Parliamentary Speeches
808 speeches by Adam van Koeverden — Page 11 of 17
Government Orders
Madam Speaker, I will leave it at that, as the hon. member continues to heckle me from across the way.
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Madam Speaker, I want to thank my hon. colleague for his question and his attention to this very important issue. However, I must mention that responsibility for Canada's health care system is shared between the two levels of government, meaning provincial and federal. The cost of the health care system is the responsibility of both orders of government. That agreement is also the result of co-ope…
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Madam Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague for the extraordinary work that he and his colleagues on the HUMA committee have done to ensure that there is modernization in the care economy, that wages keep up to the rate of inflation and that people are paid well for their essential work. That same day, I met with members of the SEIU to discuss not only some of the more troubling results of t…
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Madam Speaker, I thank my friend and colleague for his collaboration. The quotes he shared were primarily from provincial organizations representing the workers in those provinces, which is important, but I think they were directing those comments to provincial governments. We heard from Canadian organizations, like the Canadian Medical Association, the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of …
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Madam Speaker, the concept of equity versus equality is one that is lost on some members of the House. It is important to note that some Canadians do live in disparate conditions. They live far away from hospitals and have less access to services, to resources and to a family doctor. We have to ensure that everybody has service and access to the exact same system, and we have to make sure outcomes…
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Madam Speaker, I would first like to commend the hon. member for Port Moody—Coquitlam for her work on labour shortages in the care economy. I appreciated all the quotes she used to re-emphasize what I believe are common characteristics and shared priorities with respect to these investments in the health care system going forward. I would also like to share a quote from Dr. Alika Lafontaine from t…
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Madam Speaker, the member opposite asked a lot of questions, and this has become a really disappointing trend from the Conservatives. It is a lot of slogans and no solutions or proposals for a better system. There are no recommendations, just a lot of slogans with no substance at all. Canadians know they cannot trust the Conservatives on health care. Their hidden agenda is not hidden at all. There…
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Madam Speaker, I thank my hon. colleague for taking such a firm stand in this place for publicly funded, universally available and equitably delivered health care in our country. It is so important that we continue to stand up for it because he is right. There are Conservatives in the House and across the country who would strive to privatize our health care further. However, our plan is compliant…
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Mr. Speaker, on this side of the House, we believe that all one should need to get health care is a health card, not a credit card. Canadians are proud of this system, and they should be. Our discussions with the premiers included the importance of upholding the Canada Health Act, which means making sure services are based on need and not someone's ability to pay. We will always protect Canadians'…
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his question. Under our plan, the premiers of the provinces and territories must agree to three key commitments to obtain funding through tailored bilateral agreements, in addition to an immediate top-up to the Canada health transfer, or CHT. These commitments include collecting, sharing and using vital information on health to guarantee the CHT top-up and ent…
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Mr. Speaker, I agree. We believe that all one should need to get health care in Canada is a health card, not a credit card. Canadians are proud of our system, which is based on need, not ability to pay. Canadians should have access to medical services based on their need, not their ability to pay.
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Mr. Speaker, Canadians expect to be able to receive health care services when they need them. Our government is there for them both now and going forward, making investments and doing whatever is necessary.
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Mr. Speaker, at the working meeting with the premiers, we discussed plans to increase funding to the provinces and territories by $196.1 billion over 10 years for the Canada health transfer, or CHT, including $46.2 billion in new funding. This funding includes an immediate, unconditional $2 billion Canada health transfer top-up to address immediate pressures on the health care system, particularly…
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Mr. Speaker, yesterday was Ski Day on the Hill. It was perfect timing, as this week is Winter Health and Fitness Week. Cross-country skiers from as far as Salmon Arm, senators, fellow members, and even some Ukrainian newcomers strapped on our cross-country ski gear and raced laps around the west lawn. I send a big thanks to groomer Dave of the Kichi Sibi trail for setting things up and making sure…
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Mr. Speaker, our health system is experiencing significant challenges, and it is important that we work together to find the best solutions going forward. That is why, today, the Prime Minister and the Minister of Health are sitting down with the premiers and the ministers of health from across this country. Our government remains ready to work with provinces and territories to further discuss pri…
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Mr. Speaker, perhaps my colleague did not hear me when I said that we will always stand up for our fundamental public universal health care. I will say it again: We will always stand up for our public universal health care. Our government remains ready to work with the provinces and territories to further discuss priorities, actions and results to improve health services for all Canadians. That in…
Read full speech →Adjournment Proceedings
Madam Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to come here to night to talk about some of the measures the government took earlier in the COVID-19 pandemic to protect the health and safety of Canadians. My friend and colleague opposite is doing her job well, and I appreciate that. I want to thank her for doing her job well. She knows that I do not work in HR, so I cannot comment on any specifics in …
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Madam Speaker, I have to say I appreciate my colleague's work, and I have appreciated her work over the last couple of years. She has been a really unique voice of reason from the other side. There have been some times when we have really had to shake our heads and say, “My gosh, what are people reading on the Internet?” Just recently, the former leader of the Conservative Party did an interview. …
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Madam Speaker, over the last year, the conservation authority in my riding, Conservation Halton, has planted close to 80,000 trees. It has restored stream habitat; managed 11,000 acres of land; hired over 800 young people to work in nature; maintained 116 kilometres of trails; and monitored aquatic and terrestrial habitat, as well as water quality, at 325 monitoring stations. It has carried out 45…
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Madam Speaker, we share the deep concerns that Canadians have regarding the significant challenges that our health care system is experiencing, and we recognize that urgent actions are necessary to address the current health care worker crisis. In fact, in the health committee, we have just finished our study on the human resources challenge in health care. We are continuing to work with the provi…
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Madam Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague for her question and her support on a very important issue that our government is very involved in. We are creating new structures to protect athletes and provide solutions to help and support them. A few months ago, we established the Office of the Sport Integrity Commissioner, and 34 sporting federations joined it. We are doing everything we can …
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Mr. Speaker, let me be clear: Canadians are proud of our system, and this government is too. It is based on need and not the ability to pay, and we believe that all one should need in order to get health care is a health card, not a credit card. We will make sure that our investments respect the Canada Health Act while always defending our universal public health care system.
