Libby Davies

[Ebola Outbreak, September 15th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, clearly we look at structural questions. We have to respond in an immediate way, but we have to approach this very serious question of the Ebola virus in a structural way and make sure that there is a sustained, progressive, and accessible approach that begins to change the social and economic conditions and ensure that people have access to health care.

I want to add one other point, and that is that right here in Ottawa, the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute itself has been doing a lot of research. When they wrote to the minister in the middle of August, they said:

We have constructed and commissioned a Virus-Manufacturing Suite that specializes in the production of pharmaceutical grade products very similar to the VSV-EBOV vaccine.

This is actually another initiative that could be taken up right here in Canada. I do not know where the government is on the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute and the incredible work it is doing. This is taking place right here in Canada, and the government needs to support it, because the development of a vaccine, of course, is very critical.

[Ebola Outbreak, September 15th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, first of all, I would like to thank my colleague, the member for Laurier—Sainte-Marie, for putting in for an emergency debate today on this very important and concerning issue of the Ebola outbreak in West Africa. I would also like to thank the Speaker for granting that request. This is something that can happen in our Parliament.

It does not happen very often, but clearly this is an emergent issue. Therefore, I am very glad that on our first day back in Parliament we are debating this very important issue. I think it is very good that the NDP has brought this forward.

I have listened very carefully to what my colleague from Laurier—Sainte-Marie has had to say as our deputy foreign affairs critic, and as a person who, in her professional life, is very knowledgeable about West Africa and other countries she has lived in.

As parliamentarians, as human beings, we have a sense of responsibility about the human condition. We are thousands of miles away from what is taking place. We may have some connections, as my colleague from Burnaby—New Westminster said, through constituents and families, but we are very far away from what has been taking place, other than what we see on the nightly news. It is heartbreaking, and one feels a sense of powerlessness that such a deadly virus can take hold of communities and spread fear. Therefore, I think it is very important that as parliamentarians we stop and think about what is going on there, what we can do, and how we can share responsibility.

This is a transcontinental and a global issue, and there is no way that we should see ourselves as somehow separate from it or that it does not affect us. Obviously, we are not affected as directly as people are in those communities, but there is a connection. I think that tonight's debate is about those connections and what we as Canadian parliamentarians need to do.

As the health critic for the NDP, there are a couple of points that I would like to focus on.

First, I think it is important to recognize that the basic conditions in some of these countries are precarious and severe. If there were an outbreak like this in Canada, one would hope that the response would be immediate. I am sure there would be challenges and barriers, and we saw that with SARS, for example, which was minuscule compared to what we are seeing with Ebola.

We have a high-functioning health care system. We have community health centres, doctors, public health agencies, and the Public Health Agency of Canada. In fact, we learned from SARS what we need to do in terms of a public response when something like this happens. However, I think it is very important to recognize the very precarious nature of the health care systems in the countries we are speaking about.

For example, in Liberia, there is one doctor to treat nearly 100,000 people, so already the health condition of the population is very precarious. If you add on to that an outbreak and epidemic of Ebola, there are health care workers who themselves are getting sick. In fact, the WHO reports that over 240 health care workers have contracted Ebola in the affected countries and at least 150 have died. If you add on that health care workers then feel very fearful about going to work, we can begin to see that whatever fragile system was in place begins to break down and makes the pandemic even more difficult to cope with.

We have a responsibility in the short term to think about what needs to be done, but we also have to think about this in the longer term, in terms of the north and the south and the needs of developing countries, the global inequities, income inequality, where resources go, and basic infrastructure for health care. This point has been made by the WHO, over many decades, in terms of accessibility of health care and how incredibly important it is to life and well-being. Of course, this now is magnified a thousand times or more when we look at a deadly epidemic.

I liken this to the HIV/AIDS outbreak in a way. When we think about the early stage of HIV/AIDS, there was fear and stigmatization. That still actually exists today. There was very little treatment available. Even today, research is being done to look for a vaccine. Over the decades, the scientific community and the research community did come up with accessible treatment options. In fact, some of that work was done here in Canada by amazing doctors, like Dr. Julio Montaner, from Vancouver.

Looking at HIV/AIDS and how the globe responded, it took a global effort. The Global Fund is the largest funder of HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria. It took that kind of effort to get into those communities, to build the infrastructure for basic health care.

