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Dec/8/21 10:31:34 p.m.
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Madam Chair, the member is right. There were very important supports for Canadians with disabilities. We know they were adversely affected by the crisis.

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Mr. Randeep Sarai (Surrey Centre, Lib.)

Dec/8/21 10:31:47 p.m.
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Madam Chair, I am pleased to rise in committee of the whole. This evening, I will speak to Global Affairs' international assistance and the estimates as they relate to the international development portfolio before asking questions. The international development landscape has evolved significantly in the last two years. The pandemic has highlighted and exacerbated inequalities and reversed decades of development gains. Meanwhile, the global community also faces serious conflicts and humanitarian crises in Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Haiti and elsewhere. These crises demand our immediate attention. At the same time, climate change is having alarming impacts on the least developed countries and small island developing states. We are seeing increases in drought, flooding, heat waves, crop failure and biodiversity loss. As we near the pandemic's two-year mark, we must keep these challenges in mind and look ahead to shaping a more sustainable, green and prosperous recovery. Globally, there have now been more than 260 million cases of COVID-19 and five million deaths. New and worrying variants continue to emerge. The pandemic has had many wide-ranging socio-economic impacts, greater social inequality, disproportionate economic vulnerabilities and burdens, and strained health systems. Many of these impacts are expected to be long-lasting worldwide, but especially in developing countries. While 76% of Canadians are now fully vaccinated against COVID-19, vaccination rates in lower-income countries are severely lagging. Across the African continent, only 7.5% of the population is fully vaccinated. We are already seeing how vaccine inequality increases overall inequalities. It is reversing development gains, particularly for women, girls and marginalized populations. After five million deaths worldwide, there is growing recognition that a stronger preparedness and response is critical to countering future pandemics. This calls for the highest level of political engagement, with a strong focus on accountability, transparency and equity. Canada is acting on the findings and recommendations of COVID-19 review bodies. We are part of multisectoral and multistakeholder discussions on how to strengthen the global health ecosystem. Even before the pandemic, humanitarian needs had been increasing. Driven by protracted conflict and the effects of climate change, the number of forcibly displaced people had reached over 82 million worldwide by the end of 2020. It is a number that has not been seen World War II. The world also saw the single largest increase in global hunger ever recorded, with an estimated 41 million people on the brink of famine. In recent years, we have since a widespread rollback in respect for human rights and democratic freedoms. This poses a serious obstacle to sustainable development. The pandemic has laid bare long-standing governance challenges in all regions of the world, but particularly in developing countries that lack the public sector capacity to deliver services sustainably and equitably. Canada is committed to improving the effectiveness of its international assistance to address these challenges. We will work with a diverse range of partners to take a whole-of-society approach that leaves no one behind. Since February 2020, Canada has committed more than $2.6 billion in international assistance in response to COVID-19. More than $1.3 billion of these funds went to the access to COVID-19 tools accelerator, more commonly known as the ACT accelerator, to facilitate equitable access to COVID-19 medical countermeasures. We are strongly committed to the ACT accelerator and its pillars, including the COVAX facility and its advanced market commitment. Canada will donate the equivalent of at least 200 million COVID-19 vaccine doses to the COVAX facility by the end of 2022. Canada supports global efforts to stabilize developing economies and to bring about pandemic recovery. Through the Prime Minister's collaboration with the Prime Minister of Jamaica and the Secretary General of the United Nations, Canada is working with the international community to develop practical responses to the pandemic's socio-economic and financial impacts. This work builds on Canadian leadership in financing the sustainable development goals over the last decade. Canada has also committed to doubling its global climate finance contribution to $5.3 billion over the next five years. We will continue to explore ways to use these funds to mobilize additional financial resources to tackle the climate crisis. Canada recognizes the pandemic's disproportionate impact on women. We are leading the call for greater attention to the matter of paid and unpaid case work. Canada recently announced $100 million to develop programs to address this issue in low- and middle-income countries. Throughout the pandemic, Canada's feminist international assistance policy has proven to be a robust strategic framework focused on supporting the poorest and the most vulnerable populations. In parallel to our COVID response, we have continued to implement our pre-COVID core international assistance commitments to achieve results and impacts. For example, our women's voice and leadership initiative supports more than 400 women's rights organizations in over 30 countries and regions. Many of these organizations received fast responsive funding to help them adjust to the pandemic's impacts. We will continue to support this important work, including by doubling funding to women's rights organizations. We are also funding Canadian organizations that work in partnership with local organizations through the small and medium organizations for impact and innovation initiative. These and other initiatives are reinforcing the resilience of local communities and supporting our wider sustainable development efforts. We are committed to implementing the feminist international assistance policy and to increasing our international assistance annually toward 2030. Before I conclude, I would like to turn to the supplementary estimates. In the 2021-22 supplementary estimates (B), Global Affairs Canada is seeking an increase of $683 million, bringing our total authorities to $7.6 billion. This includes investments announced in budget 2021, such as $375 million to continue supporting Canada's international COVID-19 responses, $165 million for international humanitarian assistance and $68.8 million for Canada's response to the Rohingya crisis in Myanmar and Bangladesh. Also included in the supplementary estimates is $75 million for the strategic priorities fund, which has enabled investments for unpaid and paid care work of $10 million; $50 million for the IMF's Poverty Reduction and Growth Trust; and $15 million allocated to the COVAX Manufacturing Task Force to support the establishment of the South Africa technology transfer hub. With the recent spread of new variants of concern, these strategic initiatives will help build capacity to enable development and production of mRNA vaccines and technologies in the region. In addition to the investments already mentioned, Global Affairs Canada has allocated $59.9 million in support for the Venezuela migrant crisis and pledged $300 million for the Global Partnership for Education. Through these efforts, we are achieving results and generating positive impacts, helping to build a more peaceful, inclusive and prosperous world for all. NACI has recently released some guidance on booster COVID-19 vaccine doses in Canada. Could the Minister of Health please tell us more about these new recommendations?

