SoVote

Context: House Hansard - 200 - May/18/23

Mr. Denis Trudel (Longueuil—Saint-Hubert, BQ)

May/18/23 1:43:54 p.m.
Watch

Madam Speaker. It is a bit odd, because at one point my colleague said that this is really a non-partisan issue, yet he spent 10 minutes criticizing the Liberals, the Bloc Québécois and the NDP. I agree that it is somewhat partisan, but it is primarily a public health issue. At least, that is the Bloc's take on this. Addiction is a mental health and public health issue. As soon as we talk about health care, we are talking about funding for the health care system. The federal government may not pay doctors, train nurses or run hospitals, but it has the means to help the provincial health care systems deal with crises like the opioid crisis we are experiencing right now. I have never really heard the Conservatives take a position on health care funding or on the provinces' demands for health transfers. I would like to hear what my colleague has to say about that.

164 words

Mr. Todd Doherty

May/18/23 1:44:44 p.m.
Watch

Madam Speaker, my hon. colleague obviously has selective hearing. I talked about this being non-partisan and then I took offence to the dogmatic comments that we heard from the Bloc. I did talk about the promise from the Liberals prior to the election for a $4.6-billion mental health funding transfer that they forgot about once they became government. This is about doing the right thing for Canadians. I have said so many times that there are so many tools in the tool box, but it does not work if only one part of it is done. Providing and perpetuating addictions is not helping without any avenue for recovery. There has to always be that avenue for recovery, and we are not seeing it. Jurisdictions that people talk about are Portland, Seattle and Portugal. Portugal did not have a fentanyl or opioid crisis when it launched its decriminalization. Portland and Seattle are failing because they did exactly what Canada did; they did nothing. They put no services in place for recovery, and that is the honest to goodness truth.

181 words

Hon. Carolyn Bennett (Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of Health, Lib.)

May/18/23 1:46:06 p.m.
Watch

Madam Speaker, I thank the member, as always, for his very poignant explanation of the importance of this mental health crisis in Canada. There is no disagreement that there need to be four pillars of a drug policy, including treatment. I was wondering if the member would help us as we develop the bilateral agreements with the provinces and territories, the $25 billion that will be there. For that third pillar on mental health and substance use, other than just wait times on mental health needs, are there other indicators that the member thinks would be helpful, like treatment beds or adequate aftercare, the kinds of complex care for people who we know have serious mental illness and substance use? What would be some of the indicators the member thinks should be in the action plans of the provinces and territories so we can work through all orders of government to address this crisis?

154 words

Mr. Todd Doherty

May/18/23 1:47:12 p.m.
Watch

Madam Speaker, my hon. colleague talks about indicators. Indicators involve two different things. Indicators are what is working and what is not working, but there are measures we can take that will help. Let us put dollars and cents into recovery, making sure beds are available when they are needed, whenever they are needed. Let us make sure that we have trained professionals available at all times. If it is the first point of contact with primary care physicians, we should make sure they have a team approach. If somebody is facing a mental health issue, whether it is suicide prevention, mental illness or addictions issues, there should be someone there so that primary care physicians are not getting burned out. That is a team approach. The minister knows this. We have talked about this specifically. I differ with my hon. colleague, which she knows because we have had great discussions on this, because I think we should be spending more money on recovery rather than just safe supply. Perpetuating addiction does nothing. It may keep somebody alive today, but what about the next day or the next day? We have to get these people into recovery.

197 words

Ms. Lori Idlout (Nunavut, NDP)

May/18/23 1:48:35 p.m.
Watch

Uqaqtittiji, I know the member genuinely cares. I wonder whether the member agrees that we need to have better services for indigenous peoples. Indigenous peoples are overrepresented in the opioid crisis. Does he agree that we need to have better healing and reconciliation programs to help uplift indigenous peoples so that too many of them are not entering this crisis?

60 words

Mr. Todd Doherty

May/18/23 1:49:23 p.m.
Watch

Madam Speaker, the feelings are likewise. I truly appreciate when the member for Nunavut stands up and represents her community. In our previous election, our platform talked about culturally based treatment programs working within our indigenous communities, funding beds and treatment centres within those communities that were culturally related, and working with indigenous leaders and elders to make sure that we are doing this where it is needed and helping those who are less fortunate.

75 words

Mr. Brendan Hanley (Yukon, Lib.)