We need to pay attention to that and not lose sight of it. We cannot say that a short-term effort is needed to get on top of this. It is not. It is about changing the way that the global community works. It is about dealing with those inequities between the north and the south. It is about ensuring that the human right and dignity for health care, for basic medicine and access to medicine, is upheld.

Then it would not be the daunting challenge that it looks to be when we read that the WHO is saying that over the next three months we could be looking at 20,000 infected people. The exponential growth of this epidemic is quite frightening. That is my first point.

The other point I would like to make is in terms of what Canada can do. My colleague, the member for Laurier—Sainte-Marie, has already given some suggestions about what Canada can do. One thing we could do is to make sure that our own public health agency, the Public Health Agency of Canada, is in good shape. We actually do need to have a response here in Canada as well as assisting internationally.

It is very disturbing when I read information from the Canadian Public Health Association, which is a sort of non-governmental association of public health advocates and practitioners across the country. It points out, for example, that PHAC, the Public Health Agency of Canada, has seen a budget allocation decrease, from $677 million in 2010-11, to $579 million in 2013-14. That is a reduction of over 14%.

That has to be concerning, because the Public Health Agency of Canada is the agency responsible for public health overall, and for infectious diseases. PHAC's budget for health promotion, disease prevention, and public health infrastructure has decreased by $152 million, or 26%, between 2010-11 and 2013-14.

I want the government to take note of that. What is our own capacity to assist here in Canada, when we have a Public Health Agency of Canada that is being depleted and its capacity is being diminished?

Further, in terms of what Canada can do, my colleague has spoken about DART, the Disaster Assistance Response Team, which Canada has become very well-known for. That is a very important initiative. We do want to hear from the government as to whether they are planning to consider sending in DART.

As well, there are other measures that we need to be following up on: supporting the scaling up of isolation centres in the country, deploying mobile laboratories to improve diagnostic capabilities, establishing dedicated air bridges to move personnel and equipment to and from West Africa, and building a regional network of field hospitals to treat suspected or infected medical personnel.

Those are a few concrete suggestions. At the end of the day, we want our government to step up. We want Canada to be leading the way, not following. We want to show a sense of solidarity with those communities that are so horribly affected by this virus. We want Canada to play its part.

Hopefully, through this debate tonight, the government will step up to the plate and will make it clear to Canadians that we will do our part.

[Health, September 15th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, obviously there is still a pretty big problem.

When Canadians take a prescription drug, they deserve to know it is safe. However, now we know that drug companies are knowingly releasing defective drugs in Canada.

Instead of learning this from Health Canada, we had to hear it from the FDA. Health Canada refuses to release information on whom it monitors or what violations are found.

How can Canadians trust Health Canada when there is no transparency, and how could transparency and monitoring have become so bad in our country?

[Clerk of the House of Commons, September 15th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today on our first day back in Parliament to extend our warmest wishes to our beloved House of Commons Clerk, Ms. Audrey O'Brien, who is recovering from emergency surgery.

It is so familiar to see Audrey sitting at the table in her robes, always on the alert for what is taking place in this chamber, where the unexpected is to be expected.

The Clerk's incredible professionalism, expertise, and guidance, not to mention her wry sense of humour, are hallmarks of our Parliament. Audrey serves her office and parliamentarians with distinction, honour, and dedication. She is a rare breed, and we are fortunate that she is our senior House officer.

We also offer support and thanks to the Acting Clerk, Mr. Marc Bosc, and will endeavour to give him as little grief as possible, something that will no doubt be broken by day's end.

On behalf of my fellow New Democrats and our leader, and I am sure all members of Parliament, we wish Audrey a speedy and full recovery.

We have just one little bit of advice. Stay off watching QP. We do not want to add to your stress.

Best wishes, Audrey.

[Citizenship and Immigration, June 20th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, today on World Refugee Day, with a global refugee population surging past 50 million people for the first time since World War II, it is time for the Conservatives to recognize the failure of their policies. Instead of a fair and accessible process, the Conservatives have passed laws to shut out refugees and cut access to health care and have spun themselves in circles on the Syrian refugee crisis. Canada must do better.

Will the minister commit today to focusing on protection for refugees instead of playing political games?

[Health, June 19th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, the Royal Society expert panel on the review of Safety Code 6 released its report a month ago and recommended that more research was needed into the health risks of radio frequency fields. Consumers and health advocates are demanding more information and safeguards to reduce exposure to harmful radiation and to investigate radiation hypersensitivity.

