44th Parl. 1st Sess.
February 8, 2023 02:00PM
- Feb/8/23 4:43:42 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, Canadians cherish public health care. It is part of our national identity, a social contract that ensures we will be cared for when we are vulnerable, regardless of the size of our bank account. It is an affirmation of our collective commitment to equality and justice.
However, our health care system is in crisis. Emergency rooms are overwhelmed; health care workers are burning out; millions of Canadians lack access to a primary care provider, and patients are facing massive backlogs for surgeries, diagnostics and other procedures.
Although the COVID-19 pandemic has undeniably placed enormous strain on our health care system, it did not cause the current crisis; it exposed it. In fact, its roots can be traced back to decades of poor policy choices and underfunding by successive Conservative and Liberal governments.
When our health system was first created, it was based on a fifty-fifty cost-sharing partnership between Ottawa and the provinces, but over the years the federal government’s contribution has declined far below that. This has profoundly shifted the fiscal burden for health care delivery and exacerbated pressures caused by an aging population, technology advances and increasingly expensive treatments and pharmaceutical drugs.
The results of this are clear to see on the front lines of care. Where Canada used to have 6.9 hospital beds per 1,000 people, we now have just 2.5. One in five Canadians cannot access a family doctor, the primary portal into our health care system, and Canada now ranks near the very bottom of the OECD in the number of physicians per 1,000 and wait times for essential care.
Tommy Douglas warned Canadians about the threat posed by this “subtle strangulation” strategy. He understood that opponents of public health care would attempt to starve our system of resources to lay the groundwork for private, for-profit care.
Unfortunately, his prediction appears dangerously accurate. Across Canada, Conservative premiers are exploiting the current crisis to pursue privatization, with the tacit approval of the federal government.
Alberta premier Danielle Smith has brazenly called for patients to fundraise for their own health care needs. Her government is implementing health spending accounts, a Trojan horse to inject user fees and private care into Alberta’s health system.
In a recent throne speech, Manitoba premier Heather Stefanson announced her government’s intention to expand private partnerships to deliver health care.
Ontario premier Doug Ford is planning to divert funding from his province’s hospitals toward for-profit surgical clinics. This move is expected to benefit clinic owners with a windfall of over $500 million.
We know this approach is a false solution that will exacerbate the current crisis. Just last year, in an exhaustive review of the evidence in the Cambie Surgeries case, the B.C. Court of Appeal unanimously ruled that allowing more private care in a parallel system is more expensive, fundamentally unfair and ultimately counterproductive. It found what experts and patients have long known: Privatization means line skipping for the rich, a drain on workers from a public system already short of staff and longer wait times for everyone else.
It is also poor economic policy. For-profit delivery drives up costs in the short term and make us dangerously vulnerable to corporate ransom in the long term. It is a frontal assault on our public health care system, and it must be stopped in its tracks.
Unfortunately, the government has demonstrated a troubling lack of concern in the face of this privatization agenda. The Prime Minister has even called Doug Ford’s for-profit clinics scheme an example of “innovation.” This should come as no surprise. While the Liberals may claim to defend public health care, their record demonstrates otherwise.
After promising to negotiate a new health accord in the 2015 election, the Liberal government instead adopted the very health transfer formula imposed by Stephen Harper. By unilaterally cutting annual federal transfer increases from 6% to 3%, when the need to tread water was 5.2%, Harper had baked in a recipe for systemic decay. The Liberals’ decision to adopt that funding formula has deprived our health care system of over $30 billion to date.
Now, after years of inaction in the face of a growing crisis, the Liberal government has come forward with the bare minimum needed to address this deliberate underfunding.
While initially indicating that it was offering nearly $200 billion for health care over the next decade, a claim repeated by the Prime Minister today in this chamber, it turns out that three-quarters of that money is existing Canada health transfer funding that would have flowed to the provinces and territories without any new agreement. In reality, there is only $4.6 billion per year in new federal spending on the table, and that has to be split among 10 provinces and three territories. To put this in perspective, total health care spending in Canada for 2022 was $331 billion, according to the Canadian Institute for Health Information.
