moved for leave to introduce Bill C-473, an act to ensure the necessary supply of patented drugs in cases of domestic emergency or to deal with crises in countries that receive assistance from Canada.
Madam Speaker, I am pleased to introduce this bill today. It is a bill that would give Canadians access to important medicines in the event of a biochemical attack and, at the same time, provide access to medication or medicine. It would also provide fair compensation to the pharmaceutical companies.
The bill would also provide that the government covers the cost of producing the drug while providing the manufacturer with a reasonable profit.
The bill would also allow for multiple producers to manufacture the drug and to ensure that the beneficial drugs be widely available to the Canadian public at a time of crisis.
(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)