Debates of Jan. 26th, 2021

COVID-19 Vaccine

[Marcus Powlowski, Liberal, Thunder Bay—Rainy River, ON]

Madam Speaker, the member opposite claimed we could have had effective antivirals made right here in Canada. Could he please cite evidence to support that statement? What evidence does he have to back up this claim? Could he cite a randomized controlled trial, for example, that came to the conclusion that such a medicine could be produced in Canada?

I am a doctor. I have a Master of Public Health degree. I am interested in knowing. He is making a claim that I think is totally unsubstantiated.

[John Barlow, Conservative, Foothills, AB]

Madam Speaker, I appreciate working with my colleague on the health committee.

I had a conversation with the CEO of Solstar Pharma this afternoon and previously. The company is now going through its trials and its testing and getting close to completing its clinical testing in San Diego right now. It has a partnership with Western University and the Ontario government. The Quebec government is now coming on board.

This is the frustrating part. We are offering a potential solution and Solstar wants to be part of that solution, but there still is this disbelief. Is it disbelief that a Canadian company and Canadian skills and Canadian innovation can come up with this solution? I am asking my colleague to please, tomorrow, call Solstar Pharma and get this going.

[Paul Manly, Green, Nanaimo—Ladysmith, BC]

Madam Speaker, I agree with the hon. member that we needed a lot more transparency with this whole vaccine rollout and the plan. I would like to have seen the contracts for the manufacturing of vaccines in this country. I agree that we should be using Canadian ingenuity.

I heard a number of his colleagues today talking about the great legacy of Canada and our medical history. I know about insulin and about diphtheria. We were a world leader in providing vaccines to countries around the world, and the lab that was responsible for that was Connaught Laboratories. It was a public lab that was established in 1914 and it had a long-running legacy until it was privatized in 1984 by Prime Minister Brian Mulroney, a Conservative prime minister. Would the member like to see this model of a public lab reintroduced in Canada so that we can be on top of these things when we face the next pandemic or the next serious health issue?

[John Barlow, Conservative, Foothills, AB]

Madam Speaker, what my colleague is talking about is at the root of a larger issue that we need to discuss. When we are back on our feet a little bit, I would like to see a royal commission investigate the COVID-19 pandemic: what worked, what did not work, whether there were voids in the system and vaccine manufacturing distribution. All of those things should be part of that.

I do not want to make that contention now, but there should be a very through investigation on how the Liberal government handled this situation and what could be improved in the future.

[Jennifer O'Connell, Liberal, Pickering—Uxbridge, ON]

Madam Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity tonight to speak on this important matter. I am glad we are having this debate. It is incredibly important for Canadians to see parliamentarians discussing the health and safety and importance of the vaccines that are going to help us get through this pandemic.

There is no question that all Canadians and all members of the House want to see this health pandemic come to an end. There is no question that the economic recovery and rebuild is also going to be incredibly important, but until Canadians are healthy and safe, that needs to be Canada's number one priority. Obviously vaccines have been a critical part of this and I am really proud—

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Mrs. Alexandra Mendès), Alexandra Mendes]

I am sorry, but there is a point of order.

The Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Defence.

[Anita Vandenbeld, Liberal, Ottawa West—Nepean, ON]

Madam Speaker, I rise on a point of order. I believe the hon. member intended to split her time with the member for Winnipeg North.

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Mrs. Alexandra Mendès), Alexandra Mendes]

Does the hon. member concur?

[Jennifer O'Connell, Liberal, Pickering—Uxbridge, ON]

Madam Speaker, yes. I apologize.

Thank you. I am splitting my time with the hon. member for Winnipeg North.

That being said, vaccines are going to have an incredibly important role in getting us through this pandemic. That is why our government prioritized the signing of contracts and making sure that vaccines would be available in Canada. That work required a lot of information going into the background. This work began with our government back in July. At that time, there was so much uncertainty about vaccines, including their timing and when they would be safe and effective. That is just something that politicians and politics cannot control. It had to be science-led, which is exactly why our government made sure to have a diverse portfolio and to work with industry experts to prepare for all possible scenarios.

Frankly, the Pfizer delays for the next few weeks are disappointing, but demonstrate precisely how our government's plan was to diversify and to ensure that there would be a variety of vaccines and that once they were deemed safe and effective by Health Canada, Canada could then access them.

