Evidence of meeting #13 for International Trade in the 45th Parliament, 1st session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was negotiations.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Judy Sgro
Is that okay, Mr. Savard-Tremblay? We'll deal with this at the next meeting so we can complete our few minutes with the witnesses.
Bloc
Simon-Pierre Savard-Tremblay Bloc Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot—Acton, QC
I thought the plan for the next meeting was a study with witnesses.
Simon-Pierre Savard-Tremblay Bloc Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot—Acton, QC
The agenda for Thursday's meeting was—
Liberal
Bloc
Simon-Pierre Savard-Tremblay Bloc Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot—Acton, QC
Do we absolutely have to discuss this at the beginning of the meeting? We could take 15 minutes at the end to talk about it. That would be enough, especially since, by then, we'll have had time to talk about it. That will probably reduce the amount of time for debate here.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Judy Sgro
That's a good idea, I think.
We're going back to our witnesses.
Mr. Fonseca, go ahead, please.
Liberal
Peter Fonseca Liberal Mississauga East—Cooksville, ON
Thank you, witnesses, for your patience and for the opportunity to still get some questions in.
This is for Madame Messier and Madame Desrochers.
Many countries are adopting new cultural frameworks for their online platforms. How does Canada's approach compare to them internationally?
French-Speaking Co-Chair, Coalition for the Diversity of Cultural Expressions
Canada's current actions are consistent with this trend, particularly with the passage of Bill C‑11 on online streaming. There seems to be a desire to regulate the platforms. Quebec has also taken certain measures, Australia just passed legislation on this, and the European community already has a regulatory framework. This is very much part of a global trend.
Liberal
Peter Fonseca Liberal Mississauga East—Cooksville, ON
Thank you.
Now I'll go to Ms. Hamelin.
Ms. Hamelin, you brought up that certain drugs are not getting to Canadians until three years later...compared to some of our counterparts, like the United States and Europe. I'm not sure if that's for all countries.
Is this a red tape issue? Why are we seeing that kind of three-year delay? Are there also delays at the provincial level in getting some of the pharmaceuticals to Canadians?
President and Chief Executive Officer, Innovative Medicines Canada
There are delays at every step of the way. The first step is the regulatory approval by Health Canada, which regulates whether a new medicine is safe and effective. That process takes about a year.
There is in legislation what's called reliance, where Canada can rely on other regulators that are credible and are ahead of time. That is one step.
After that step, there is what's called a pharmacoeconomic analysis, which takes another six to eight months. After that, negotiations occur between the manufacturer and the pan-Canadian Pharmaceutical Alliance. It usually takes up to six months for a file to be picked up after Canada's Drug Agency has taken up the file. The provinces may not list the medicine, even when the pan-Canadian Pharmaceutical Alliance, which negotiates on their behalf, has arrived at a price with the manufacturer.
At every step of the way there are delays. It's a mix of red tape and capacity in the system.
It's definitely not a system that is globally competitive. In this time of trade negotiations and trade wars, this is not a good environment to operate in.
Liberal
Peter Fonseca Liberal Mississauga East—Cooksville, ON
Ms. Hamelin, right now in Parliament, there are a number of things.... We're looking at balancing innovation, affordability and trade obligations. Of course, we're trying to get pharmaceuticals to Canadians, but we also want to get them at an affordable price.
I think about Canada and what it's done for the world with insulin. We gave insulin to the world for free. I know that is not done today, but we have to find a reasonable price for Canadian consumers when we talk about affordability. This is for Canadians, Europe and the world.
How do you think we should do that as parliamentarians?
President and Chief Executive Officer, Innovative Medicines Canada
The global trade system is shifting, and it's crucial that patients are not the collateral damage of that trade system. Canada needs a competitive business environment to keep pharmaceutical supply chains stable, and we need to demonstrate that we value innovation by reducing red tape, accelerating access and streamlining processes so that Canadians can have access to the medicines they need.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Judy Sgro
Thank you very much.
Thank you to our witnesses. We appreciate the valuable information you shared with us today.
I will now move adjournment of our meeting.