Debates of May 29th, 2024

Department of Health—Main Estimates, 2024-25

[Ya'ara Saks, Liberal, York Centre, ON]

Madam Chair, we have received no such proposal from the City of Montreal, but we work with provincial and municipal jurisdictions.

[Luc Berthold, Conservative, Mégantic—L'Érable, QC]

Madam Chair, does the minister plan to say yes to the request made by Montreal's city council in 2021?

[Ya'ara Saks, Liberal, York Centre, ON]

As I have said before, Madam Chair, we do not deal in hypotheticals. We deal in evidence, facts and actual proposals.

[Luc Berthold, Conservative, Mégantic—L'Érable, QC]

Madam Chair, I have here the resolution adopted by Montreal's city council in which it makes this request.

Is the minister aware that, in 2023, the mayor of Montreal personally reiterated her support for the legalization of hard drugs?

[Ya'ara Saks, Liberal, York Centre, ON]

Madam Chair, I am sure the mayor of Montreal has made many statements, and the city council is allowed to pass whatever resolutions it wishes, but at this time there is no proposal in front of Health Canada.

[Luc Berthold, Conservative, Mégantic—L'Érable, QC]

Madam Chair, does the minister intend to grant the City of Montreal's request and bring the same misery to Quebec that her Prime Minister created in British Columbia, yes or no?

[Ya'ara Saks, Liberal, York Centre, ON]

There is no request, Madam Chair. We do not deal in hypotheticals. We deal with evidence and facts on this side of the House.

[Luc Berthold, Conservative, Mégantic—L'Érable, QC]

Madam Chair, does the minister intend to say yes or no to a possible future request from the City of Montreal or the Province of Quebec? Does she intend to not authorize this type of pilot project in Quebec?

[Ya'ara Saks, Liberal, York Centre, ON]

Madam Chair, does the member have a crystal ball such that he can anticipate there will be a proposal in front of the department for me to contemplate that question? I do not see one. Therefore, I—

[The Deputy Chair, NDP, Carol Hughes]

I want remind other members they are not to participate unless they have the floor.

The hon. member.

[Luc Berthold, Conservative, Mégantic—L'Érable, QC]

Madam Chair, is the minister aware of the criminal trafficking of the legal drugs provided free of charge to hard drug users?

[Ya'ara Saks, Liberal, York Centre, ON]

That is an odd question, Madam Chair.

[Luc Berthold, Conservative, Mégantic—L'Érable, QC]

Madam Chair, I will repeat my question. Is the minister aware of the criminal trafficking of the legal drugs provided free of charge to hard drug users?

[Ya'ara Saks, Liberal, York Centre, ON]

If the member is referring to diversion, then he well knows that diversion is illegal, Madam Chair.

[Luc Berthold, Conservative, Mégantic—L'Érable, QC]

Madam Chair, can the minister tell us where the money hard drug users are using to buy drugs is coming from?

[Ya'ara Saks, Liberal, York Centre, ON]

As mentioned earlier in the night, Madam Chair, prescribed alternatives are part of the prescribed—

[The Deputy Chair, NDP, Carol Hughes]

The hon. member.

[Luc Berthold, Conservative, Mégantic—L'Érable, QC]

Madam Chair, does the minister know about “crack alley” in Montreal?

[Ya'ara Saks, Liberal, York Centre, ON]

Madam Chair, I am sure there are many communities with drug-use issues.

[Luc Berthold, Conservative, Mégantic—L'Érable, QC]

Madam Chair, has the minister, who calls herself the Minister of Mental Health and Addictions, ever been to Montreal to see first-hand the scope of the disaster caused by the use of hard drugs?

[Ya'ara Saks, Liberal, York Centre, ON]

Madam Chair, I have been to Montreal and many communities across the country that are struggling with the drug overdose crisis.

[Luc Berthold, Conservative, Mégantic—L'Érable, QC]

Madam Chair, how is it then that the minister is unable to say no to the possible decriminalization of hard drugs in Montreal when, according to TVA Nouvelles, “around the [Cactus supervised injection site], psychosis, crack and crystal meth use, and the constant presence of drug dealers have become the norm”? Does the minister continue to claim—

[The Deputy Chair, NDP, Carol Hughes]

The minister for a brief response.

[Ya'ara Saks, Liberal, York Centre, ON]

Madam Chair, just so that we are clear, the Montreal mayor has said that such hypothetical allegations of her proposal for decriminalization are false.

[Todd Doherty, Conservative, Cariboo—Prince George, BC]

Madam Chair, how many nurses reported being physically assaulted last year?