In addition to that, even prior to the vaccines' development, our government was working to ensure that we had all the materials we needed to help deal with the COVID-19 virus. That meant we heard early calls to ensure that we would have enough PPE, which we then delivered on, and calls for increasing rapid testing, which we again delivered on. Every step of the way, every twist and turn of this pandemic, we have been there for Canadians in ways that have been very responsive and fast, all things considered, given the dynamics of this pandemic globally and the global competition for all of these same materials.

To see Canada as one of the leaders in ensuring that we have these materials and vaccines for Canadians is precisely why I am very hopeful that we will be able to come out of this pandemic quickly, and also in ways that make us all stronger and, frankly, from which we can learn lessons to ensure that we have strategies in place, not just in pandemic times but throughout governments so that we always keep pandemic planning at the forefront.

Getting back to what we were discussing, which is the vaccines and their procurement, I have heard a lot of members during this debate talk about there being no plan. That could not be further from the truth. Our plan is precisely what we are debating. In fairness, I understand the role of members of the opposition. It is completely their duty and right to pose questions to the government, but there is a big difference between challenging the government or having a difference of opinion and spreading misinformation.

Some members have risen to the occasion in this debate by understanding what is on the line while supporting Canadians during this difficult time, but there are many who, frankly, have used this opportunity to spread misinformation and cause incredible confusion. They have done so for political gain. That is so disheartening. This is an opportunity, whether we all agree or not on the specifics of the rollout, for us to come together as a Parliament and as Canadians to step forward and work together on ensuring the health and safety of all Canadians.

To see members rise in this place but not rise to the occasion is, frankly, very disheartening. We should be discussing strategies and steps for moving forward as a Canadian government and as Canadian parliamentarians looking out for our friends and neighbours, not using this as an opportunity for whatever political game we might see. I remember that back in December Conservative members were claiming we were never going to get the vaccine or we were going to be last, and that did not happen. We had a plan, we stuck to it and we saw deliveries of vaccines in Canada.

We were one of the first countries to get vaccines, and the Conservatives looked deflated after that happened. They should have been elated. They should have been happy that vaccines were delivered for Canadians. Instead, they did not ask any questions about it until this point. There is no question that the Pfizer delay is something we are all disappointed about, but the suggestion that we have no vaccines in this country is simply false. We have over 1.1 million vaccines in Canada to date and we have more vaccines coming next week from Moderna and Pfizer, and as Health Canada continues its work and its reviews, if additional vaccine candidates become approved, we have additional contracts.

As parliamentarians, we have a duty to assure the public that we are working to make sure we have everything that we need in place. We need to build up public trust to ensure that Canadians know that when vaccines are available and it is their turn to receive the vaccine, they can trust that it was not a group of politicians determining which vaccines move forward and which ones do not, that it is instead based on science and evidence and that the regulators at Health Canada are the ones who make these decisions.

This is an opportunity we all have as parliamentarians, and I hope that we will rise to the occasion. The Conservatives should work with us on solutions. I keep hearing Conservatives say there is no plan, yet I have not heard a single solution from them or heard them say that they would have done something differently. Working together is the type of leadership that all Canadians would welcome, and we should get away from the partisanship in a pandemic and crisis like this. If not now, then when? I really think that is what Canadians are expecting.

As we move forward, it is important to assure Canadians that until vaccines are available in their jurisdictions for mass distribution, we need to protect our most vulnerable and continue with these measures. Canada has procured enough vaccines to ensure that every Canadian who wants a vaccination can get one by September. We have six million doses of vaccines coming by the end of March, and from April to June at least 20 million doses of vaccines will be available. They are coming, and we need to work together to ensure that all of us play a role in keeping Canadians safe.

[Sébastien Lemire, Bloc, Abitibi—Témiscamingue, QC]

Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for her intervention. I must say that it is one of the most partisan speeches I have heard today.

We are hearing the Liberals say that they have a portfolio of vaccines and that of course they have a plan. Our colleague reminded us of that in her speech, even though she has no idea what this plan is.

I will ask her a very simple question. What is the plan for the 330 million additional doses that we will acquire with the much-vaunted portfolio of 400 million doses, given that there are between 35 million and 40 million Canadians and that we each need two doses?

Would it not be possible for us to demonstrate international solidarity? What will happen to developing countries that also need vaccines? Can we also help them? I believe that it is our responsibility as a rich country.