While this additional federal funding is urgently needed to help stabilize our health care system, it is far from sufficient to provide the generational fix that we need to the current crisis. It is a band-aid solution for a gaping wound. As Dr. Kevin Smith, president of Toronto’s University Health Network, just noted, “If we look at the demands—the number of new Canadians we’re expecting a year and the aging of the population—it’ll come close to addressing inflation. It won’t come close to addressing massive transformation.” Canada’s nurses are already expressing discouragement.
Most troubling of all, the federal proposal leaves the door wide open for premiers who are pursuing private, for-profit health care schemes. New Democrats have strongly asserted the condition that additional public dollars must go to public care, and yet the Prime Minister did not raise a single concern with the premiers about their privatization plans at yesterday’s summit, nor did he attach a single condition of his funding proposal to prevent it.
Canadians need their federal government to champion public health care, instead of standing back while Conservative premiers and others seek to systematically dismantle it. Real innovation is better support for health professionals, shorter wait times in hospitals and access to care based on need. It is expanded team-based care, preventative care and supports for aging at home. It is universal access to prescription drugs, dental care and mental health care.
New Democrats will never stop fighting to protect, strengthen and expand public health care across Canada. We know that we can deliver a public health care system that is world-class, timely and accessible for all, but this will not happen without national leadership, a full financial partnership and unwavering commitment to equity. The government’s offer yesterday is but a start to what needs to be done.
New Democrats will continue to do our part to build the high-quality public health care system that Canadians want, need and deserve.
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- Feb/8/23 4:51:35 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I would ask for unanimous consent for the Green Party to be allowed to speak on the ministerial statement on the urgent need for health care protection in this country.
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- Feb/8/23 4:51:45 p.m.
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Is it agreed?
Some hon. members: Agreed.
Some hon. members: No.
The Deputy Speaker: I wish to inform the House that because of the ministerial statement and the deferred recorded divisions, Government Orders will be extended by 82 minutes.
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- Feb/8/23 4:52:24 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the following two reports of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs: the 22nd report entitled “Report of the Federal Electoral Boundaries Commission for Prince Edward Island 2022”, and the 23rd report entitled “Report of the Federal Electoral Boundaries Commission for Newfoundland and Labrador 2022”.
Pursuant to Standing Orders 104 and 114, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the 24th report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs regarding the membership of committees of the House.
If the House gives its consent, I move that the 24th report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs be concurred in.
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- Feb/8/23 4:54:09 p.m.
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All those opposed to the hon. member moving the motion will please say nay. Hearing no dissenting voice, it is agreed.
The House has heard the terms of the motion. All those opposed to the motion will please say nay.
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- Feb/8/23 4:54:41 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, it is an honour to rise today to present a petition of great concern to residents of my community with respect to electoral reform. The petitioners call for this Parliament to establish a national citizens assembly for electoral reform, to require the citizens assembly to complete its work within 12 months, and to adopt recommended changes before the next federal election so that Canadians can experience fair voting for the first time.
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- Feb/8/23 4:55:18 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I am honoured to rise today to present a petition on behalf of Ahmadi Muslims living in Pakistan. Through section 48A of the Pakistan Elections Act of 2017, Ahmadi Muslims in Pakistan have been effectively denied the right to vote and essentially have been disenfranchised from the full and equal participation of a citizen's democratic right to vote because of their faith. In fact, they must renounce their faith in order to be placed on a separate electoral list.
Those who have signed this petition are asking for the government and the House of Commons to urge the Pakistani government to immediately repeal section 48A of the Elections Act and permit Ahmadi Muslims to vote alongside all other citizens of Pakistan as part of a joint electorate, and ask the federal government to urge the Pakistani government to create fair and democratic election processes for all Pakistanis without discrimination, prejudice or mention of anyone's religion.
