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Results: 1 - 15 of 687
View Garnett Genuis Profile
CPC (AB)
Madam Speaker, I rise on a point of order. I might as well use this time to raise a matter of order. I know that the Speaker may need to come back to the House on it, but it is something that requires some clarification.
Standing order 53.1(2) indicates that a take-note debate ordered by the House pursuant to section 1 of the Standing Orders shall begin at the ordinary hour of daily adjournment and any proceedings subject to standing order 38, what we conventionally call “late shows”, shall be suspended on that day. My reading of that provision is that those late shows are suspended, which means that a member whose late show is scheduled to expire that day could schedule that late show for the following day.
Standing order 38 refers to the fact that late shows have to be scheduled within a set period of time, but that set period of time applies to sitting days.
My reading of standing order 53.1(2) is that a member's late show suspended on the current day can be rescheduled for the next day even if the current day is the expiry date. That is my reading of it.
I would like to have some clarification from the Chair about whether or not I can schedule a late show tomorrow for one that was supposed to take place today.
View Kevin Lamoureux Profile
Lib. (MB)
View Kevin Lamoureux Profile
2018-12-10 11:47 [p.24597]
Madam Speaker, I rise on that point of order. You can reflect on the comments mentioned by the member if you like, but I believe that the House was actually suspended, so if anything, that point of order should be stricken from the record.
View Carol Hughes Profile
NDP (ON)
Thank you to both members. Both points were done in conjunction. I will come back to the House if need be on this.
View Ginette Petitpas Taylor Profile
Lib. (NB)
Mr. Chair, it is always an honour to rise in the House to debate and discuss issues that are important to Canadians.
As we gather here tonight, our country is in a national public health crisis. Over the past two and a half years, over 8,000 Canadians have lost their lives as a result of the opioid crisis. It is the most significant health issue in Canada's recent history.
This crisis is as complex as it is tragic. It is playing out across the country, in many different settings, yet the heartbreaking reality remains the same.
Last year in Vancouver, 370 people died of opioid-related overdoses. In Windsor, it recently claimed the lives of four unrelated people in a 24-hour period. On the Blood reserve in Alberta, paramedics responded to some 150 overdose calls in a single weekend in 2017.
From big cities to mid-size centres to rural areas, no corner of Canada has been spared this crisis. This epidemic takes the life of one Canadian every three hours. I believe it is worth repeating: One Canadian every three hours loses his or her life as a result of the opioid crisis.
While media coverage can sometimes make it seem like a distant problem, the opioid crisis certainly affects us all. Recently the stepson of B.C.'s Minister of Agriculture tragically died as a result of an overdose. While studies show that men in their thirties are most likely to die of an overdose, the impact is truly widespread. Each death devastates families, friends and communities as a whole.
Most tragic is the impact on our children. Overdose deaths have left a growing number of children without a mother or a father, or worse, as orphans. In the municipality of Brant, Ontario, one-quarter of the calls to child and family services involve parents using opioids.
The sad reality is that few Canadians are left untouched by this crisis, from coast to coast to coast.
The root causes of this crisis are many. We know that the over-prescribing of opioids has played a critical role and that toxic, illicit fentanyl continues to permeate our borders. For too long, leaders have been slow to react.
As Canada's health minister, there is no issue more important to me than this one. This was the first file I was briefed upon when I became Minister of Health, and I have to say, it is truly the file that keeps me up at night.
We are working to turn the tide on this national public health crisis. We certainly have to make sure that a response is compassionate, collaborative, and evidence-based. We are treating this as a health issue, and certainly not as a criminal one. We are taking action to save lives.
To support prevention, we are working to raise awareness to fight stigma, as we recognize that it is truly an obstacle. To increase access to treatment, we have made major investments with provinces and territories and have enacted new legislation to cut red tape. To better understand the crisis, we have improved data collection and surveillance.
We have also added money to better address this crisis. We committed $231 million in the 2018 budget. The provinces and territories will receive $150 million of this amount so that they can directly help the Canadians who are struggling with this issue.
We also took steps to make treatment easier to access by changing the rules that no longer made sense. For example, nurses could not transport certain controlled substances, but we changed that. They can now provide better care to Canadians living in rural and remote areas.
Properly addressing this crisis is impossible to do without including harm reduction. We support harm reduction, because we know that harm reduction saves lives. It means treating substance use and addiction not as a moral issue but as a medical one. It means asking ourselves not which solution fits our ideology but rather which one will help people.
Since coming into office, our government has placed harm reduction at the centre of our response when it comes to the opioid crisis. A core feature of that response is supervised consumption sites. For too long, these sites and harm reduction were used as a political wedge issue, yet we know that these sites save lives. That is why we have streamlined the application process for supervised consumption sites.
There are presently 28 sites operating across Canada. They have received over 125,000 visits in the past 18 months and have reversed over 1,100 overdoses, without a single fatality at any of these sites.