How does the Minister of Health plan to follow up on the concerns coming from the public and the Royal Society's recommendations?

[Natural Resources, June 18th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives refuse to listen. It is not only first nations that have said no to northern gateway; it is all of B.C. Over 60% of British Columbians have said that they do not want northern gateway threatening their coast and communities. The UBCM and virtually every municipality along the pipeline route has said no. Therefore, why are B.C. Conservative MPs ignoring their constituents?

Let us start with the senior federal minister for B.C. What does the Minister of Industry have to say, or is he ducking under his desk?

[Respect For Communities Act, June 17th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, the member for Saanich—Gulf Islands is very correct. When I spoke the first time to the bill, I actually went through A to Z. I went through all of those conditions. What makes it even worse, though, to add insult to injury, is that even if it were possible for an applicant to meet all of those conditions—and the member has outlined how difficult that would be—the minister could still turn it down, so it is very discretionary.

It seems abundantly clear that the purpose of the bill is to ensure that no further safe injection facilities will be set up in Canada. That would be a huge issue in many local communities, because the homework has been done. There are organizations and advocates who want to see this kind of health facility and health intervention set up for people who are very marginalized.

It is very unfortunate. I hope we will get into it at committee. We hope to see the bill significantly changed so that it is objective and based on evidence.

[Respect For Communities Act, June 17th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, those are two very reasonable questions and I will do my best to answer them.

In terms of the decrease in crime, the fact is, there were more than 30 peer review studies that were done around InSite, so all of these questions were looked at. I would encourage my colleague to look at the report so he can see for himself, from these objective, evidence-based reports. What happened in that neighbourhood? Did things improve or not? I can tell him that the reports say that it did improve, but he can read it for himself.

In terms of what the NDP would do, first, we need to understand that InSite came from the local community. It was not imposed by Ottawa. It came from the city. It came from a grassroots involvement, and in fact right now, across Canada, I believe that there are applications from Montreal, from Toronto, even from here in Ottawa, possibly Victoria and even Edmonton.

There are applications being considered right now. A clear response needs to be evidence based. The local community needs to have done its homework and want to go ahead with it. We do not want to see the bill, though, squash that, which it will do, given the enormous powers that it gives to the minister.

[Respect For Communities Act, June 17th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, Bill C-2 was first introduced in June 2013, a little over a year ago, as Bill C-65 and came back to the House as Bill C-2 in October.

I am proud of the fact that about 50 members of the NDP caucus have spoken to this important legislation. However, I am ashamed to say that what we have heard from the government side is divisive debate. From day one the Conservatives have portrayed the issue of respecting the Supreme Court of Canada's decision on safer injection sites in Canada as a black and white issue.

I go back to January 27 of this year when the government House leader told the Hill Times that he will tell people that opposition parties want drug injection sites to be established in their neighbourhoods without people having any say. He then talked about the extreme position that the NDP was taking. Nothing could be further from the truth.

For the government House leader to portray our discourse on this legislation in that manner shows first, how the Conservatives like to create division and fear among people, and second, that they know absolutely nothing about North America's only safe injection site, which is located in Vancouver's downtown east side and called InSite. The fact is that InSite was set up over 10 years ago after extensive consultation with the local community.

The Supreme Court of Canada ruled that InSite and other supervised injection sites must be granted Section 56 exemptions under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act when they “decrease the risk of death and disease, and there is little or no evidence that it will have a negative impact on public safety....”

Upon reading the decision of the Supreme Court of Canada it is clear that it understood the arguments that were being made by the litigants, that this was a health measure, that it was about saving lives and that it was about preventing people from needless drug overdoses. Over the past 10 years, InSite has gone on to become incredibly successful and has helped improve the health and well-being of many people. It has saved literally countless lives in the Downtown Eastside.

Over 30 peer review studies have been done on InSite. It received its first exemption in 2003. From the extensive research that has been done since it opened, Vancouver has seen a 35% decrease in overdose deaths. Furthermore, InSite has been shown to decrease crime and communicable disease infection rates and relapse rates for drug users. That is quite remarkable. NDP members have always said that InSite is just part of the solution; it is not the only solution.

It is quite remarkable that this facility has been able to accomplish so much. One would never know that after hearing the speeches from government members. One would think it was just about chaos and law and order, that it was about imposing something on a community.

