Oral Questions
Mr Speaker, it is rich, coming from the Conservative bench, that they are talking about affordability for young people. On this side of the House, we are building Canada strong. We are creating opportunities for young people. We are giving money back with this new credit. I invite members opposite to work with us so we can diversify our trade, support our skilled trade workers and train more worke…
Read full speech →Adjournment Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, it is good that the NDP and the member opposite are speaking up for the Canada Health Act, but they need to back up their words with actions by backing budget 2025 and ensuring that needed investments in health care infrastructure can flow to where they are needed the most. Our government will always defend universal health care, but we understand that defending the Canada Health Act …
Read full speech →Adjournment Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, this is my first time speaking in the House in the new year, so I want to start by wishing everyone a happy new year. I look forward to working together with colleagues from all parties at a time that demands unity. Our government was elected last year with the promise to build Canada strong. We understand the importance of nation-building projects, and let me be clear that there is n…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, I want to congratulate the North York General Hospital's Seniors’ Health Centre on its 40 years of exceptional and compassionate care. I advise the House of this wonderful institution, as it is the hub of medical services for seniors in my riding of Don Valley North. It first opened its doors in 1985 as a 60-bed long-term care home. It has stood the test of time and has grown to 192 b…
Read full speech →Adjournment Proceedings
Madam Speaker, let me be clear. The allegations regarding Oxaro's management of the vaccine injury support program are unacceptable. This program was created to support vulnerable Canadians, and it is evident that it has not operated in the way that Canadians deserve. This is why, from the moment our new government became aware of these issues, we acted decisively. The Minister of Health directed …
Read full speech →Adjournment Proceedings
Madam Speaker, I want to emphasize that everyone recognizes the problem with the vaccine injury support program. Our new government acted immediately to fix these problems. We are bringing management of the vaccine injury support program back to the government and have instructed the Public Health Agency of Canada to expedite its audit of the program and the company delivering it. Despite what the…
Read full speech →Adjournment Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, I will close by saying this. Addressing the toxic drug and overdose crisis requires compassion, collaboration and commitment. This means continuing to listen to community voices, to families and to health and safety experts. Anyone proposing to open a safe consumption site must demonstrate that they have spoken to their community and that they have a thoughtful plan in place to addres…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, this past weekend I had the pleasure of joining the Toronto Netralya Lions Club for their wonderful Diwali and Thanksgiving celebration. I want to take this occasion to acknowledge the Netralya Lions Club for their dedication to humanitarian causes and charitable organizations. I commend them for fundraising an incredible $143,500 to help equip North York General Hospital in my riding…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, at a time when women's rights are being rolled back around the world, Canada is moving forward. For too long, women's health has been under-researched, underfunded and too often dismissed. That is changing. Our new government is closing data gaps, modernizing breast cancer screening and improving access to reproductive care, so women are heard, believed and supported, because a strong…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, I want to reiterate that our government understands the devastating impact the drug and overdose crisis has had on families and communities in every corner of the country. I also want to continue to say that we will continue to work with partners across the board to tackle this public health crisis. I invite the member opposite to work with us on this instead of fighting us.
