk in priority order preferably. It doesn't need to be a complete list. If you have additional witnesses you'd like to include after, feel free to send those along.

Again, thank you to the clerk, to our analysts and to everyone in the room that makes everything that we do possible.

I want to sincerely thank the interpreters for their work.

With that, this meeting is adjourned.