House of Commons photoLost her last election, in 2019, with 26% of the vote.
Health May 8th, 2012
Mr. Speaker, once elected, our government took quick action. In fact, we formed the Mental Health Commission during the first year of our mandate.
The Liberal record is deplorable. All the Liberals did was to cut transfers to the jurisdictions.
As for the NDP members, it is a bit rich that they ask such a question, as they voted against the establishment of the Mental Health Commission.
We will continue to work with the provinces and territories in the rollout of these recommendations.
Health May 8th, 2012
Mr. Speaker, we welcome the release of the mental health strategy this morning from the Mental Health Commission of Canada. As the opposition member knows, this important commission was created under our government. We are proud of the work that it has done so far. Our government will continue to work with the provinces and the territories in their efforts. We have committed to a long-term stable funding arrangement that will see health transfers reach record-high levels by the end of the decade.
Health May 7th, 2012
Mr. Speaker, as I stated, I am looking forward to participating in the launch tomorrow.
As I stated before, it was that party that voted against the establishment of the commission.
From our side, to help achieve the objectives of the Mental Health Commission, we have committed to providing long-term stable funding to the provinces and territories that will see health transfers to each jurisdiction reaching $40 billion.
We will also continue to make strategic, targeted investments around mental health that supports our communities and advances our understanding and treatment of mental illness in Canada.
Health May 7th, 2012
Mr. Speaker, I am looking forward to being part of the launch of the Mental Health Commission's strategy tomorrow. The report will highlight that everyone has a role in addressing mental health, --all levels of government, non-governmental organizations, the private sector, as well as charitable organizations.
By the way, when we established the Mental Health Commission of Canada, the NDP voted against it.
Health May 4th, 2012
Madam Speaker, one in three Canadians face a neurological disorder or related problems at some point in life.
Yesterday I was happy to announce funding to the Brain Canada Foundation to establish a research fund that would support the understanding and treatment of brain disorders. This investment will strengthen Canada's position as a world leader in research and in the identification and treatment of brain disorders.
This funding and the research it will support are central to our government's commitment to help Canadians maintain and improve their health.
Health May 1st, 2012
Mr. Speaker, I take no lessons from that party in terms of how they handled health care in this country.
The answer is very simple when it comes to the National Aboriginal Health Organization. Through the annual general meeting of the AFN there was a resolution put forward by those memberships to dissolve NAHO. At the same time, I received a letter from the three elected leaders of NAHO asking me to dissolve NAHO because it was dysfunctional.
We listened. Why can those members not listen to the elected aboriginal leaders of this country?
Questions on the Order Paper April 30th, 2012
Mr. Speaker, Health Canada most recently conducted a good manufacturing practice, GMP, inspection from January 24 to February 10, 2012, of Sandoz Canada’s Boucherville plant, where products for sale in Canada are manufactured. No risk to the health and safety of Canadians using health products manufactured at the Sandoz Boucherville facility for sale in Canada was identified by Health Canada. A report was issued to the company on February 20, 2012, with the observations of deficiencies noted in the plant. Most GMP inspections result in the identification of deficiencies. This alone does not automatically result in a non-compliant rating. The deficiencies reported in the February 20, 2012, report were not considered to be critical, and a ‘compliant’ rating was issued. For more information on GMP, members may visit the following link: http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/dhp-mps/compli-conform/gmp-bpf/index-eng.php.
Information was exchanged between Health Canada and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, FDA, during the November 2011 and March 2012 period. This information included a heads-up notice that Health Canada received on November 8, 201,1 from the FDA, advising of its intention to issue and post a warning letter to Novartis International AG in Switzerland, Sandoz’s parent company, regarding three facilities: the Boucherville, Quebec, site and two facilities in the United States. The FDA’s heads-up also included a copy of the FDA’s deficiencies noted during its August 2011 inspection, FDA form 483. In response to this heads-up, Health Canada Inspectors inspected Sandoz’s Boucherville facility on November 17, 2011. As part of this visit, it was confirmed that the only Boucherville product that was ultimately mentioned in the FDA warning letter was not sold in Canada. As such, no risk to the health and safety of Canadians was identified from this product. Health Canada did not receive an advance copy of the FDA warning letter.