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, no parent should worry about their child picking up a broken needle or a broken pipe. While evidence shows that safe consumption sites help reduce public drug use and stop the spread of infectious diseases, we recognize the impact these sites have on these communities. As we continue to work with parents and partners to tackle this public health issue, service providers must engage wi…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, Conservatives talk a big game about supporting young people and young families, but they voted against every single measure that actually helps them. Our government is delivering real results, from child care to national food programs and the Canadian dental care plan, which is now reaching more than five million Canadians and saving families $800 a year. This is money that stays in C…
Read full speech →Adjournment Proceedings
Madam Speaker, there is no evidence to suggest that Canadian Blood Services is not working in the best interest of Canadians. It operates at arm's length from the federal government, but we have confidence that Canadian Blood Services is making sure Canada's blood supply is there for Canadians. We hope the Conservatives will stop trying to discourage Canadians from donating blood to Canadian Blood…
Read full speech →Adjournment Proceedings
Madam Speaker, two weeks ago the member opposite raised this question and used it as an opportunity to spread unfounded conspiracy theories and get clips for social media. Here we go again today. Once again, the member opposite is using his time to spread unfounded conspiracy theories and get clips for social media. The answer today is the same as it was two weeks ago. I will spell this out clearl…
Read full speech →Adjournment Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, again, the reality is far different from the complicated misinformation the Conservatives would have Canadians believe. Canadian Blood Services operates at arm's length from the federal government and is working to increase the supply of blood and plasma for Canadians. We will encourage Canadian Blood Services to make sure Canada's blood supply is always there for Canadians, and there…
Read full speech →Adjournment Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives try to spread misinformation, but the reality is very different. First, Canadian Blood Services manages Canada's blood supply, outside Quebec, independently and at arm's length from the federal government. Héma-Québec operates the same way within Quebec. Both work with the provinces and territories; in turn, they determine how plasma is collected in their jurisdictio…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize Police and Peace Officers' National Memorial Day, which falls on the last Sunday of September. Over 900 brave officers have made the ultimate sacrifice in the service of their communities, and we commemorate those who have lost their lives in the line of duty. We honour their sacrifice and their families by building a safer Canada. I am thankful to be able to advis…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Madam Speaker, as I mentioned, Canadian Blood Services is responsible for managing Canada's blood system outside Quebec at arm's length. It operates on behalf of the provinces and territories. As Canadian Blood Services moves forward in its agreement with Grifols, we would strongly encourage it to follow the promises made when it signed the contract in 2022.
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Madam Speaker, Canadian Blood Services is responsible for managing Canada's blood system outside Quebec at arm's length. It operates on behalf of the provinces and territories. As Canadian Blood Services moves forward in its agreement with Grifols, we would strongly recommend and encourage it to follow the promises made when it signed the contract in 2022, to ensure that blood products are manufac…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, the vaccine injury support program was created to provide support to vulnerable Canadians. The alleged behaviour is completely unacceptable. The Public Health Agency of Canada is accelerating the audit of Oxaro and its management of the program, and we will make the result of this audit public once available. We are bringing about the internal administration of the program, which will…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, the program was created to provide support to vulnerable Canadians and, as I mentioned before, the alleged behaviour is unacceptable. The Public Health Agency of Canada is accelerating the audit of Oxaro and its management of the support program, and we will make sure the result of this audit is made public once available. We are bringing about the internal administration of the progr…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to improving the overall health and well-being of the people of Canada. Healthy habits, such as a balanced diet, regular physical activity and an active lifestyle, are essential to supporting quality of life and the long-term well-being of Canadians. We are collaborating with all partners, and I look forward to working with the member directly on advancing …
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize Firefighters' National Memorial Day, which falls yearly on the second Sunday of September. Across Canada, more than 1,000 firefighters have died in the line of duty, including 353 Toronto firefighters. They will not be forgotten. This summer, I had the pleasure of visiting fire stations and meeting firefighters across my riding of Don Valley North, a community fort…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, our government understands the devastating impact the drug and overdose crisis has had on families and communities in every corner of the country. We must use every tool at our disposal to fight this crisis. That means cracking down on drugs, prosecuting drug trafficking and making sure communities, indigenous people and community health care organizations have the tools they need to …
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, our government understands that this is really impacting our community. We share the compassion and empathize with the situation. As I mentioned before, we will continue to work with partners at all levels to make sure we provide the supports that are needed to end this public health crisis.