[Jennifer O'Connell, Liberal, Pickering—Uxbridge, ON]

Madam Speaker, I appreciate the question from my hon. colleague. In fact, the irony is that as my hon. colleague was speaking and asking about the plan, he actually highlighted several elements of our plan. The Government of Canada website displays timelines and the numbers of doses that are coming, and there is that commitment that once Canadians have received vaccines, if there are additional vaccines, we will absolutely work with other countries and developing nations that need help.

I agree with the member that Canada does have a duty to help around the world if possible, but the government has committed to make sure that we take care of the health and safety of Canadians first and then we will do our part globally. That is going to be good for Canadians, and it is going to be good for our global community and our global economy.

[Gord Johns, NDP, Courtenay—Alberni, BC]

Madam Speaker, does the member not agree that transparency and clear communication are essential for addressing the vaccine hesitancy in Canada, and that it is critical that we share information and get as much information as we can out to the public?

[Jennifer O'Connell, Liberal, Pickering—Uxbridge, ON]

Madam Speaker, I do agree that transparency is incredibly important.

This is why I think the opportunity for this debate, in terms of vaccine hesitancy, is a good opportunity to talk about how Canada is a leader in regulation, safety and making sure that vaccines are safe and effective. We have a world-class system through Health Canada and our regulators to ensure that vaccines are safe before they go out to the general public.

Health Canada does an excellent job in providing the science-based analysis to provide the level of transparency that the member spoke to. I agree, and as parliamentarians we have a role to play in sharing that information with Canadians to ensure that when vaccines are available and ready, like the ones that are already in Canada, Canadians feel safe and comfortable receiving them. That is precisely what we need to do to get through this pandemic.

[Andréanne Larouche, Bloc, Shefford, QC]

Madam Speaker, the member spoke a lot about that plan we keep hearing about and about how all Canadians will get vaccinated.

Last weekend, Joanne Liu, a former president of Doctors Without Borders, explained how every delay and every moment that we wait and do nothing allow cases to multiply. Since Canada could see an increasing number of variants, even the smallest delay matters, whether it is a delay in vaccinations or in tightening border controls.

Could our hon. colleague explain these delays and the inaction on the part of the Liberal government, given that we could still see cases surge again in the coming weeks or months?

[Jennifer O'Connell, Liberal, Pickering—Uxbridge, ON]

Madam Speaker, there were some challenges with the interpretation, but from what I was able to pick up, I think the question was around inaction by the government. I do not know if there was something specific.

I will just say that since the beginning of this pandemic, countries around the world were grappling with the best measures to take based on science. It was evolving. We have come to the table at every step of the way to ensure that the health and safety of Canadians is at the forefront.

The interpretation did not come through, and I apologize if I did not hear all of the question. I think the key is ensuring that—

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Mrs. Alexandra Mendès), Alexandra Mendes]

Resuming debate, the hon. Parliamentary Secretary to the President of the Queen’s Privy Council.

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the President of the Queen’s Privy Council for Canada and to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Madam Speaker, it is always a pleasure to address the chamber. I believe this is, in fact, one of the most important debates we will have this year in terms of the significance of a great deal of hope that I believe is out there at the end of the day.

Ever since this world pandemic started to take flight, the government has been aware of it and has been taking action. Canadians understand and appreciate that we made an early decision to listen to what science, health experts, civil servants and Canadians as a whole, the different stakeholders, had to say on this very important issue. I believe that when we take a look at how Canada has managed through this whole process, we will come out okay. I really and truly believe that.

For example, with regard to the vaccination issue, which is today's debate, we have the COVID-19 vaccine task force. We have to remember that this is the group that, in essence, recommended that we go out there and secure these contracts. There was concern about capacity here in Canada. At the end of the day, the most important thing we have to do here is ensure that we have a vaccination that is free, safe and effective. Those are the expectations of Canadians from all regions of the country.

When we hear about this lack of a plan, nothing could be further from the truth. We have known for weeks, if not months now, of the government's commitment to ensure that every Canadian who wants to get the vaccination will in fact have that opportunity by the end of September of this year.

We are working day in, day out with provincial and territorial jurisdictions to ensure that not only is Canada acquiring the vaccines that are so critically important but also that there is high co-operation with provinces to make sure the distribution is there. I believe that Canadians can be confident of the system we have in place.

Opposition members will pick and choose and talk about country X doing better or country Y already vaccinating, but it is important to realize that Canada received vaccines back in December. Many other countries did not receive vaccines late last year. Some countries such as Japan, New Zealand, Australia and South Korea have not even started vaccinating. Someone mentioned earlier today, and I believe it was the health critic, my New Democratic colleague, that the United States is going to bring vaccinations up to 1.5 million people per day. There are over 350 million people living in the U.S.A. Do the math: There are 37 million people in Canada.

