Don Davies

[Resumption of Debate on Address in Reply, October 1st, 2020]

Madam Speaker, I was pleased to hear my hon. colleague say that climate change is a non-partisan issue, because it should be.

I can tell him that the people in my riding of Vancouver Kingsway, particularly young people, are deeply concerned about the future of our planet. In fact, I would say that the climate crisis is probably the most foundational, existential issue facing them and their future. I therefore think it behooves all of us, particularly the government, to make it the number one issue we are facing. After all, if we do not have a healthy planet, it is hard to imagine how we can have a functioning society.

The member mentioned the planting of trees. Last fall, the Liberals promised to plant two billion trees and, of course, we all know today that they have not planted any. The NDP Government of British Columbia, just this year alone since the spring, managed to plant 300 million trees.

I am just wondering if the member could explain to the House and Canadians how it is a provincial government can plant 300 million trees and his government cannot meet the commitment it made to plant two billion trees. What went wrong?

[Seniors, October 1st, 2020]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians were horrified to see the appalling conditions our seniors are experiencing in long-term care centres across this country. Of the deaths from COVID-19, 80% occurred in these facilities, giving Canada the worst record of all comparable nations. The situation was so bad the Armed Forces had to be called in.

As Canadians brace themselves for a second wave of this pandemic, families are extremely worried about their loved ones in long-term care. What is the government doing specifically to ensure seniors will be better protected in the critical months ahead?

[Petitions, October 1st, 2020]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise to introduce e-petition 2649 today, signed by thousands of Canadians and spearheaded by the wonderful Colleen Fuller in British Columbia, calling for safe, affordable and effective prescription medications.

The petitioners point out the obvious fact that drugs do not work if Canadians cannot afford them. They note that the number of patented medicines costing over $10,000 per year has tripled since 2006 and accounted for 40% of all drug sales in 2017. The PMPRB has proposed regulations and guidelines to reduce drug prices and increase transparency in the pricing process. They are calling on the government to enact these overdue changes, reduce prices for Canadians and ensure that all Canadians can get the medications their doctors prescribe when they need them.

[Resumption of debate on Address in Reply, September 30th, 2020]

Madam Speaker, I was very happy to hear my hon. colleague mention pharmacare. I have been hearing Liberals talk about pharmacare for coming up on 30 years. Since 1997, they have promised Canadians they would bring in pharmacare.

He mentioned in his speech that he is looking forward to negotiating with the provinces, but the question that all Canadians have is this: Negotiate what?

To this day, neither the Prime Minister nor the health minister, nor any person on that side of the House, has ever identified the form of pharmacare they want to negotiate. The NDP has been calling for public pharmacare and the reason is that the Hoskins committee report, the health committee and every task force over the last 30 years have recommended that we must deliver pharmacare through our public system.

Will my colleague stand in the House and say that what the government will negotiate with the provinces is folding pharmacare into and delivering it through Canada's public medicare system, not a U.S.-style private patchwork system?

[Post-Secondary Education Financial Assistance for Persons with Disabilities Act, September 30th, 2020]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-246, An Act to amend the Income Tax Act and the Canada Student Financial Assistance Act.

Mr. Speaker, I am honoured to rise today to introduce an important bill to Parliament called the post-secondary education financial assistance for persons with disabilities act, with thanks to the hon. member for Courtenay—Alberni for seconding it. This legislation will provide tuition-free post-secondary education for all Canadians with disabilities. This is not only fundamentally just. It is an investment in our citizens that will level the playing field and benefit our society.

While there has been progress in broadening inclusion for students in Canadian colleges, universities and trade schools, there is still much more work to be done. I hope all parliamentarians will support this vital initiative to help Canadians with disabilities reach their full potential and share their talents, skills and energy with us all, because when people with diverse abilities succeed, we all succeed.

(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)

[Resumption of Debate on Address in Reply, September 24th, 2020]

Mr. Speaker, my hon. colleague mentioned that her government was close to the people. Any government that is close to the people would know that the tragedy that occurred in our long-term care sector was devastating in communities across this country. Eighty per cent of the deaths in this country that were due to COVID occurred in long-term care centres, yet the throne speech released yesterday by her party made no commitment to binding national standards in long-term care, announced no federal funds that would be tied to enforcement and made no mention of home care, which is the preferred option for most seniors.

Would my hon. colleague agree with the New Democrats that we need binding national standards in this country, with federal funds for provinces and territories that agree to meet those standards, so that we can provide quality care to every senior in this country?

[Pharmacare, September 24th, 2020]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, once again the Liberals repeated their promise of national pharmacare. They claim they are paving the way to universal pharmacare for Canadians, but they refuse to commit to public delivery and fail to set out any timeline for action. Liberals have been paving the way for decades. Canadians deserve something concrete. Will the government finally commit to public pharmacare, and tell Canadians when they can get this overdue essential medical service?

[COVID-19 Pandemic and Other Matters, July 22nd, 2020]

Madam Chair, it is not working. The cause of the opioid carnage is clear for all to see: a toxic street supply sold by criminals who do not care about poisoning Canadians.

Public health officers, police chiefs and now premiers are calling on the government to do the right thing and act with logic, compassion and courage to decriminalize drug use and medically regulate a safe supply.

When is the government going to listen to the experts, respect the evidence and treat addiction as a health issue, not a criminal one?

[COVID-19 Pandemic and Other Matters, July 22nd, 2020]

Madam Chair, there is not one pandemic in Canada; there are two. The number of Canadians dying from opioids in our country is staggering and growing. Over 15,000 mothers, fathers, sons and daughters have died in the last four years alone, and June saw the most opioid deaths in British Columbia's history.

What is the Liberal plan to address the overdose pandemic ravaging our country?

[Business of Supply, March 12th, 2020]

Two years ago.