Mr. Speaker, delays in the vaccine mean more people will fall sick and more people will lose their lives. On top of that, the mixed and confusing messages from the government on the ability to produce the vaccine in Canada will erode public trust. The Prime Minister said that we would be able to have the production capacity by September. His minister said it would by the end of the year, and the NRC says by 2022.
New Democrats have long called for local production of the vaccine. Why did the Prime Minister not start to plan a year ago to have this capacity here in Canada, so we could make the vaccine here in our country?