I believe Canada is doing exceptionally well in meeting the expectations Canadians have of the national government. We are doing that because we are working with those health experts and groups that have a vested interest in making sure we get it right.

Some of the criticisms are interesting. The member of Parliament for Foothills says that the government's first priority was a deal with China. That is just not true. It is not the only thing members of the opposition will say that is factually incorrect. There is misinformation out there, and opposition members have to take some responsibility for the type of information they are passing on to Canadians.

I believe, at the end of the day, Canada is in a great position. Based on the recommendation of the COVID-19 vaccine task force, Canada actually signed agreements with seven different companies to reserve vaccine doses for Canadians. Those who want to be vaccinated will be able to be vaccinated, at the very latest, by the end of September. There should be no doubt about that. We know we will have six million doses by the end of March and that we are on target to be able to get them. These are pretty straightforward and fairly easy to understand.

When I heard that we were going to be talking about the vaccine and having this emergency debate today, I thought it would provide us an opportunity to provide some other thoughts. I had some correspondence from the Manitoba Teachers' Society. One of the things I really appreciated them raising, and I want to share with members tonight, is the impact school closures have on our economy. It is incredibly significant.

Members should do some research and try to understand, when our public schools start to shut down, the impact it has on our economy, as well as society in general. They are recognizing that the government needs to urgently look to maintain and return in-person schooling as a key component toward Canada's economic recovery. We all know that it is the provinces that establish these priorities, but Ottawa does have a role to play in terms of sharing some of our thoughts.

We parliamentarians all agree that there are situations where we need to establish priorities in terms of the vaccine. For example, everyone agrees those in long-term care, and the health care workers who have been working in long-term care facilities serving seniors, have to be a priority.

The government relies on the advice of the National Advisory Committee for Immunization to inform vaccine priority lists across the country. Being able to share thoughts on that issue would be of great value. We recognize that Pfizer and Moderna are the two we have secured and that have met the requirements from Health Canada and their regulations. Because of that, we know they are safe and effective vaccines. We have an organization, through our regulations, that is second to no other in the world.

We also know that there are still five others that are out there. AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson are under current review, and hopefully we will see more approvals not that far in the future. We cannot include or incorporate those into the numbers, because they have not been approved, but at least we have a government that recognizes that the best way we can guarantee that every Canadian will get vaccinated is to have that diverse portfolio.

If members want to use stats and say that country X is doing this and country Y is doing that, in an attempt to try to make Canada's vaccination plan look bad, I would suggest that they are being very selective, in terms of what they are using.

There is no doubt in my mind that, whether it is the Prime Minister, cabinet members or members of Parliament, to a certain degree, from all sides of the House, we understand the importance of getting this right. There will be an opportunity for us to be able to get more into the details in the weeks, months and years ahead, so that we are better positioned to be able to deal with this.

To say that we would not have wanted to see a made-in-Canada solution is ridiculous. Of course it would have been nice. Members can take a look at what we did with some of the personal protective gear and how industries in Canada responded that need.

I see my time is already expired. I appreciate the opportunity to share a few thoughts.

[Damien Kurek, Conservative, Battle River—Crowfoot, AB]

Madam Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to enter into this important debate.

I wish I could share the rose-coloured optimism the member opposite certainly has regarding this. Just this past day, I was fact-checking some of the elements of this debate, and there was a whole rash of articles about the CanSino deal, its mismanagement and the troubling revelations that are coming out. Serious questions need to be asked.

There are a lot of very valid questions that need to be asked about this government's management of vaccines from the beginning and the impact of that today with the fact that next week Canada is getting zero vaccines. How can the member speak so optimistically about the government's supposed successes when the number of vaccines that Canada will receive next week is zero?

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Winnipeg North, MB]

Madam Speaker, it is not that difficult. The government has said for a while now that we will have six million doses by the end of March, and even with this interruption, that number is not changing.

What I find interesting is that it is easy to talk about an issue and to be critical months after. Where was the opposition's concern in regards to the issue of vaccinations back in the summer when, for the first time in 30 years, the House of Commons was actually sitting? Yes, it was in a committee format, but we were on the floor of the House of Commons, and there were literally hundreds, if not thousands, of questions being asked. Where were the questions on vaccinations back then?