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Mr. Speaker, it is great to be back and I welcome all my colleagues back to the House of Commons. Over the course of the break, I had lots of time to knock on doors. I talked to lots of my neighbours. Milton is one of the youngest communities in Canada demographically, so I overwhelmingly heard from my constituents that they were thrilled about the amount of money they were saving every month on c…
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Mr. Speaker, Health Canada is working closely with industry and key stakeholders to mitigate the shortage of pediatric analgesics. A primary focus of this work has been to increase the supply of these products. Over 1.9 million units of ibuprofen and record levels of acetaminophen have been released into the market by domestic suppliers in November and December. To date, nearly 1.9 million units o…
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Mr. Speaker, the November announcement related to the additional supply of acetaminophen and ibuprofen being available in Canada refers to the private sector-led importation of foreign-labelled product. No federal procurement took place in this regard.
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Mr. Speaker, budget 2022 proposed funding of $5.3 billion over five years, starting in 2022-23, and $1.7 billion ongoing for a national dental care program for Canadians who earn under $90,000. The interim Canada dental benefit is the first stage of the government’s plan to improve dental care for Canadians in families with an adjusted net income of under $90,000. It is estimated that over 500,000…
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Mr. Speaker, with respect to part (a), through its existing COVID-19 advance purchase agreements, or APAs, Canada has access to up to 93.5 million mRNA doses in 2023. This includes 30 million doses of Pfizer-BioNTech’s Comirnaty vaccine and 18.5 million doses of Moderna’s Spikevax vaccine, with options to access up to an additional 45 million mRNA doses should urgent or emergent needs arise. Canad…
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Mr. Speaker, the November announcement related to the additional supply of acetaminophen and ibuprofen being available in Canada refers to the private sector-led importation of foreign-labelled product. No federal procurement took place in this regard, nor were there incremental costs incurred by the Government of Canada. Addressing the complex issue of drug shortages requires collaborative action…
Read full speech →Adjournment Proceedings
Madam Speaker, before I start, I feel compelled to say a few words with respect to the passing of our friend and colleague Jim Carr, the member for Winnipeg South Centre. I was one of the members who got to sit behind the member for Winnipeg South Centre during his last speech in the House of Commons, when he spoke so eloquently about his bill to ensure the Prairies have a green economy on the hor…
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Madam Speaker, I strongly disagree that we are not willing to invest incrementally into the health care system, as evidenced by the past couple of years and all of the incremental funding we have dedicated to health care and preserving our robust health care system. The health care money we send to provinces and territories ought to be spent on health care, but in provinces like mine, Ontario, a l…
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Madam Speaker, Canadians continue to have and should have confidence in our electoral processes. As I mentioned before, Canada's electoral system is strong. Improving, strengthening and protecting our democratic institutions against all forms of foreign interference remains our government's top priority. We have implemented a series of measures, such as the plan to protect Canada's democracy, that…
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Madam Speaker, the member can rest assured that there are no cover-ups, as he has repeatedly implied in this House. At a time when democracy is being challenged around the world, Canada's electoral system remains healthy and robust. Canada continues to rank among the world's healthiest democracies, something that we can all be proud of in the House and across the country. Members of the procedure …
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Mr. Speaker, there are different types of cannabis production authorized under the Cannabis Act and its regulations. A federal licence is required to cultivate, process and sell cannabis for medical or non-medical purposes. Federal licence holders can conduct related activities such as possession, transportation, storage, destruction, research and development, and sale of bulk cannabis to other fe…
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my hon. colleague for his question. Our health care system is facing major challenges, and we must work together to improve health care for Canadians. We are disappointed in the outcome of the meeting and in the provincial and territorial premiers' statement. Nevertheless, our government remains ready to work with the provinces and territories and to continue discussing priori…
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Madam Speaker, it is an honour to be back in the House for Adjournment Proceedings this evening. I thank the member down the way for the opportunity to address concerns of foreign interference in Canada. Canada is a country of an open political system, a democratic process, much social cohesion, academic freedoms and prosperity. While these are reasons why people choose to come to Canada, they als…
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Madam Speaker, an old saying comes to mind: Those in glass houses should not throw stones. When given an opportunity, every Conservative member voted against all these measures to support Canadians tangibly. The constituents and neighbours of ours who are struggling right now are receiving support, whether that is through rental supports, dental supports, the doubling of their GST credit or increa…
