Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, it is with a heavy heart that I share the passing of coach Cliff Brimmell. Anyone who had the good fortune of knowing Cliff knows what a wonderful man and passionate coach he was. An active member of the Ottawa Rowing Club for almost 50 years, Cliff shaped the lives of countless young rowers, instilling in them not only the skills and discipline required for rowing but also the values…
Read full speech →Adjournment Proceedings
Madam Speaker, I thank the member opposite for the question she has posed. I appreciate the opportunity to highlight the work that our government is doing to tackle affordability in Canada. I would like to start by welcoming the Bank of Canada's decision to lower the interest rate. It was a very significant moment today. It is truly great news for Canada and for Canadians. In fact, Canada is the f…
Read full speech →Adjournment Proceedings
Madam Speaker, I want to thank the hon. member for his very thoughtful question. I appreciated the question when he asked it in the House, and I have had an opportunity to speak to him in the hallways about it as well. The question is regarding the urgent need for effective treatments for pulmonary arterial hypertension, or PAH, as he outlined. This serious condition significantly impacts the live…
Read full speech →Adjournment Proceedings
Madam Speaker, I did not hear any concrete solutions from the member opposite. Yet again, it was just a slogan. I can assure the House a slogan is not going to help improve the lives of Canadians. When the member opposite refers to inflationary spending, she is saying that the Government of Canada, during the pandemic, which was the worst crisis of our lifetime, should not have spent the money to …
Read full speech →Adjournment Proceedings
Madam Speaker, again, I thank the member for his thoughtful and considerate way of approaching this really important issue. As I mentioned in my response earlier, there is a priority review that is going on, which requires an expeditious review of the process and the timelines that are associated with it. It requires, of course, the sponsor or the manufacturer of the medication to provide all the …
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I want to say to the member directly that this is not going to happen. The choice is maintained in this bill. He asked for a direct answer, and I am giving him the direct answer. In fact, at the committee, we discussed this matter at length. The minister was very clear, saying that the choice will always be maintained. As I said in my remarks, there is no reference to private health i…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, it is my privilege today to begin the debate at third reading stage of Bill C-64, an act respecting pharmacare. The legislation, as people know, is a priority for the government. It would establish the fundamental principles for implementing a national pharmacare program in Canada. Additionally, it would outline our plan to work with participating provinces and territories to deliver …
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Mr. Speaker, in the legislation, the choice is clear. There is no conversation about taking choice away whatsoever, so I encourage the member to have a look at the legislation. Second, I would ask the member to support this legislation, to make sure that Canadians have access to pharmacare, to stop spreading misinformation, to stop creating fear among Canadians and to focus on initiatives like thi…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the member for Don Valley East, who had the honour of serving in the provincial legislature. He will remember when we worked together to create OHIP+, which started providing universal access to pharmacare for young people, which was a game-changer. It was unfortunate that Doug Ford gutted that program. The member for Don Valley East is absolutely right. Our number one…
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Mr. Speaker, I am sure the member knows my view on Doug Ford's government and how we can be better served in Ontario. When I was knocking on doors in the last election, one of the messages that I heard repeatedly from my constituents was to work with all members of this House, all political parties. My constituents were absolutely clear on ensuring that we get things done. I am really glad that we…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, we are absolutely clear that we will work along with provinces and territories. Delivery of health care is a provincial responsibility. I think we all accept that, and we are all together in our desire to serve Canadians better across this country in provinces and territories and to make sure that they have the best health care accessible to them. That is why, given the diverse progra…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Madam Speaker, the Conservatives are in denial. They will continue to say that somehow dental care does not exist, because they really do not care about Canadians. They do not care about the seniors. Hundreds of thousands of seniors have already had access to dental care. What Conservatives would do is cut this really important, essential program that is already looking after our seniors. We will …
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Madam Speaker, the truth is that the Conservatives do not support a pharmacare program. They do not support a Canadian dental care plan. They are throwing up all kinds of obstacles and denying the existence even of a Canadian dental care plan because they do not support that kind of really important help. In fact, ideologically, they are motivated by private health care. If they have their way, th…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, I am thankful for the opportunity to speak to a very important piece of legislation, Bill C-64, which deals with pharmacare and develops a framework for it. This bill, along with other investments made by our government, would help millions of Canadians who are struggling to pay for their prescription drugs. We had a very healthy process at HESA, the Standing Committee on Health. I …
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, I want to thank the hon. member opposite for his advocacy on rare diseases and drug coverage. I have heard him speak before quite convincingly, and I thank him for the hard work he is doing. The member is absolutely right. We have allocated $1.5 billion over three years, but that delivery will come through provinces and territories. We are doing the hard work to engage in bilateral …
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Madam Speaker, the member and I share an experience. We have both served in the provincial legislatures in our respective provinces, Manitoba for him and Ontario for me. We know that one of the biggest responsibilities provinces have is the delivery of health care. That is why it is imperative that the federal government work with provinces and territories in delivering these programs. That is wha…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I think throughout the debate on Bill C-64, whether at second reading stage or at committee, we have seen nothing but fearmongering on the part of the Conservatives, for a simple reason: They do not support the bill. They do not want Canadians to have pharmacare. In fact, they support a private health care system. That is why they have chosen every which way to put up blockades agains…