May/18/23 1:50:01 p.m.
Watch
Re: Bill C-216

Madam Speaker, I am splitting my time with the member for Richmond Centre. I am pleased to speak in the House once again on the opioid epidemic in Canada, an issue that has long been close to me personally both as a northern public health physician and as Yukon's former chief medical officer of health. I always appreciate the opportunity to bring the issue to Parliament, so I appreciate the efforts of the official opposition, although I cannot agree with the motion itself at hand. It is blatantly ignoring the recommendations made by health and social service professionals, law enforcement leaders and both national and international best practices. I know how busy the hon. Leader of the Opposition has been of late and perhaps the hon. leader has not found the time in his schedule to review the most up-to-date data on best practices to respond to the opioid crisis. We know he has had trouble with scheduling of late, but I am happy to take some time to give him a bit more information on the subject matter. Let us start with the beginning of this motion. Yes, Canada, we are in the midst of a devastating toxic drug crisis and one that hits my territory of the Yukon particularly hard. In Yukon we are struggling with the highest per capita rate of toxic drug-related deaths in Canada. While the loss of any life is keenly felt around them in smaller and remote communities, when not only one person but sometimes two or more are succumbing at once, it hits all of us in a way that is difficult to describe. Yukon's chief coroner reported 25 deaths last year attributed to toxic substances. On a per capita basis, this is worse than B.C. About two-thirds identified as first nations, so they are greatly overrepresented in these tragic figures. Our government did introduce a substance use and addiction strategy in 2017 and we have invested heavily in it, including in harm reduction, which was excluded in the drug strategy of the previous Conservative government, in which the hon. member served as a minister. The approach our government has taken to the crisis is much more comprehensive and multi-faceted than simply handing out legal drugs. The approach has been to support all pillars of the response: prevention; harm reduction, including safe supply; treatment; and enforcement. A multiplex approach like this is far more effective at saving lives than simply locking up people up. Treatment is one important part of the solution but not the entire solution. While a comprehensive approach includes harm reduction, including safe supply, it also focuses on education, access to life-saving treatments such as naloxone, and reducing stigma. It is connected to investments made in culturally appropriate treatment and prevention programs across multiple government departments, including working with public safety to ensure border services and law enforcement to identify and detect toxic drugs illegally before they get onto our streets. Is it enough? No, clearly not, not while we continue to lose 20 Canadians per day from toxic drug overdoses. Let me be clear. Canadians are dying from a market awash in illegal drugs. Safe supply is not causing deaths. Safe supply is part of a life-saving treatment. Data from coroners in both B.C. and Ontario have found no link between prescribed hydromorphone and drug-related overdose deaths. The opposition leader's story on a link appears to be entirely speculative and we know that this speculative tendency is often within his purview. What safe supply, as one of the many responses to the crisis, achieves is for those people who use, diverting use of the drugs from the unregulated street supply and thereby reducing overdose risk. What else is achieved? Here are many benefits, according to a recent review: improved control for that person over drug use so that they can control their dosing, avoid withdrawal symptoms and manage pain; lower costs for health care; better engagement in retention and health care programs and housing; improved physical and mental health; fewer emergency department visits and hospitalizations; decrease in infections and complications; improvements in social well-being and, guess what, decline in health care costs. It all works, but we need to scale up the efforts along with all of the other pillars to match the scale of this epidemic. During this debate and others, there is also far too little consideration of the urgency that we need to apply to prevention. What does that mean? That means equipping our children, our youth, our citizens to avoid dangerous, risk-taking and addictive behaviours, not by saying no to drugs but by starting life with quality early child care and parental support; avenues for organized physical activity and recreations throughout life; cultural connection and mental support at all transition points in life. In this vein, our government's investment in quality early learning and child care is transformational and, when combined with other aspects of prevention, will have an enduring impact. Now some words about decriminalization. I was proud last year to support the hon. member for Courtenay—Alberni's Bill C-216, which called for a national drug strategy and called for Canada to move toward decriminalization. That bill did not pass, but I still support its intent. The other day, the hon. Leader of the Opposition referenced the Portuguese model quite favourably, and he is quite right. Portugal's drug-related deaths have been below the EU average since 2001, and there are many other markers of success. It is a model, but its success hinges upon the decriminalization of simple possession of drugs, non-mandatory access to treatment and