Mr. Speaker, I want to also thank my hon. colleague, friend, and neighbour from Victoria for his speech. I am also thankful for the actions that I think all MPs are taking today in the House as we stand together in a non-partisan way. I thank my hon. friend, the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of the Environment, for his question about Vanessa's law.
I find it absolutely shocking, as we redress the wrong that was done to thalidomide victims. There is much more we can do to make sure the pharmaceutical industry is held to account, not just for past wrongs but so that we more adequately test and study drugs before they become registered.
I want to ask my hon. friend if he is aware of the fantastic work of the Therapeutics Initiative at the University of British Columbia and whether we should not bring in more of its approach. It does not allow itself to accept even a free lunch from the pharmaceutical industry. For every doctor in Canada, there are three drug sales people. Should we not ensure that there is no conflict of interest in the registration of pharmaceutical drugs?