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Mr. Speaker, I respect the member opposite a lot. I listened to his speech quite diligently, and I am a bit perplexed because, on one hand, he spoke about and advocated for private health care insurance. He talked about how Canadians should just get private insurance for medicine if they do not have any, but then he went on to talk about affordability and the high use of food banks. I hope the mem…
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Mr. Speaker, I have a lot of admiration for the member for St. John's East. I always listen quite attentively when she is speaking because she brings a wealth of knowledge and experience as a registered nurse, and now in her role as the chair of the national seniors caucus. I know she spends a lot of time talking to seniors. I would like to know what she is hearing from seniors across our country …
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, just like the hon. member, I also ran on pharmacare, both when I was a provincial member in Ontario and federally. I am really excited to see that our government party is working closely with the NDP to make this a reality for millions of Canadians. During this process, especially through the committee, we heard a lot of fearmongering from the Conservatives, especially when it comes t…
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Mr. Speaker, I appreciate being recognized again. It is a great honour for me to work with the hon. member for Thunder Bay—Rainy River on the HESA committee. Given his medical and legal background, I find him quite beneficial to me for my understanding of a lot of health care issues. One of the things we heard a lot about at committee is the impact of this framework legislation on private health i…
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Mr. Speaker, I know that the member for Davenport has been a long-time supporter of pharmacare, and just like me, she has campaigned on this. Can she tell me the impact that this legislation would have on her community?
Read full speech →Adjournment Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, first of all, let me wish you a happy birthday. I am sure you will get some quality time with your family. We remain deeply concerned about the overdose crisis and its impact on individuals, friends, families and communities across the country. In fact, Canadians are concerned about the crisis. Every loss of life is tragic. It is not a partisan issue; it is a health care issue. There …
Read full speech →Adjournment Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, all of us want to save lives, but what will not save lives is a bunch of slogans, and that is the only thing we keep hearing from Conservatives. We are very much open to new ideas that are going to help people suffering from mental health, substance abuse and addiction challenges. We are not the only ones around the globe who are facing the crisis. All of us are working hard to find s…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, just like you, I am an avid runner. It brings me great joy today to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend. Last weekend, thousands of people participated in the 50th season of the race weekend, running through this magnificent, beautiful capital city of ours, running along both the Ottawa and Gatineau sides of the Ottawa River. This is not only a run, but …
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, in response to (a), Health Canada, HC, verifies that companies manufacturing vaccines destined for the Canadian market comply with Canada’s high safety and quality requirements, whether the drug is manufactured domestically or abroad. Within Canada, all drug manufacturers are inspected by Health Canada. For foreign manufacturing sites, Health Canada conducts inspections or assesses in…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, that is a very thoughtful question. Of course, our number-one priority is to protect Canadians and to make sure they have all the necessary medications available to them. That is why we are actually bringing in pharmacare legislation, Bill C-64. I really hope the member opposite will support that bill because it would allow Canadians to have access to, initially, diabetes medications …
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, in response to (a), "Adverse Reaction Reporting and Health Product Safety Information: Guide for Health Professionals" outlines the submission methods available to health care professionals and anyone living in Canada wishing to voluntarily report adverse reactions, ARs, including adverse events following immunization, AEFIs, with vaccines, such as COVID-19 vaccines, and medical devic…
Read full speech →Private Members' Business
Madam Speaker, I am thankful for the opportunity to discuss Bill C-368 with respect to natural health products, and its potential impact on the ability of Canadians to have confidence in the natural health products on their shelves. Canadians expect the products that they buy in Canada to be safe for use and consumption. This includes the natural health products we use every day, such as vitamins,…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, before a vaccine is approved in Canada, the department conducts a rigorous scientific review of its safety, efficacy and quality. Submissions typically contain extensive data regarding the vaccine's safety, efficacy and quality, including results of pre-clinical and clinical studies, details on manufacturing processes, and information on adverse events following immunization. An autho…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I am thankful for the opportunity to speak about Bill C-64 and about how this represents a historic milestone in the evolution of the Canadian health care system. This bill and other investments made by our government will help millions of Canadians who are struggling to pay for their medication. I was very thrilled when the Minister of Health, and many other incredible Canadians who …
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Mr. Speaker, I want to first thank the member for Nunavut, along with the member for Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound, for joining me on Sunday in support of Christie Lake Camp, which is a worthy organization in Ottawa, in my community, raising $20,000 to support kids from priority neighbourhoods. I must say the member for Nunavut is an excellent basketball player, so it was a great afternoon. I agree with t…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I will suggest to the member that this is an incredible opportunity for us, as a federal government, to work closely with provinces and territories. We have much to learn from Quebec. The member for Winnipeg Centre mentioned a few things earlier in her debate. Quebec has been a pioneer and a leader, whether it is pharmacare or child care. We have an opportunity to work with each other…