To further save lives, we have helped establish temporary prevention sites where the need is urgent. However, the federal government is merely one actor in a broader response. Progress is impossible without the collaboration of provincial and territorial governments, community partners and much more.
Most importantly, solving this crisis requires listening to those who know it best, those who understand its wrenching realities and those who live this crisis day in and day out. When I think of this, I think of individuals like Jeff Fleming.
Jeff was a service and support worker working the night shift in a downtown mission in Windsor, helping folks struggling with mental health and addiction issues. What set him apart from the other staff was that Jeff himself struggled with substance use disorder. His own experience with addiction only strengthened his resolve, because he wanted to help others. Jeff's colleagues said it made him better at his job. They noted how he treated everyone with respect and dignity, pushing to get people the help they needed, even in the face of insults or worse, yet last month, Jeff Fleming died of a suspected overdose.
Unfortunately, Jeff's story is not unique. If we take one thing from his story, it is that we must listen before it is too late. This is why we have made it a priority to engage and involve those affected by this crisis. In September, I hosted a two-day symposium that brought together close to 200 stakeholders and partners. The voices around the table, from those with lived experience to researchers to people suffering from chronic pain to front-line service providers, reinforced our belief that we make better policies when all voices are heard.
I would now like to take a few moments to talk about stereotypes. The preconceived idea that problematic substance use should be seen as a personal failure is hindering our efforts to help those who need it.
Having spent my life helping many men and women with substance abuse problems, I know that treating this situation as a health issue is the best way to help these individuals. It is also the best way to help their families and friends, who are also affected by stereotypes.
People with substance abuse problems often do not ask for help because they are afraid of facing these stereotypes. In British Columbia alone, 90% of those who died of an overdose died alone at home. That is why I encourage Canadians to be careful about the words they use when they talk about problematic substance use.
Changing preconceived ideas is not easy, but being more respectful, showing compassion and being careful about our choice of words are steps in the right direction. There is still no miracle cure for people with substance abuse problems, but I have to say that I am optimistic. I will continue to encourage all those who are working to deal with this crisis to develop bold new solutions.
We have started to do just that. It is now possible for people to have their drugs tested at consumption sites. We have also funded projects to develop more practical testing tools. We will continue to find bold solutions to help those who need it.
Today Canada faces our most significant public health crisis in recent history. It is complex and challenging from every angle, be it social, medical or legal. There are no easy solutions when it comes to the opioid crisis. We must remember that no one wakes up one morning and decides to have an overdose. This crisis is a human tragedy, and our response must be compassionate.
This evening I have highlighted only a few of the many actions our government has taken to save lives and address this tragic situation. I understand members' sense of urgency, and I share that sense of urgency as well. We can and we will do more. Know that our government is deeply distressed by this national public health crisis, and we will do everything in our power to stop it.
View Marilyn Gladu Profile
CPC (ON)
View Marilyn Gladu Profile
2018-12-10 19:25 [p.24655]
Mr. Chair, the Minister of Health mentioned that the opioid crisis is her number one priority. When I look at the spending of the government, I see that the Liberals can find money for a $4.5 billion pipeline, $800 million to legalize marijuana, $1.1 billion for illegal asylum seekers, and most recently, $600 million to try to buy the media in an election year, but $250 million is the amount that has been pledged for the opioid crisis, and only a fraction of that has actually been spent.
How can it be such a big priority when there has been a lack of resourcing for prevention and recovery?
View Ginette Petitpas Taylor Profile
Lib. (NB)
Mr. Chair, as indicated in my comments this evening, when we look at the opioid crisis, we are dealing with a national public health crisis, and our government is taking action. I was very pleased that in budget 2018, significant investments were made to help provinces and territories address the issue of treatment on the ground. We have heard from provinces and territories, and they want to make sure that they have additional resources. That is why we are in the process of negotiating bilateral agreements with provinces and territories to ensure that they receive additional funding to help those who need it most.
I am also extremely pleased that we were able to provide significant funding in the area of addressing stigma. We recognize that often Canadians are not receiving the treatment they need because of the stigma associated with it. Individuals who work within the system want to make sure that we have a campaign in place and that significant work is done to address stigma. We want to make sure that we address every aspect to ensure that Canadians receive the help they need.
View Sukh Dhaliwal Profile
Lib. (BC)
View Sukh Dhaliwal Profile
2018-12-10 19:26 [p.24656]
Mr. Chair, as the minister said earlier, this is a health crisis. It is no different where I come from. I hosted a symposium in my office in July 2016, and many residents were concerned. There are many steps our government has taken.
Where I come from, the Vancouver Port is nearby and the land border is nearby. I would like to ask the minister what steps have been taken to make sure that we are able to stop fentanyl and opioids coming across our borders, whether through the port or across land borders?
