Debates of March 10th, 2020

Health

[Bill Blair, Liberal, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to advise the member that there are, in fact, border measures in place. In fact, just last week, we implemented right across Canada, at all our land, rail and marine ports of entry, new regulations and requirements for our border officers to ask questions regarding the virus. That information is shared with the Public Health Agency of Canada and with first responders in the regions that are affected.

[Kristina Michaud, Bloc, Avignon—La Mitis—Matane—Matapédia, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I would remind the House that the governor of New York declared a state of emergency because of coronavirus. Hundreds of people travel from New York state to Canada by train and bus every day. All of our front-line workers say security procedures at border crossings are totally ad hoc.

Will the government inform customs officers and first responders in border communities about the coronavirus protocol immediately? If there is a protocol, will the government provide them with the necessary protection and reimburse any costs incurred?

[Bill Blair, Liberal, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness]

Mr. Speaker, the health and safety of Canadians is our first priority. The Canada Border Services Agency continues to work closely under the leadership of the Public Health Agency of Canada to ensure that all appropriate border measures are in place and are reflective of the risk to Canada and CBSA employees. Enhanced screening and detection processes have been added to all international airports as well as land, border, ferry and rail ports of entry.

Our officers stand ready to do their part to keep Canadians safe, and they have the tools to assist in this public health crisis. I take this opportunity to thank them for their service.

[Matt Jeneroux, Conservative, Edmonton Riverbend, AB]

Mr. Speaker, it is vital that the public have confidence in their health care system and feel that Canada is prepared for a potential COVID-19 outbreak. As provinces and hospitals warn that they are not prepared, action by the government needs to be taken. We know COVID-19 does not respect borders and that the list of high-risk countries continues to grow.

Is the government prepared to consider expanding vigorous screening measures, mandatory quarantine and stopping incoming flights from these new areas?

[Patty Hajdu, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member of Parliament for being so engaged on this file.

As he said in his question, this virus knows no borders. It is very incumbent on all of us to remember that this virus is spread from person to person quite easily. We have cases, as we know, here in Canada, and there are cases in 104 countries as of now. The measures we have taken at the border are targeted, based on evidence and done in a manner to protect the health and safety of Canadians, and focus our public health resources where they can best do so.

[Pierre Paul-Hus, Conservative, Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the union representing border service officers is concerned about the fact that Health Canada does not have a presence in airports. The Public Health Agency of Canada says it is implementing every possible measure to reduce the impact of the crisis, but the union's president, Mr. Fortin, disputes that claim, saying nobody on the front lines is seeing that.

Canada is doing okay for now, but we know that the number of cases is sure to go up, just like in other parts of the world. Who is telling the truth? The Prime Minister or the experts at the border?

[Bill Blair, Liberal, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness]

Mr. Speaker, let me be very clear. The Canada Border Services Agency has been working very closely with the Public Health Agency of Canada and with Health Canada to ensure that all of the appropriate border measures are in place and that we are supporting CBSA officers as they do their important jobs.

I have spoken to the head of the CBSA union, Mr. Fortin, on a number of occasions. I asked him if he had any concerns. We discussed this very extensively and we have made sure that our officers are ready to their jobs. They are equipped with the tools they need to assist in this public health crisis and equipped with the measures and tools to keep them safe while they do their jobs.

[Colin Carrie, Conservative, Oshawa, ON]

Mr. Speaker, while the Prime Minister is playing on his cellphone, Canadians are concerned with the rapid spread of COVID-19. The CBC is reporting that a traveller from northern Italy landed in Toronto without being screened. David Gosine said, “Nobody did a temperature check.... There was nothing, really.”

Could the minister tell us why travellers from high-risk areas like Italy are being allowed to enter Canada without any screening?

[Patty Hajdu, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, we are following science and evidence in a way that is protecting the lives of Canadians. It is of utmost importance that the measures we put into place have the most effect in protecting Canadians' wellness and safety. That is exactly what we have done. We have not done that alone. This is with the best scientific evidence from Canada, through partnership with the World Health Organization recommendations.

We will continue to do what is right for Canadians all across this country.

[Kerry-Lynne Findlay, Conservative, South Surrey—White Rock, BC]

Mr. Speaker, my daughter and family live directly across from Lynn Valley Care Centre in B.C., where a resident has died of COVID-19. One of the centre's infected health care workers was B.C.'s first case of community transmission, not due to travel or contact with a known carrier. B.C.'s health officer stated, “This is one of the scenarios that we have been...most concerned about.”

Will the Liberal government ensure that travellers from high-risk countries entering Canada undergo vigorous screening processes and mandatory quarantine upon entry?

[Patty Hajdu, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to point out that the case that the member opposite is referring to would not have been detected under a mandatory quarantine or anything at the border because, in fact, it was a case of community transmission.

Our hearts go out to the people of the nursing home who have been affected, in particular to the family of the person who lost his life. It is important to recognize that the Province of B.C. is actively involved in containing this illness by detecting cases, by sampling and testing individuals in communities that are affected, and by making sure they have full knowledge of what is happening in communities.

I want to thank the hard-working public health officials and health officials in general who are doing this hard work for us.

