House of Commons Hansard #26 of the 44th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was drug.

Topics

The Opioid Crisis in CanadaGovernment Orders

10:40 p.m.

Conservative

Garnett Genuis Conservative Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB

Mr. Chair, I want to follow up to clarify my earlier question, because maybe my French is not as good as I thought it was.

The issue that I want to raise and get the member's perspective on is that we know that the opioid crisis was on some accounts started, and was certainly fuelled, by certain companies, such as Purdue Pharma and others that presented misinformation about the risks of addiction and really aggressively over-promoted opioids as being the solution, in many cases, when in fact there was not evidence to suggest it, and there was a lack of acknowledgement of the risks that they should have been, and in many cases were, aware of.

Many of those companies have been required to pay compensation in the United States, and that compensation is being used to fund treatment. Purdue, the Sackler family directly, and McKinsey, which advised Purdue, have had to pay, and that has provided some increased resources for treatment.

The Canadian government has been far behind in pursuing that kind of compensation and accountability. Does the member's party agree that the government should be doing more to pursue accountability for bad corporate actors, and that maybe this could provide some additional resources that we can use for treatment?

The Opioid Crisis in CanadaGovernment Orders

10:40 p.m.

Bloc

Luc Desilets Bloc Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, QC

Mr. Chair, this time it is much clearer. I am sorry, the problem may have been my understanding.

There is abuse every time there is money in the picture. Pharmaceutical companies have an astonishing ability to target people's weaknesses and needs.

To answer my colleague's question, there are certainly justifications to be made. Maybe there will be some with the current COVID‑19 crisis. Maybe some companies took advantage of the price for a dose of one vaccine or another. I believe a responsible government has to respond regularly to all these types of questions, so that we get a clear picture and individuals, parliamentarians or average citizens can make up their own minds.

The Opioid Crisis in CanadaGovernment Orders

10:40 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Chris d'Entremont

It being 10:44 p.m., pursuant to Standing Order 53(1), the committee will rise.

(Government Business No. 6 reported)

The Opioid Crisis in CanadaGovernment Orders

10:40 p.m.

Conservative

The Deputy Speaker Conservative Chris d'Entremont

Accordingly, this House stands adjourned until tomorrow at 2 p.m., pursuant to Standing Order 24(1)

(The House adjourned at 10:44 p.m.)