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Mr. Speaker, I would suggest to the member that it would be incompetent for any government not to invest in health care for Canadians. I would ask the member, if he thinks that this is wasteful spending, if he would cut the spending. Would he not provide pharmacare for Canadians? What else would he cut? Would he cut the Canadian dental care plan, which is now helping millions of seniors, just star…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, there is nothing more important to our government than reconciliation with indigenous peoples. That is why, from the very beginning, we have been working very closely, in partnership with all indigenous peoples across the country, to ensure that we rectify past injustices and making the necessary investments. It is difficult work. It is work that we will continue to do with indigenous…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, health care is a shared responsibility between the Government of Canada and the provinces and territories. The federal government’s primary role in supporting health care is to provide funding to the provinces and territories, while the provincial and territorial governments administer and deliver health care services. The Canada health transfer, or CHT, is the largest federal transfe…
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Mr. Speaker, in response to (a), the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, CFIA, has other means to engage with stakeholders, including with the Ontario Greenhouse Vegetable Growers and Mushrooms Canada. It engages regularly with stakeholders on regulatory, policy and program developments. This engagement helps inform proposed changes to CFIA policies and procedures, programs, services, regulations and…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the remarkable 90-year journey of the Jewish Federation of Ottawa. The roots of the federation can be traced back to 1934, amidst a backdrop of rising anti-Semitism and economic adversity caused by the Great Depression. From the outset, the congregations of Agudath Achim, Adath Jeshurun, Mackzikei Hadas and B'nai Jacob recognized the power of unity, understan…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, the federal government does not directly fund hospitals or clinics to provide medically necessary health care services, including abortion care services. Rather the provincial and territorial governments fund and administer the provision of these services within the framework of the Canada Health Act and with federal assistance through the Canada health transfer, or CHT. The Canada He…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, Health Canada initially authorized the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 mRNA vaccine in December 2020 and subsequently has authorized updated versions, including the most recent vaccine targeting the XBB Omicron subvariant in late 2023: https://covid-vaccine.canada.ca. Each assessment included a determination that the vaccine met the department's stringent regulatory, safety, effi…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
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 at https://bit.ly/3EH07IB. Click on the individual v…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, in answer to part (a) of the question, at the time of initial authorization of the first COVID-19 vaccines, Pfizer-BioNTech, in December 2020, there was no reported evidence on the efficacy of the authorized COVID-19 vaccine to prevent asymptomatic infection, to reduce viral shedding or to prevent transmission. In February and March 2021, preliminary data from the ongoing vaccine tria…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Madam Speaker, I am excited to rise here today and talk about the building of more and more affordable housing in my community of Ottawa Centre. Thanks to our government's housing accelerator fund, we are building thousands of new, affordable homes across my riding today. This historic investment of $176 million will translate into 4,400 new homes across the city of Ottawa within the next three ye…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, I am bringing forward this petition on behalf of my constituents in Ottawa Centre. It recognizes that there is a grave humanitarian crisis taking place in Gaza because of the war. It acknowledges that Canada is recognized for its historic leadership in humanitarian actions in the global community. It also recognizes the fact that Canada really stepped forward in helping Ukrainians com…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I am thankful for the opportunity to speak to this motion, which is an opposition day motion by the Conservative Party of Canada. I stand here today, first and foremost, to speak as the member of Parliament for Ottawa Centre, the community that has given me the great honour to serve it in the House. As someone who knocks on doors often and speaks to his constituents, as many members i…
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Mr. Speaker, I agree with the member, and I thank him for raising the point. As I was saying earlier, inaction is not a plan. We can decide to make very short-term decisions right now, burying our heads in the sand and letting future generations be responsible for themselves, or we can take our responsibilities as parliamentarians seriously and make sure that we are making decisions today that are…
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Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for his question. I agree with the member. We need to do more, absolutely. We have a good foundation. I really do believe that we have a good starting point. For once, Canada has a credible plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. We are starting to see that happen. The way to move forward is not with slogans. We need to build on this. Climate change is not going to…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the member opposite for his advocacy for eradicating HIV/AIDS from our communities. We know that a lot of work has been done to find solutions and to provide care for those with HIV/AIDS. Our government remains committed to supporting all those endeavours. The best way to do it is by working with communities. We will continue to support them. I look forward to continui…
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Mr. Speaker, the member just made my point, because cap and trade is actually a price on pollution. That is exactly the point. In the case of Quebec, they do have a cap and trade system. In the case of Ontario, until 2018, we introduced a plan that was a cap and trade system. The mechanism is the same, which is to put a price on pollution. He could speak to any economist; in fact the economists we…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, in response to parts (a) and (b) of the question, Health Canada, or HC, the Public Health Agency of Canada, or PHAC, the provinces and territories, and manufacturers continue to closely monitor the safety of COVID-19 vaccines through the Canadian adverse events after immunization surveillance system, or CAEFISS, and the Canada vigilance program. An adverse event is any untoward medica…
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