Debates of Dec. 10th, 2018

Opioid Crisis in Canada

[John Oliver, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health, Lib.]

Mr. Chair, I want to thank all members tonight for their participation in this take-note debate. There have been some very touching and heartfelt stories. Every one of us is experiencing the impact of opioids on people in our ridings, and all of us have stories of people who have lost loved ones because of this crisis.

I want to go back to the words of the minister at the outset. She is deeply committed to addressing this issue. A top priority for her is the health of all Canadians, and this government is firmly committed to continue to address and work to resolve these issues. The debate tonight has been informative.

My hon. colleague mentioned how important it is that we work together across party lines to address this issue. I invite her one more time to talk about the importance of that all-party collaboration to get real results in this crisis.

[Hedy Fry, Liberal, Vancouver Centre, BC]

Mr. Chair, it was a crisis at the time 417 people died in one year in the Downtown Eastside. That crisis moved three different political parties and three different levels of government to decide that we were going to do whatever we needed to do, that we were going to put aside our differences, arguments and historic battles to get it done. At the time, we were able to create a safe injection site, which was a pilot project, for two years. We put a bubble zone around a spot in the Downtown Eastside where people could bring in these drugs and inject them themselves.

I had travelled to Switzerland, as had the mayor of Vancouver, and we saw this being done with great success. As I said before, we need to look at the model in Switzerland, where it has found a way, without decriminalizing or legalizing drugs, to get a safe source of drugs for people so they do not have to buy them on the street.

[The Assistant Deputy Chair, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

It being 11:13 p.m., pursuant to Standing Order 53.1, the committee will rise and I will leave the chair.

(Government Business No. 26 reported)

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

Accordingly, the House stands adjourned until tomorrow at 10 a.m., pursuant to Standing Order 24(1).

(The House adjourned at 11:13 p.m.)