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Hon. Jean-Yves Duclos (Minister of Health, Lib.)

Dec/8/21 10:40:33 p.m.
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Madam Chair, I would like to thank the member for Surrey Centre for his advocacy and his strong mastery of the file. He is an incredibly engaged and informed person. I would like to tell everyone listening that NACI did provide some strong recommendations around boosters, that people 50 years of age and older should receive a booster dose and that those who are between the ages of 18 and 50 should be invited to receive one when that is possible.

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Mr. Randeep Sarai

Dec/8/21 10:41:09 p.m.
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Madam Chair, could the Minister of Health tell this House how our government has supported vaccinations throughout the country and what we are doing to increase vaccination rates?

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Hon. Jean-Yves Duclos

Dec/8/21 10:41:23 p.m.
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Madam Chair, there are two key answers, which the member knows really well. First, there is the ACT, the access to COVID-19 tools, that we have invested in from the very start of COVID-19 and a $2.5-billion increase in our international development assistance because of COVID-19. Second, the member also mentioned the 200 million dose commitment we made to the rest of the world. That is five times the number of Canadians, so that is five doses per Canadian that we have promised to send to the rest of the world.

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Mr. Randeep Sarai

Dec/8/21 10:42:00 p.m.
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Madam Chair, over the last few weeks, we have seen the emergence of the omicron variant. Could the Minister of Health please tell this House what actions we have implemented to stop the spread of this variant in Canada?

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Hon. Jean-Yves Duclos

Dec/8/21 10:42:12 p.m.
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Madam Chair, there are three things. First, we have reminded Canadians of the importance of being vaccinated. Second, we remind Canadians that we also need to keep following the public health advice, of which we are very knowledgeable now. The third thing is that we put into place some quick measures at our borders to limit the import of the variant from outside of Canada.

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Mr. Randeep Sarai

Dec/8/21 10:42:37 p.m.
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Madam Chair, could the Minister of Health please tell this House how the government has been there to support provinces and territories during COVID-19?

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Hon. Jean-Yves Duclos

Dec/8/21 10:42:45 p.m.
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Madam Chair, that is an outstanding question, and it gives me the opportunity to let Canadians know that this was a collaborative effort. There was $25 billion direct to provinces and territories, and another $30 billion of in-kind investment in vaccines, testing, PPE and other tools. Finally, obviously, there was the incredible collaboration on the economic side in order to protect the economic health of our citizens.

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Mr. Randeep Sarai

Dec/8/21 10:43:19 p.m.
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Madam Chair, could the Minister of Health please tell this House the importance of protecting sexual and reproductive health rights here in Canada?

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Hon. Jean-Yves Duclos

Dec/8/21 10:43:29 p.m.
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Madam Chair, I thank the member for the important question. We have said in the campaign platform that we will be putting into place a legal change to make clear to all of our partners that these rights are important in 2021 in order to protect the rights of everyone, including, obviously, those of women.

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Mr. Randeep Sarai

Dec/8/21 10:43:51 p.m.
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Madam Chair, could the Minister of Health tell us what the government has done directly to support the mental health of Canadians during COVID-19?

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Hon. Jean-Yves Duclos

Dec/8/21 10:44:01 p.m.
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Madam Chair, that was part of our $65-billion support for the health needs of Canadians, including long-term care, home care, digital care, primary care and, as the member mentioned, mental health care. Mental health has been severely affected by the crisis, and we have to look after the mental health of Canadians.

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Mr. Randeep Sarai

Dec/8/21 10:44:31 p.m.
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Madam Chair, the omicron variant has shown us that having a fast and coordinated genetic sequencing capacity across Canada is essential, and to make sure that we can keep Canadians safe and aware of new COVID-19 variants circulating in our communities. What has the federal government done to support building up Canada's capacity to detect new variants of concern?

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Hon. Jean-Yves Duclos

Dec/8/21 10:44:52 p.m.
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Madam Chair, we have an immensely great centre called the National Microbiology Laboratory in Winnipeg. I am not from Winnipeg, but I know how proud people from Manitoba and all Canadians are of that particular lab. It has been extremely forthcoming and often ahead of other nations when it comes to designing tests and procedures to protect Canadians from COVID-19. We can be very proud of the work it did with many other scientists across Canada.

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Mr. Randeep Sarai

Dec/8/21 10:45:32 p.m.
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Madam Chair, thank you. That is all.

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Ms. Jenny Kwan (Vancouver East, NDP)

Dec/8/21 10:45:41 p.m.
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Madam Chair, I will be splitting my time with my colleague, the member for Nunavut. I will be asking questions of the minister without preamble. Will the minister waive the refugee determination requirements for Afghan refugees as the government has done for the Syrian refugee initiative?

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Hon. Mona Fortier (President of the Treasury Board, Lib.)

Dec/8/21 10:46:02 p.m.
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Madam Chair, I would ask my hon. colleague to repeat her question as I missed the fundamentals of it.

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Ms. Jenny Kwan

Dec/8/21 10:46:15 p.m.
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Madam Chair, I hope that does not take away from my time allocation.

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Ms. Jenny Kwan

Dec/8/21 10:46:27 p.m.
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Madam Chair, will the minister waive the refugee determination requirements for Afghan refugees as the government has done for the Syrian refugee initiative?

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