To be able to try to—

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Mrs. Alexandra Mendès), Alexandra Mendes]

I have a lot of members who would like to ask the hon. member questions.

The hon. member for Montcalm.

[Luc Thériault, Bloc, Montcalm, QC]

Madam Speaker, my esteemed colleague, the Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government, spoke about a partisan attitude and misinformation.

I want to point out that earlier, his colleague compared Canada's performance to New Zealand's, saying that New Zealand had yet to start vaccinating. However, vaccination is not an issue there, since their measures are working quite well. New Zealand is not lagging behind like we are now. That is a little misinformation from the government.

We are saying that there needs to be more transparency to get a better understanding of where things are going. Does my esteemed colleague not find it a bit odd that small changes in the spread of the virus are being published, but when it comes to the government's so-called vaccination schedule, which we are not seeing, no scenarios, whether optimistic, negative or pessimistic, have been proposed or tabled to allow us to monitor the progress and see what can be done to achieve these objectives, given that AstraZeneca and vaccine nationalism seem to change things for the government?

My colleague's colleague did not answer the question earlier. Does my esteemed colleague not think that the government should table these changes so that we can all see what is going on at the same time with full transparency?

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Winnipeg North, MB]

Madam Speaker, what is important is that the national government continues to work with provincial jurisdictions, which are administering the vaccines for the most part, and there are two vaccines that have been approved. We have up to another five that we have agreements for, and a couple of them are getting closer.

I believe there is weekly, even daily, dialogue between the different levels of government. I encourage individuals who want to get a better sense of the bigger picture to take a look at the coronavirus page of Canada.ca. There is all sorts of information there. There is a plan. To say there is no plan is to give misinformation—

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Mrs. Alexandra Mendès), Alexandra Mendes]

We have to resume debate.

The hon. member for Barrie—Innisfil.

[John Brassard, Conservative, Barrie—Innisfil, ON]

Madam Speaker, I will be splitting my time tonight with the member for Brandon—Souris. Before I begin, I want to thank the Leader of the Opposition, our colleagues in the NDP and the member for Vancouver Kingsway for asking the Speaker to grant time to what I think is the most critical issue that is facing the country today.

I say that from the epicentre. Just 10 minutes away from here, we have an unfolding situation with the Roberta Place long-term care centre that requires Parliament's attention. At Roberta Place, 127 residents have tested positive, 92 staff have tested positive and 46 members of this long-term care centre are dead as a result of COVID-19.

I have been representing this area, as a city councillor and as a member of Parliament now, for the better part of 14 years. I have built tremendous relationships with not just the staff, but the people who live in that residence and their families. It is heartbreaking to understand what has been going on there. As a country, I ask everyone to not only pray for the staff and the residents, but also those who are helping them, such as the staff from the Royal Victoria Hospital, from the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit, and from Soldiers' Memorial Hospital.

I also ask everyone to pray for Edwin Ng. Edwin is a support worker who is on a ventilator right now in critical condition at the Royal Victoria Hospital. His wife Samantha and his three children are dependent on Edwin to provide support for them. He is in critical condition. I ask that Canadians pray not only for everybody involved in this situation, but also for Edwin.

There have been 99 of these cases confirmed as the U.K. variant. For 10 months, Roberta Place had built a wall around itself. There were no cases. Everything was going well. Then, all of a sudden, the U.K. variant came in and, like a firestorm, it raged through that building resulting in the situation I described earlier.

There is a tremendous amount of fear and anxiety within our community. In particular, the chief medical officer of health, Dr. Gardner, is warning of the potential for this to spread and of community transmission. I have spoken to Dr. Gardner several times. The only way to deal with this and respond to the U.K. variant is to use immunization, and that means vaccinating.

I know that Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit and RVH have been doing their best to look after those in long-term care facilities and seniors facilities within their jurisdiction. However, the stark reality is that we have run out of vaccines. Any thought of using immunization as a response to this U.K. variant right now is not going to happen unless and until we get more vaccines. The challenge this week, as has been documented tonight and why the importance of this debate is upon us, is that we are not getting any vaccines this week. Based on the numbers we have from the Province, Ontario will only be receiving 20,000 vaccines next week. That is hardly enough to deal with the situation that is unfolding in central Ontario.

The challenge with that is it is not just who we are vaccinating in the long-term care and senior homes. Many of them have received their first vaccines because the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit has had to prioritize our most vulnerable.