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- Feb/8/23 4:56:17 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I am presenting three petitions today.
I am honoured to present a petition on behalf of constituents who remind us that the toxic drug supply and overdose crisis is one of the most deadly public health emergencies of our lifetime and that, on average, someone dies every two hours. The petitioners call on the government to declare a national public health emergency and develop a pan-Canadian overdose action plan. They talk about other reforms, including decriminalization, flawed drug policy and policing reforms, and the need for funding for programming and supports.
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- Feb/8/23 4:56:55 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I am presenting a petition from Canadians who note the harmful impacts of fireworks with respect to the environment, animal welfare and people who suffer from PTSD. The petitioners note there are amazing alternatives, such as visual light shows with drones, and call on the government to replace fireworks with these alternatives.
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- Feb/8/23 4:57:44 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I am presenting a petition that focuses on the fact that Canadian companies are contributing to human rights abuses and environmental damage around the world. The petitioners call on the government to adopt due diligence legislation that would require companies to do due diligence to prevent human rights abuses and environmental damage throughout their global operations and supply chains, to have meaningful consequences for these companies and a legal right for people to seek justice in Canadian courts.
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- Feb/8/23 4:57:58 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, for months now I have had residents of Winnipeg North sign a petition asking for the federal government to work with the provinces with respect to the issue of health care. Health care being the important issue that it is, and given the fact that the Prime Minister and the premiers had discussions yesterday and billions of dollars have followed, I thought it was most timely to present this petition, which calls on the federal government to provide the extra care necessary for mental health and long-term care, as well as additional financial commitments and support for health care workers. I am glad to see that many of the questions posed in the petition have actually been answered.
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- Feb/8/23 4:58:30 p.m.
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I would remind the hon. member that he is to summarize what is in the petition, not to add to it through other means.
The hon. member for Kitchener Centre.
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- Feb/8/23 4:58:44 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I rise to share a petition on behalf of petitioners who want to draw the attention of the House of Commons to the fact that Canada has signed the Paris Agreement and the signatories to the Paris Agreement are required to pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. They call on the Government of Canada to take bold climate action, and that includes setting targets that align with lowering Canada's emissions in line with the 1.5°C target, working with provinces to phase out cold-fired electricity, ending thermal coal exports and investing in the transition to a prosperous decarbonized economy.
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- Feb/8/23 4:59:38 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I would ask that all questions be allowed to stand.
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- Feb/8/23 4:59:41 p.m.
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Is that agreed?
Some hon. members: Agreed.
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- Feb/8/23 4:59:50 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I ask that all notices of motions for the production of papers also be allowed to stand.
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- Feb/8/23 4:59:59 p.m.
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Is that agreed?
Some hon. members: Agreed.
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Madam Speaker, I wonder if my colleague can provide his thoughts in regard to the announcement with respect to the battery plant in the Kingston area.
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Madam Speaker, first I just want to take the opportunity to welcome Duncan Vendetti to Parliament Hill today. Duncan is a grade 6 student from Our Lady of Lourdes school in Kingston. There is no doubt, mark my words, that he will one day be sitting in the House. I am sure he will be on this side of the aisle, but the good news for my Conservative colleagues is that I am sure they will get along much better with Duncan than they do with me.
In terms of the battery manufacturing plant, this is a great example of how this piece of legislation would lend itself to the minister's being able to establish and bring new relationships to Canada, just like he has done by bringing to Canada the Umicore project, which will set up the largest electric-vehicle battery manufacturing plant in North America right outside of my riding in Hastings—Lennox and Addington.
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Madam Speaker, I am pleased to rise today to speak on behalf of the residents of Davenport in support of Bill C-34, an act to amend the Investment Canada Act.
The Investment Canada Act, for those who may not know, is designed to encourage investment, economic growth and employment in Canada. It is a very important act for our federal government, because as we continue to try to create a stronger culture of innovation in Canada, as our economy moves increasingly from tangible to intangible or non-physical assets, as intellectual property becomes more important, and as we work to define the freedom to operate rules in Canada, acts like the Investment Canada Act are very important.