Read full speech →Adjournment Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, it is true that we are experiencing workforce issues in the health care space. Our government is doing a lot of work in this space to make sure that we play a leadership role in supporting solutions to challenges facing health systems across the country, including those related to our workforce. We do have investment. As I stated in my first statement, we are creating new family physi…
Read full speech →Adjournment Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, it is a pleasure to return to the House after a summer in Don Valley North and meeting with neighbours to talk about how we can keep making our community a better place for everyone. I look forward to working with all MPs to do good by Canadians. I know my colleague put on notice a question regarding workforce planning and health care in the health care sector, so I will be responding…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, in response to part (a) of the question, the “Pregnancy, childbirth and caring for a newborn during the COVID-19 pandemic” fact sheet was developed by the Public Health Agency of Canada, or PHAC. The content was drawn largely from text that was previously posted to Canada.ca. In response to (b), the fact sheet was approved on May 19, 2021, by the chief of operations in the health port…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, with regard to part (a) of the question, the federal health portfolio, including Health Canada, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and the Public Health Agency of Canada, leads a whole-of-government approach to pandemic prevention, preparedness and response protocols. The health portfolio takes a whole-of-government approach to addressing One Health threats and reducing their potenti…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, Health Canada exercises stringent regulatory oversight over all pharmaceutical and biologic drugs, including vaccines. Before a drug is authorized in Canada, Health Canada conducts a rigorous scientific review of its safety, efficacy and quality. For the quality of the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines, Comirnaty and Spikevax, impurities in lipid nanoparticles, LNPs, are assessed according to gu…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, the Government of Canada is committed to transparency. Information that is not shared publicly is withheld only in compliance with applicable legislation. The access to information release package in question does not reference a “secret oath” in connection with the vaccine contracts, nor were confidentiality requirements themselves a secret. Section 54 of the Public Service Employmen…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Health has never exercised the authority granted in budget 2024 to put in place targeted exemptions from regulatory requirements. If the authority were to be exercised, it would be done in situations where a situation requiring immediate action has been identified, such as improving access to needed health products that are not currently on the market in Canada, and wh…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, with regard to (a), twoemails were received in support of the regulation of natural health products. The response to (a)(i) is from March 28, 2023, to May 27, 2025. In response to (a)(ii), the minister received two emails. In response to (a)(iii); as these were received via email, we do not know from which ridings they were sent. With regard to (b), 2,952 pieces of correspondence were…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, Health Canada has not received any request from British Columbia to extend its requested exemption beyond the January 31, 2026, expiration date.
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, national data on opioid data since January 2021 is available at https://health-infobase.canada.ca/substance-related-harms/opioids-stimulants/. Data broken down by year and by province or territory is available at https://health-infobase.canada.ca/substance-related-harms/opioids-stimulants/maps.html. Note that data may be withheld in provinces or territories with low numbers of cases i…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, in response to part (a) of the question, Health Canada’s 2024–2025 Report on Fees, covering last fiscal year, will be released in the Fall 2025. In fiscal year 2023-2024, the Pest Management Regulatory Agency, or PMRA, collected a total of $17,087,969 in revenues, including $6,271,360 from the pre-market submissions business line and $10,816,609 from the post-market annual charge busi…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, in response to (a), (b), (c), and (d), provinces and territories have primary responsibility for delivering health care services, including the implementation and delivery of the national pharmacare program, and they are responsible for gathering the requested information. Recipient provinces and territories are required to provide annual reports that demonstrate how federal funding w…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, information regarding grants provided under the Substance Use and Addictions Program is available at https://search.open.canada.ca/grants/.
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, the member opposite and I both sit on the health committee, and I look forward to working with him on this very important issue. The health and safety of Canadians is the top priority for this new government. We will put in every measure possible. We will work with provinces and territories to make sure we have support for children with diabetes. I look forward to working with the mem…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, as they say, the best time to plant a tree was yesterday. Last week, I had the pleasure of attending the annual tree giveaway held by the Bayview Village Association. Each year, the BVA offers residents trees and shrubs that are native to Toronto and suited for our urban environment, and it holds a workshop on how to properly plant them. I advise the House of this great community effo…
Read full speech →