Mr. Speaker, Health Canada's ability to ensure the health and safety of Canadians has been called into question once again.
The B.C. Ear Bank was shut down in October after local officials discovered shoddy record keeping. They could not determine whether tissues had been properly screened for diseases such as HIV or hepatitis. All tissues have been recalled and officials say that anyone who has received tissue since 1975 should undergo testing.
Concerns about the clinic were raised in the early 1990s and again in 1998. Is this another tainted blood scandal?
Canadians deserve to know why action was not taken when red flags went up in the 1990s. Why did Health Canada wait until yesterday to inform Canadians when the clinic was shut down in October? What national standards are in place to prevent such problems from occurring in the first place?
This afternoon those questions will be placed on the Order Paper. We expect clear answers from the government.