It is also an act that provides mechanisms to review foreign investments in Canada to ensure that foreign investment is a net benefit to Canada and does not harm national security. The rules in the act are established to provide investor certainty while giving Canada the ability to block individual investments under specific circumstances. This act is critical to ensuring a prosperous economic future for Canada and to guiding the right type of investments in our country.
Let us review some of the key changes to the Investment Canada Act that are being proposed by Bill C-34. It is not first time we have made changes to this act, but it is probably the largest set of amendments we have proposed since 2009.
The first thing the bill would do is to introduce a preimplementation filing requirement for specific investments. This would give the Canadian government more tools to review any proposed investments in sensitive business sectors.
It would also give authority to our Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, in consultation with our Minister of Public Safety, to order further national security reviews of investments.
It would update penalties to strengthen deterrence of any behaviours we may not want.
It would introduce the authority for the Minister of Industry, again in consultation with the Minister of Public Safety, to impose interim conditions on an investment to reduce the risk of national security injury taking place during the course of the review itself, such as through the possible transfer of assets, intellectual property or trade secrets before the review is complete.
The bill would provide greater flexibility in mitigating national security risks by allowing the Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, in collaboration with the Minister of Public Safety, to impose binding undertakings on investors. These undertakings would have to demonstrate that they adequately mitigate the national security risk that would arise from the investment in question.
Finally, the bill would allow Canada to share case-specific information with international counterparts to help protect common security interests.
The Investment Canada Act not only sets out the rules that would encourage more investment and trade in Canada, but also includes a number of measures that would serve to protect any foreign-made investments in Canada as well.
The economy is changing, the global trade and investment environment is changing, and so must our rules, legislation and regulations change. This would ensure that Canada is able to attract the best foreign investments and trade that would encourage economic growth, innovation and employment opportunities in Canada while also protecting Canada's national security and interests as they relate to trade and foreign investments.
As I mentioned earlier, this is not the first time that our Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry has updated the Investment Canada Act. He has done so at least three times in the last couple of years. The first time, in March 2021, he updated the national security guidelines in light of the then-evolving national security concerns to include investments involving sensitive personal data, sensitive technologies and critical minerals, as well as investments by state-owned or state-influenced investors.
The second time, we adjusted our federal government act to begin in February 2022, when Russia began its unprovoked and illegal attacks against Ukraine, creating an environment of heightened national security and economic risk. At that time, we put out a policy advising clearly that any investment with ties to Russia would only be found to be of net benefit to Canada on an exceptional basis. Moreover, any foreign investments with ties to the Russian state would also be viewed as potentially harmful to Canada's national security.
Finally, the third time we updated the Investment Canada Act was when the federal government announced a new policy related to foreign investment in Canadian critical mineral sectors. The policy advised that any investment in the critical mineral sector by state-influenced investors would only be approved as being a net benefit to Canada on an exceptional basis. Then we took quick action to block transactions that would be injurious to Canada's national security, and the government ordered the divestiture of investments by three foreign companies in Canadian critical mineral companies.
This announcement was a change in procedure, and it is also part of our efforts to modernize and improve the administration of Canada's investment review regime. Despite previously having the authority to announce decisions of this nature, the Government of Canada had traditionally not done so.
Again, it is not the first time updating the Investment Canada Act. Indeed, this bill is the latest in a series of actions our government has taken to ensure that we have the right tools and flexibility to protect Canada's national security interests. In turn, I believe that this would ensure an investment climate in Canada that is positive for economic growth both now and in the future.
Let me take a moment to relay some of the great investments we have already made in the area of innovation, science and technology with an eye to the future. For me, these are the types of investments that absolutely set Canada up for success both now and in the future.
In late January, the Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry announced an investment of $100 million through the strategic—
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