[Don Davies, NDP, Vancouver Kingsway, BC]

Mr. Speaker, Canada's hospitals are warning they are at risk of losing control of the COVID-19 outbreak and now doctors are sounding the alarm over the shortage of ventilators we will need in the event of widespread infection, and yet it was just yesterday that the Liberal government wrote to premiers to find out what their needs are. That is a failure of emergency preparedness.

When will the government release a detailed inventory of all the medical resources Canada needs to respond to a more severe outbreak?

[Patty Hajdu, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the Prime Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister for echoing my letter to the ministers of health, which actually went out quite some time ago, to ask them for advice in terms what they think they will need to supplement their supplies.

The ministers of health and I have been meeting for two and a half months, once a week by teleconference, to ensure that we actually know what we need to do together. This is an important part of working together as a country.

I am so thrilled with the support of the ministers of health from every province and territory. They have made themselves available in such a comprehensive way so we can ensure that we are working together to protect the health and safety of Canadians.

Indigenous Affairs

[Niki Ashton, NDP, Churchill—Keewatinook Aski, MB]

Mr. Speaker, today when I called on the Liberals to address the potential crisis of coronavirus on first nations, they tried to shut me down. The government does not get it.

The Liberals advised regular hand washing. How does one do that without running water? They advised self-isolation. That is impossible with a housing crisis of 12 to 20 people living in a home. In places like the Island Lake or Cross Lake regions, there are thousands of people and no hospital in sight. People are worried.

Can a regular member of the Prime Minister's coronavirus committee please stand up and tell us what they are doing to ensure first nations and Inuit communities are supported now?

[Marc Miller, Liberal, Minister of Indigenous Services]

Mr. Speaker, I will remind the member opposite that in budget 2019, way before the coronavirus broke out, we invested $79 million over five years to improve and prepare support for health emergencies and health-related impacts of natural disasters and health disasters on reserves. This includes dedicated support for one health emergency management coordinator in every region and two coordinators in Ontario and Manitoba.

We know that first nations and Inuit are susceptible and more vulnerable to coronavirus. We are prepared as a ministry to engage in surge activities should they be required. Let me say that we are ready to act and we are working closely with those communities in order to augment their capacity.

Health

[Francis Scarpaleggia, Liberal, Lac-Saint-Louis, QC]

Mr. Speaker, representatives of the Heart and Stroke Foundation are on Parliament Hill today. They are meeting with MPs to discuss the important work being done by the foundation. These people are passionate about defending the health and well-being of Canadians.

Could the Minister of Health tell the House about the support the government is providing to this important organization, which is doing vital work for Canadians?

[Patty Hajdu, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for Lac-Saint-Louis for his question.

We partnered with the Heart and Stroke Foundation because of the, as the member says, important work it does to promote healthy lifestyles for Canadians. It is good for all of us.

Since 2016 we have invested more than $5 million in the Heart and Stroke Foundation to support programs like Activate and its work to better understand women's brain and heart health, building on the $1.5 billion that the Heart and Stroke Foundation has invested in research since 1956.

We know that there is so much more to do. I thank the Heart and Stroke Foundation for the work that it is doing to keep Canadians healthy and make them healthier.

Ethics

[Michael Barrett, Conservative, Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister promised openness and transparency, but yesterday at the ethics committee that proved to be more empty promises. The Liberals voted to shut down a study of the “Trudeau II Report”, but they could not do it alone. The Prime Minister made a deal with the Bloc Québécois to prop up his minority. It is the return of the Liberal-Bloc coalition. The Prime Minister obstructed the investigation and muzzled witnesses. Canadians deserve the truth.

What did the Prime Minister give the Bloc Québécois to cover up his corruption?

[Pablo Rodriguez, Liberal, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, my colleague seems to be quite agitated. I can assure him that the Bloc Québécois is perfectly capable of defending itself.

As for the committees of the House, they are independent and make their own decisions.

[Jacques Gourde, Conservative, Lévis—Lotbinière, QC]

Mr. Speaker, at the Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics, the conniving Bloc twice supported the Liberal government's cover-up and muzzled the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner over the “Trudeau II Report” on the Prime Minister's interference in a criminal matter.

I would like to know what the Bloc got from the Liberal government in exchange for basely supporting its ploy.

[Pablo Rodriguez, Liberal, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, I can sense my colleague's interest in committee work. I invite him to read the rules of the House committees, which clearly indicate that committees are masters of their own destiny and make their own decisions.

[Alain Rayes, Conservative, Richmond—Arthabaska, QC]

Mr. Speaker, given that today is budget day in Quebec, this is a good time to address the economic downturn. At the federal level, it is a free for all, with $50 million for Mastercard, $12 million for Loblaws so it can change its fridges, $5,000 for some coat hooks and $14,000 for a single television set. The Bloc Québécois supported that spending by voting with the government on the budget.

When will the Liberals and the Bloc stop cozying up at taxpayers' expense by accepting these completely outrageous expenditures?

[Pablo Rodriguez, Liberal, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, I did not expect to have to defend the Bloc Québécois. The Bloc Québécois is perfectly capable of defending itself and answering these questions. If they want to ask these kinds of questions, they can discuss them outside the House—

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

Order.

The hon. Leader of the Government in the House of Commons may continue.