InSite did get a further exemption under the act for another year. I want to put firmly on the record that InSite has done a remarkable job in Vancouver.

I would also note that over those 10 years, organizations like the HIV/AIDS Legal Network, the Canadian Drug Policy Coalition, the Canadian Medical Association, and the Canadian Nurses Association, never mind the 30-plus peer review studies, have all come out firmly on the side of evidence that InSite is about saving lives. They came to this conclusion upon their analysis of how InSite is operated. They have been critical of Bill C-2 because they know, as we know having examined the bill, that it is really about setting the bar high. So much discretion and subjectivity is given to the minister that it would be very easy for her on flimsy, non-evidence-based opinion to turn down other applications across Canada.

That is the fundamental problem with this legislation. At the end of the day, Bill C-2 would not meet the test of the Supreme Court of Canada's decision on InSite.

Again we have a familiar pattern, as we just saw with Bill C-36 on the laws pertaining to prostitution. We have a government that is bent on its own ideological agenda and refuses to examine the evidence before it on some of these very important measures that pertain to safety, health, and well-being.

Just to show how important this facility is and that others across the country could provide the same kind of service, in Vancouver, on June 4, I happened to notice an item in the paper that said, “Vancouver Police are issuing a public warning after officers responded to seven reports of suspected heroin overdoses in the Downtown Eastside in the span of a day.” Clearly, there was some really bad stuff on the street and people were really suffering.

The article further stated, “Sgt. Randy Fincham said active drug users need to be 'extremely cautious' and to visit InSite.” There we have it. Even the Vancouver Police Department recognizes that InSite has been a very important health and safety measure for drug users. It provides a safe place to inject, and there is medical supervision and support when it is needed so that people do not die by overdose. As is said so often in the Downtown Eastside, dead people cannot get treatment. I find it very interesting that local police are actually telling people to make sure they go to InSite to take advantage of its services so people can have the medical support and safety that is required.

New Democrats believe that the provisions of this bill before us are very onerous and very partisan. This led us to suspect what research had actually been done in preparing the bill. I put a question on the order paper back in October of last year and asked specifically what kind of consultation the government had conducted before it brought the bill in, particularly for front-line service providers, medical research professionals, and so on. The response that I got from the government, in part, said, “In the development of the proposed legislation, Health Canada consulted with Public Safety Canada, Justice Canada, the Public Health Agency of Canada, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and central agencies.” Basically, nobody on the government side actually bothered to talk to the people who are providing the service.

I know that not one Conservative minister of health that I visited and spoke to about InSite over the past years has visited InSite. There is a complete lack of knowledge about what this facility does. I am very concerned that with this bill the minister will confer on herself enormous discretion and power to make decisions based on political opposition and not on the merits of what is what is taking place in the local community and how such a facility can help a population that is very much at risk and marginalized.

There are a couple of other points that I want to make. A very important one is that there was the recent passing of a very wonderful activist, Bud Osborn, a poet, and pioneer at InSite in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside. He was much beloved in the neighbourhood, a former drug user himself. He understood from the very beginning, through the poetry he wrote and the words he spoke to people, how important this facility was in fostering a united community, where people were not divided between good and bad.

I want to pay tribute to the remarkable life and work of Bud Osborn and what he did not only in my community but across the country. He became a hero to many people for his courageous, outspoken way of putting the truth before people. He convinced politicians of all political stripes and met with the Minister of Health here in Ottawa a number of years ago, as well as the media, lawyers, prosecutors. He had an enormous amount of influence in my community because he spoke the truth from his own experience and believed very strongly that InSite was a life-saving measure.

As this bill goes to committee, I want to say that New Democrats are very distressed that it is going to the public safety committee and not the health committee. It seems completely in conflict with what the goals of this bill should be in terms of a necessary health measure. We know that the bill is heavily weighted against the acceptance of these medically necessary services, so we will be demanding that there be a thoughtful and thorough review of the bill.

There have been a lot of scientific studies. We need to debunk the myths, the misinformation, and the rhetoric that we have heard about safer injections sites from the government side. When the bill gets to committee, I do hope very much, as we have said earlier today, that there will not be a censor of the witnesses, that there will be a thorough review and that we can make sure that the bill does indeed meet the test of the Supreme Court of Canada.