View Ginette Petitpas Taylor Profile
Lib. (NB)
Mr. Chair, the Minister of Public Safety and I are working very closely to ensure that additional resources are put in place to address the illicit entry of fentanyl and other drugs that are entering our borders. We continue to work in close collaboration to ensure that we put all steps and measures in place so that this is addressed.
I was very pleased this summer that I was able to attend Surrey and speak with many individuals in the community, as they have shared that the opioid crisis has affected them tremendously. I was very pleased that we were able to sign a bilateral agreement with that province to ensure that additional services are put in place on the ground to effectively help citizens who are affected by the crisis.
View Don Davies Profile
NDP (BC)
View Don Davies Profile
2018-12-10 19:28 [p.24656]
Mr. Chair, the minister repeatedly uses the phrase “public health crisis”, but she studiously avoids calling the opioid epidemic what we in the New Democratic Party call it, which is a public health emergency. On this side of the House, we have repeatedly called, for two years, for the government to declare a public health emergency under the Emergencies Act.
The government and the minister repeatedly say that there are no powers under the Emergencies Act that they are not exercising now. I am going to quote from the Emergencies Act, section 8(1). It says that this gives clear authority to make “orders or regulations” that it believes “are necessary for dealing with an emergency”, including “the establishment of emergency shelters and hospitals”.
In this country, including in Vancouver, we have overdose prevention sites that are operating right now illegally that are saving lives. Eleven Canadians are dying every single day to the opioid overdose crisis, yet if the government declared a public health emergency under the Emergencies Act, it could designate overdose prevention sites as emergency shelters or hospitals under the act, thereby rendering them legal and subject to federal funding. They are operating illegally, with not a nickel of federal funding.
Why is the minister continuing to insist that the Emergencies Act would give her no power to do anything she is not doing? Obviously, the act would allow her to save lives immediately by declaring overdose prevention sites legal and giving them federal funding to save lives.
View Ginette Petitpas Taylor Profile
Lib. (NB)
Mr. Chair, the member opposite talks about a public emergency. We have made it very clear, and I have made it very clear to him personally, that if declaring this a public health emergency would provide me with any additional powers to effectively help the situation on the ground, we would be doing so. However, we have consulted on that with my friend and colleague, the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, and there are no additional resources and additional powers that would be given to me.
We have spoken to our partners on the ground with respect to the provinces and territories, and they have indicated to us that additional financial support could certainly help them to address the situation and provide their clients with the help they need. That is why I am pleased that in budget 2018, we have been able to make significant investments in the emergency treatment fund. We are in the process of finalizing the last negotiations with provinces and territories, as they have made it very clear that they want to ensure that Canadians have access to services on the ground when it comes to treatment. Those are exactly the investments we are making.
View Alexander Nuttall Profile
CPC (ON)
Mr. Chair, there have been quite a number of questions here on the funding in British Columbia. However, with the funding announced by the health minister, we now have 27 new safe injection sites, according to media reports.
However, in British Columbia, only 25 beds for treatment were funded, so out of $33.1 million, the minister has allocated money to a whole bunch of new safe injection sites, yet there are still only 25 new rehabilitation beds that have been put in place. When we speak to people at every one of these injection sites, they say there is not enough bandwidth when we are finally getting people who are hurting with this problem and who want help to be able to access those funds immediately. When will the minister stand up and use the funding to actually fund recovery, not just for a place to go to inject the illegal drugs?
View Ginette Petitpas Taylor Profile
Lib. (NB)
Mr. Chair, the emergency treatment fund actually consists of bilateral agreements that we have signed with the provinces and territories. It is not the federal government that tells the provinces where the money has to go. If provinces and territories choose to fund additional beds in treatment centres, that is completely their decision and at their discretion. We simply want to make sure that the money is going to go where it is needed. If it is to ensure that there are additional beds for services on the ground, that is where we want the money to go.
Furthermore, as I have indicated, I am very proud to say that negotiations for our bilateral agreements are going very well and that we are hoping to finalize those agreements in the very near future.
View Linda Duncan Profile
NDP (AB)
View Linda Duncan Profile
2018-12-10 19:32 [p.24656]
Mr. Chair, the minister mentioned that she has put in place some measures at the borders. I have worked in the area of training border guards and I know how many federal pieces of legislation they are responsible for checking. Could the minister tell us how many additional resources have been put to train and assist our border officials, particularly on the west coast or anywhere where shipments may be coming in from China, to inspect very carefully for fentanyl and carfentanil to make sure that we are catching every single shipment of these drugs coming into our country?
View Ginette Petitpas Taylor Profile
Lib. (NB)
Mr. Chair, we certainly recognize that the contamination of drug supply is an area of concern. That is why in budget 2018 I was pleased there monies to support the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness with respect to border services. We recognize that more needs to be done in that area. That is why in budget 2018 I was pleased to see additional resources put in place to deal with the situation.
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