In March 2012, the FDA confirmed that no further action would be required of Sandoz subject to the remediation plan to be taken at Sandoz U.S.A. sites and the action plan following the fire at the Sandoz Quebec site. It should also be noted that the U.S. FDA inspection report concerning the deficiencies noted by the U.S. FDA on November 8, 2011, has yet to be finalized.
Aboriginal Affairs April 30th, 2012
Mr. Speaker, my priority is to protect the front-line essential services of health care throughout Canada. The answer relating to NAHO is very simple. There was an AFN resolution and a letter from three of the five National Aboriginal Health Organization members. We were asked by NAHO to wind down the organization because it was dysfunctional, and we listened. Why does the member opposite not accept that recommendation coming from the aboriginal leaders?
Questions on the Order Paper April 26th, 2012
Mr. Speaker, since 1998, the Aboriginal Healing Foundation, AHF, has received $515 million to provide community-based healing initiatives to address the experiences of former students of Indian residential schools and their families and communities.This investment includes the provision of $125 million in 2007 as part of the Indian residential schools settlement agreement, the IRSSA. In 2010-11, $46.8 million was allocated for the Indian residential schools resolution health supports program, the IRS-RHSP.
In addition, in budget 2010 the Government of Canada announced an investment of $199 million over two years in new funding to Health Canada, Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada, and Service Canada to meet the increased costs associated with implementing the IRSSA. Going further, economic action plan 2012 commits to continue work with aboriginal communities and organizations, provinces and territories to improve the mental health and well-being of aboriginal peoples in Canada.
In 2011-12, Health Canada provided approximately $245 million for a range of on-reserve mental health and addiction services, from mental health promotion to addictions to suicide prevention to counselling and other crisis response services, treatment services and after-care services.
Health Canada works with its regional and national partners to ensure that all former Indian residential school students and their families are aware of the services available to them via the Indian residential schools resolution health support program. Health Canada has reached out to all former Aboriginal Healing Foundation projects to assist them in referring their clients to Health Canada’s existing services. Information has also been distributed through direct mailings to community health centres, nursing stations and treatment centres, and has been sent to former students participating in an adjudication hearing, participating in a truth and reconciliation event, or receiving a common experience payment.
In order to ensure access to services for eligible former students and their families who had been previously served by Aboriginal Healing Foundation projects, Health Canada has entered into 26 new agreements with aboriginal service provider organizations and has enhanced funding to 22 existing service providers. Of the 26 new contribution agreements entered into by Health Canada to deliver resolution health support program services, 20 are with aboriginal organizations that were previously funded by the Aboriginal Healing Foundation. If services are not available in an individual’s home community, Health Canada will arrange for transportation to a professional counsellor or cultural support provider, or for a resolution health support worker to visit the community.
Health Canada does not have data available on the number of clients served. Rather, data is collected on the number of funded service interactions and counseling sessions and is available at the national level only.
In 2010-2011, the most current year with complete data, IRS-RHSP delivered approximately 170,000 emotional and cultural support service interactions to former IRS students and their families and approximately 31,000 professional mental health counselling sessions.
In 2009-2010, the IRS-RHSP delivered approximately 80,000 emotional and cultural support service interactions to former IRS students and their families and approximately 27,000 professional mental health counselling sessions.
Health April 23rd, 2012
Mr. Speaker, as an aboriginal person I take that type of line of questioning to be unacceptable.
Our government has ensured that we have protected the front-line services of all health care services across the sector. Our government takes first nations health seriously. There were a number of funding initiatives in budget 2012 to improve water systems on reserve. We are funding $30 million annually for aboriginal health research. Last year, we invested $2.2 billion in first nations and Inuit health programs. Why does the member not support that?