A total of 10,000 people have been vaccinated. Many of them are front-line health care workers, personal support workers and long-term care workers who received their first dose of the vaccination and were expecting, within a 28-day period, that they were going to receive it last Thursday. However, they were told that it had been put off and that they would not be receiving the vaccine. They were further told on Friday that they were not going to be receiving a vaccine in the near term. Think of what that does to the front-line health care workers who are putting it out there every single day for our community and not knowing when that second dose is coming.

I have been dealing with phone calls. The level of fear and anxiety among these health care workers is unimaginable. They are having to go into work every day not knowing when the second vaccine dose is going to be administered. They were counting on it, and it is heartbreaking. For anybody who thinks this is all about politics, this is about solutions. I know that our local MPP has been working day and night trying to coordinate this multi-agency effort that has been going on, but there is significant concern, not just among our community but among health care providers, the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit, Dr. Gardner and others.

There is a lot going on, and this was predicted last year. The opposition was talking about how Canada had been at the back of the line.

Last May, I had a conversation with my next-door neighbour, who works for AstraZeneca. He asked me if I knew what Canada was doing about vaccine procurement. I said that I assumed that they were doing it. He said none of them had been approached at that point.

AstraZeneca had not been approached, Pfizer had not been approached, Moderna had not been approached, and we find out today from stories that are appearing in the paper why that is.

What was the opposition accused of? It was accused of fearmongering and spreading false information. I have been on this call for a couple of hours now, and I have heard several members of the Liberal Party accuse us of that. We were actually telling Canadians the truth about what was going on.

We need help in central Ontario. This morning, I spoke with Dr. Gardner and received correspondence from RVH and our MPP that speaks to the issue of vaccines. I tried to contact the health minister today, and I am grateful that her director of operations called me tonight. We need 4,000 vaccines to ensure that those who are vulnerable in our community are able to get their second doses by February 8. There are no vaccines available from the province. That is the stark reality. Therefore, I am seeking the federal government's assistance in dealing with this.

The other thing that needs to happen, and I have been on this push for a year now, are rapid tests. There are rapid testing solutions out there, both antibody and antigen solutions. I am aware of at least one company that has had an application before Health Canada since last April or May and it still has not been approved. I am aware of other companies. These are three-minute antigen and antibody tests that must be approved. They are part of the overall solution of not just vaccines, but rapid testing.

When I talk to people about this, they cannot believe that Health Canada has not approved them. Despite the fact that the U.S. FDA and the European Union, with the most stringent testing regime in the world, have approved these antibody and antigen tests, we do not have them here in Canada. That is another thing that Dr. Gardner talked about, as did Dr. Lee, the associate medical officer of health. If we had these rapid tests in place, much of this could have been avoided. Those are their words, not mine.

We are in a desperate situation, as I said, here in central Ontario. Last Friday, I received this correspondence from the chief medical officer of health at RVH:

Unless we receive more vaccine in the interim, it will mean only 25% of Simcoe Muskoka long-term care residents will receive their second dose within 28 days. No new Simcoe Muskoka LTC residents will receive dose one. No new Simcoe Muskoka assisted living care patients will receive dose one, making them ineligible for transfer to LTC or retirement homes, and no Simcoe Muskoka health care workers will receive dose two within 42 days.

The clinic actually closed on Thursday, and all dose two appointments were cancelled. If we are going to be in alignment with provincial direction and protect our region from this highly transmissible variant, we need 4,000 doses, ministers, and we need them by February. Help us, please, in central Ontario.

[Leah Gazan, NDP, Winnipeg Centre, MB]

Madam Speaker, I thank my hon. colleague for sharing the very dire situation he is experiencing in his riding right now.

I share his concerns. I am equally off-put by the partisanship I am seeing defending incompetence. In today's news, the paper said that for the next four weeks, Canada's vaccine deliveries would be cut in half with up to 400,000 doses delayed, according to Major-General Dany Fortin, who is leading the country's vaccine rollout.

I spent my morning fighting for people in my riding with trench fever. We have had long-term care COVID outbreaks in my riding. The response has been grossly inadequate. Now is not the time for partisanship. As my hon. colleague mentioned, the lives of the most vulnerable are on the line. In Winnipeg right now it is -39°. I spent all day trying to fight for health care supports and housing for the people of Winnipeg Centre.

I just want to say that I stand with the member, although we come from different parties. We have to stand in non-partisanship and ensure people get the vaccines and health care services they need now.