Debates of May 19th, 2022

Public Works and Government Services—Main Estimates, 2022-23

[Filomena Tassi, Liberal, Hamilton West—Ancaster—Dundas, ON]

Madam Chair, again, just to be clear, it is provinces and territories that are responsible for the delivery of health care to provinces and territories. As the procurement minister, I will procure based on requests that come from Health Canada, and we work with provinces and territories, through the health minister, to determine what—

[The Deputy Chair, NDP, Carol Hughes]

The hon. member for Courtenay—Alberni.

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

Madam Chair, here is a quote. It is something the minister wrote in the PSPC 2022-23 departmental plan. It says:

Nearly two years into the COVID-19 pandemic, protecting the health and safety of Canadians remains a priority for the Government of Canada. PSPC will continue to play a central role in our response by procuring critical supplies, including vaccines, tests and therapeutics.

It has now been over six years since British Columbia declared a public health emergency. Is the health and safety of some Canadians, like people who use drugs, not a priority for the government? Why has PSPC not played a central role in responding to this crisis?

[Filomena Tassi, Liberal, Hamilton West—Ancaster—Dundas, ON]

Madam Chair, again, we respond to provinces and territories. We have been working very closely with the provinces and territories. Provinces and territories have asked us for supplies. They have asked us for over 100 million vaccines; we have provided over 100 million vaccines. They have asked us for rapid tests; we have supplied over 600 million rapid tests. They have asked us for therapeutics; we have procured 1.7 million therapeutics. We have distributed these products to the provinces and territories because they have asked for them, and I want to thank all those who have worked so hard to make that possible.

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

Madam Chair, is the minister saying she did not procure for any COVID response needs without direction completely from the provinces?

[Filomena Tassi, Liberal, Hamilton West—Ancaster—Dundas, ON]

Madam Chair, what I am saying is that we have been by the side of the provinces every step of the way, because we know that they are delivering for Canadians. Through this, we have responded to their requests and we are very pleased that we have been able to support them.

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

Madam Chair, they have been requesting leadership.

The mandate letter to the minister directs her to “[c]ontinue to procure COVID-19 therapeutics, tests and vaccines, for adults and children, to ensure all Canadians have access to free booster shots and second-generation vaccines as needed”, yet there is no mention of procuring a safer supply to address Canada's other ongoing public health emergency and overdose epidemic.

Do you believe stigma has played a role in this lack of direction from the Prime Minister?

[The Deputy Chair, NDP, Carol Hughes]

I will ask the minister. I would ask the hon. member to direct his questions directly through the Chair.

The hon. minister.

[Filomena Tassi, Liberal, Hamilton West—Ancaster—Dundas, ON]

Madam Chair, vaccines and therapeutics have been the only medications that we have bought on behalf of provinces and territories. They have asked us to procure those things, and we have been there. In fact, eight out of 10 dollars that have been spent have been spent by the federal government in supporting provinces and territories.

With respect to investments we have made, there has been $800 million to set up community-led harm reduction, treatment and prevention projects since 2015. Significant investments—

[The Deputy Chair, NDP, Carol Hughes]

The hon. member for Courtenay—Alberni.

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

Madam Chair, her colleague, the Minister of Mental Health and Addictions, told the CBC that safe supply “is going to be the way that we will save the most lives”, yet the minister is not committed to a timeline for expanding access to safe supply, saying that research is needed before it can be scaled up. Why is the government wasting time on pilot programs instead of ensuring that a safer supply is available across Canada?

[Filomena Tassi, Liberal, Hamilton West—Ancaster—Dundas, ON]

Madam Chair, I would start by saying that I am really pleased that the Prime Minister has appointed a Minister of Mental Health and Addictions, and I am very confident that that minister, who is a doctor and very passionate about this area, is going to deliver for Canadians, which she has.

With respect to safe consumption sites, we have made investments. Supervised consumption sites have reversed 35,000 overdoses since 2017 without—

[The Deputy Chair, NDP, Carol Hughes]

The hon. member for Courtenay—Alberni.

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

Madam Chair, 20 people a day are dying in this country because of a toxic overdose, and 20 families are getting the call. If the government had the political will, how quickly could a national safe supply program be established in this country?

[Filomena Tassi, Liberal, Hamilton West—Ancaster—Dundas, ON]

Madam Chair, I appreciate the member's advocacy, but I would like to point out that we are making significant investments in this area and we will continue to do so.

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

Madam Chair, many Canadians who want access to a safer supply cannot get it, so that answer falls short.

Does the minister have any idea of the cost of substance use issues in Canada, factoring in health, social services, policing, the justice system, lost productivity and other relevant costs?

[Filomena Tassi, Liberal, Hamilton West—Ancaster—Dundas, ON]

Madam Chair, I am happy that the member has actually raised those issues, because we are working to divert people who use drugs away from the criminal justice system toward supporting and trusted relationships with health and social services. This is an extremely important measure. This is one of the many measures that we are taking, and we are going to continue to work in this regard, because we—

[The Deputy Chair, NDP, Carol Hughes]

The hon. member for Courtenay—Alberni.

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

Madam Chair, I live in Port Alberni, where nobody can even get access to detox. It is three and a half hours for a youth to go to Victoria, and there is often a waiting list.

In the second report, the expert task force said that current policies are currently costing Canada huge amounts. It recommended significant new investments to reshape the system and address the drug toxicity crisis. Since then, the government has committed $100 million over three years.

Does the minister believe that represents a significant new investment that responds to the scale and urgency of this crisis?

[Filomena Tassi, Liberal, Hamilton West—Ancaster—Dundas, ON]

Madam Chair, what I would recognize is that absolutely this is a crisis. There is no question, but our government has been there for support. The member mentioned the $100 million but in fact the total is now $800 million to support community-led harm reduction treatment and prevention projects since 2015.

I know the minister is working very hard on this, and I look forward to the work that she will be announcing as we move forward.

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

Madam Chair, the stigma is not just in the policy; it is in the amount of money that has been spent on COVID-19 and on the toxic drug supply crisis.

When will the government respond to the toxic drug crisis with the urgency with which it responded to COVID-19, and in a way that shows it values the lives of people who use drugs, the people who are dying right now in our country and whose lives can be saved from preventable deaths?

[Filomena Tassi, Liberal, Hamilton West—Ancaster—Dundas, ON]

Madam Chair, we realize the hurt and the difficulty. I worked in a high school for 20 years. I can recognize how opioids can be a problem; drugs can be a problem, but our government has taken action. We are going to continue to take action.

I am delighted that we have a minister appointed specifically for mental health and addictions. It is extremely important.

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

Madam Chair, the government says it is taking action while more people are dying. The deaths are mounting. It is not taking action in the way it needs to, like it did with COVID-19.

I will change my line of questioning to the minister.

As caregivers for children under five eagerly await a decision from Health Canada on Moderna's application for vaccines for this age group, how quickly will doses be distributed to the provinces upon approval?

[Filomena Tassi, Liberal, Hamilton West—Ancaster—Dundas, ON]

Madam Chair, that is a very important question. I can say that we have been working with Moderna, Pfizer and other providers of vaccines from the beginning. I would just remind the member that when the pediatrics were approved, I was very happy to receive the first planeload in Hamilton, at the John C. Munro international airport. We had, within one week of the approval date, enough vaccines to vaccinate every child aged 5 to 11.

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

Madam Chair, given the ongoing issues with the Phoenix pay system, why did the budget not allocate necessary funding to help deal with the now years-long backlog of pay problems for federal public servants?