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Mr. Speaker, we share the frustrations and concerns of parents across Ontario with the wait times at hospitals, particularly for kids. It has been a really challenging flu, RSV and COVID season, with all of those piling up. We recognize it has been extraordinarily challenging for health care workers as well. We believe, on this side of the House, that all someone should need to get health care in …
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Mr. Speaker, leave it to the Conservatives to suggest that buying vaccines during a deadly pandemic was wasteful. Context matters. At the start of this pandemic, no one could predict which vaccine would be most effective. With an increased global demand, our government prioritized, protecting the health and safety of Canadians. We will continue to work to keep securing the vaccines Canadians need …
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Mr. Speaker, Canada's COVID-19 procurement strategy was undertaken at a time of considerable uncertainty, with a goal of protecting the health and safety of Canadians. That is what we did. While Canada's overall COVID-19 immunization strategy has been a success, with modelling suggesting that public health measures without vaccination could have seen over 16.5 million cases and nearly 500,000 deat…
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his question, but what he says is not true. Our government has a long history of working with the provinces and territories, not only to provide funding, but also to ensure a national vision for health care and systems that meet the needs of Canadians. We will increase Canada health transfers by 10% in March 2023. An additional 5% increase was announced a few …
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Mr. Speaker, I agree with the hon. member. Urgent actions are indeed required to address the current health workforce crisis. That is why we have taken significant steps forward by establishing a coalition for action for health care workers to inform immediate and long-term solutions to address these challenges, by introducing measures to facilitate the entry of foreign national physicians and per…
Read full speech →Adjournment Proceedings
Madam Speaker, I am thrilled to address this question in the adjournment debate. Our government understands that many Canadians are worried about our economy as it faces a period of slower economic growth due to the global challenge of high inflation and higher interest rates. We recognize that Canadians are feeling the pain of inflation when they go to the grocery store, fill up their tanks and p…
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Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for raising this very important issue. Rural areas are indeed facing an unacceptable shortage of health workers. Our government will continue working on addressing the shortage as well as improving health care in rural areas generally. The needs of Canadians in rural and remote areas are foremost in our minds, and we will work with provinces and territories in t…
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Madam Speaker, I thank the member for the opportunity to discuss this very important issue. The impacts of the health worker shortage are reverberating across all areas of the health system, but they are particularly clear right now in our hospitals. It gets harder to watch as children are affected. Understaffed emergency rooms have led to long wait times and even closures. Our government is worki…
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Mr. Speaker, I reject the premise of the question 100%. We have taken swift action against the Islamic Republic of Iran, and we continue to be extremely strong against the People's Republic of China in their attempts to interfere in our elections or in any other course of due action in Canada. I want to make it clear that the Government of Canada remains committed to combatting foreign interferenc…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, Bill C-31, an act respecting cost of living relief measures related to dental care and rental housing, was introduced on September 20, 2022. Health Canada has and will continue to engage with the provinces and territories, as well as stakeholders including experts, clinicians and industry, on providing dental care for uninsured Canadians. Consultations to date have helped inform the d…
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Madam Speaker, I first want to thank my hon. colleague for her question, her leadership and her attention to this very important issue. I would also like to thank the other members of the Standing Committee on the Status of Women for the important work they are doing in studying the issue of safe sport for women and girls in Canada. I had the privilege of joining one of the meetings. I paid attent…
Read full speech →Adjournment Proceedings
Madam Speaker, I once again want to commend the member from the Bloc Québécois for her attention to this important issue and concern. I also want to commend the other members of the status of women committee for their hard work on this issue. Absolutely no solution is off the table for me, the Minister of Sport, the government and all members of the House. We absolutely condemn violence, maltreatm…
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Mr. Speaker, Health Canada has authorized several COVID-19 vaccines for use in Canada. Each of these underwent a careful scientific review and met our standards for safety, efficacy and quality. Information about all of the authorized vaccines including the regulatory decision summary can be found on the COVID-19 vaccines and treatments portal: https://bit.ly/3EH07IB. Users must click on the indiv…
Read full speech →Statements By Members
Madam Speaker, oral health is absolutely essential. Tooth decay is the most common, yet preventable, childhood chronic disease, and it is one of the number one reasons kids miss school. Fully one-third of Canadians are unable to visit the dentist, because it is expensive and they do not have insurance, so we introduced the interim Canada child dental benefit, and 500,000 children under 12 can now …
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