House of Commons photoWon her last election, in 2021, with 49% of the vote.
Health June 1st, 2023
Mr. Speaker, it is shameful that the opposition leader is so committed to an outdated, discredited and illogical bumper-sticker drug policy.
His fearmongering will increase stigma and cost lives. The supervised consumption sites he wants to close have prevented over 46,000 overdoses since 2017.
We cannot return to the failed Conservative ideology of the past.
Health May 30th, 2023
Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for Vancouver Granville for his determined advocacy on this issue. It is so important to listen to the families and loved ones with lived and living experience, such as those of Moms Stop the Harm. It is so disappointing that the Conservative Party is pursuing a campaign of fear over facts and that the leader has refused to meet with this truly important group.
Multiple experts have affirmed there is no evidence that prescribed safe supply is contributing to drug deaths. The B.C. chief coroner was clear: “There should not be a dichotomy between access to life-saving safer supply and access to life-saving treatment options.”
Justice May 18th, 2023
Mr. Speaker, once again, the opposition is behind the times. Since 2018, we have been working with British Columbia on the litigation against big pharma and those who enabled it, and we were part of the Purdue settlement in June 2022. At our request, B.C. also amended its legislation to reinforce the federal government's participation in these class actions. Canada has also addressed big pharma's predatory practices by further restricting the marketing of opioids and increasing the maximum financial penalties.
Health May 18th, 2023
Mr. Speaker, I think every member of the House understands that the increase in opioid deaths is because of the extraordinarily toxic drug supply that came in after the reduction of deaths in 2019 in British Columbia, so this is hugely important. The exemption we have approved in British Columbia specifically states that playgrounds and areas attached to schools and day cares are not exempt and must be enforced.
Health May 18th, 2023
Mr. Speaker, yet again the failed Conservative policies surface. Without harm reduction, people do not live long enough to get to treatment. Polarizing the difference between treatment and harm reduction is really unhelpful. We need all aspects of internationally accepted drug policy: prevention and education, harm reduction, treatment, and enforcement. Diversion is illegal.
Health May 18th, 2023
Mr. Speaker, our hearts are with all the families that have lost a loved one to this terrible crisis caused by a poisoned drug supply. The B.C. coroner has said that there is no evidence that safe supply has been implicated in any of these drug deaths.
We have to use every tool in our tool box to stop this terrible tragedy and that includes prevention, harm reduction, treatment and enforcement.
Business of Supply May 18th, 2023
Madam Speaker, I thank the member, as always, for his very poignant explanation of the importance of this mental health crisis in Canada.
There is no disagreement that there need to be four pillars of a drug policy, including treatment. I was wondering if the member would help us as we develop the bilateral agreements with the provinces and territories, the $25 billion that will be there.
For that third pillar on mental health and substance use, other than just wait times on mental health needs, are there other indicators that the member thinks would be helpful, like treatment beds or adequate aftercare, the kinds of complex care for people who we know have serious mental illness and substance use? What would be some of the indicators the member thinks should be in the action plans of the provinces and territories so we can work through all orders of government to address this crisis?
Business of Supply May 18th, 2023
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for the really important distinction, as the polarization of harm reduction versus treatment is extraordinarily unhelpful. We know people need access to treatment at the moment they are ready. However, we also know they need adequate aftercare so they do not fall back into the environment that made them sick in the first place.
As we move forward, as the member well knows, over $100 million has been designated for safe supply in this last budget. We received another $144 million for the substance use and addiction programs, as well as $25 billion going to the provinces and territories, where one of the four pillars is mental health and substance use. We hope that the provinces will be able to use that on the issues of complex care, treatment beds and aftercare.
I look forward to working with the member as we tackle the flawed ideology of the other side.
Business of Supply May 18th, 2023
Mr. Speaker, my condolences and my sympathies to the member for the truly sad situation in his family.
Part of the transfers to the provinces and territories, $25 million to be precise, is for mental health and substance use. I think that the action plan will help respond to this tragic situation in the provinces and territories.
Business of Supply May 18th, 2023
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased that the member recognized that, in the agreement for the section 56 exemption, it is still not okay to use drugs in playgrounds or schools. Many municipalities are looking at expanding that with their bylaws, but at the moment that is still illegal. What we are also saying to the member is that a lot of the deaths in the Fraser Canyon and all over the country are not of the people who have been using drugs for a long time.
I was with the carpenters' union in Victoria, where they are handing out naloxone because they are losing loved ones on the work site due to the poison drug supply. I want the member to understand that people are using alone and dying alone. We have to have policies that will prevent those deaths.