harm reduction. I am wondering if the Leader of the Opposition endorses, through his fondness for the Portuguese model, its central tenets of decriminalization of personal possession and substance use; harm reduction, including opioid substitution; and needle exchanges. I would suggest that the answer is no. Decriminalization is another one of those concepts that members of the opposition want to weaponize and use to make it seem like those who support decriminalization want to let criminals run amok, but that simplistic reasoning is not the case. Portugal pursued decriminalization in the early 2000s. Illegal drugs in Portugal are still confiscated, and possession still results in penalties such as fines, community services or recommended intervention, but penalties for simple possession are redirected from the criminal justice system to district-level panels to determine the best course forward for the individuals. There are 30 countries around the world that have adopted aspects of decriminalization, including Australia and Chile, in addition to Portugal. Public health experts have long called for fundamentally changing our approach from the criminal justice approach. The Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police noted in 2020 that evidence from around the world suggests that our current criminal justice approach to substance use could be enhanced using health care diversion approaches proven to be effective. I wonder if the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police are among the hon. Leader of the Opposition's “pie-in-the-sky theorists” or purveyors of the “misery industry”. I think parents, children and first responders who have witnessed loved ones and patients die of toxic drugs before their eyes might have another opinion. I know there are Conservative Canadians who do get it. For example, I refer my colleagues to the fact check Ben Perrin has been doing on the Leader of the Opposition's motion this morning. Mr. Perrin is a lawyer and a UBC law professor who was an adviser on justice-related issues to former prime minister Harper. Over the past number of years, he has written extensively about why and how his position on decriminalization has changed. As Perrin notes, in a 2022 article in the Calgary Herald, “There isn’t any evidence to back Kenney and [the Leader of the Opposition]'s 'war on drugs' policies. Their ideologically driven crusade is cruel, costly, ineffective and deadly.” Under a system of decriminalization, those who are using can get help, and under safe supply, drug users are at least using substances less likely to lead to death. This also offers a chance for intervention when they are ready and better health outcomes. Let us not go back to the 1980s and the days of “just say no”, which sounds so simple and tempting. The war on drugs, a gauntlet which, with this motion, the Leader of the Opposition wants to take up again, has long been lost, and we need to look at evidence, not emotion and rhetoric, to address it. Some months ago, in the health committee, I brought forward a motion to study the opioid epidemic in Canada, specifically responses to it including B.C.'s trial focused on decriminalization. I hope to see the study move forward in the fall. Perhaps bringing together some of the evidence in one place will help adjust the hearts and minds of those across the aisle on this issue. The hon. members opposite know that they are misleading Canadians by trying to connect the government's policies to the toxic drug crisis. This approach is frankly shameful. I suggest that, in the interest of defending the lives and families of Canadians, the opposition party seriously reconsider its ill-founded approach. As devastating as the toxic drug crisis is, there is another issue at play here and that is the dismissing of evidence and scientific analysis when the evidence is not convenient. Our job as politicians is to make decisions based on what the evidence, and its ever-evolving journey, is telling us and to adapt our decisions when the evidence changes. If we are changing science on a political whim, then we are heading into a dangerous world. We have seen the shuttering of science under a previous Conservative regime. Especially in an age when false information is so cheap, we must not let that happen again.

1679 words

Mr. Stephen Ellis (Cumberland—Colchester, CPC)

May/18/23 1:59:31 p.m.
Watch

Mr. Speaker, it is interesting that, once again, our colleagues across the aisle are trying to make this a crazy partisan issue with their inflammatory language. This study is actually what the member is quoting from. This is very different from the $3.5 million that the Liberal government has spent on dispensing machines for hydromorphone, three in Vancouver and one in Victoria. I wonder if the member has a comment because the paper that he is quoting from talks about comprehensive social services, medical care, housing supports and social supports. It is interesting because, on this side of the House, that is what we are talking about. On that side of the House, they are talking about giving away drugs to people without any accountability. People can use fake names. What does the member have to say about that?

140 words

Mr. Brendan Hanley

May/18/23 2:00:25 p.m.
Watch

Mr. Speaker, my friend and medical colleague from across the aisle and I can agree on the need for a comprehensive approach, which I spoke to in my speech. Harm reduction, including safe supply, is one of the pillars of that approach. We need to support and scale up safe supply to use it when it is indicated. That is part of the overall approach.

65 words

Mr. Adam van Koeverden (Milton, Lib.)

May/18/23 2:01:06 p.m.
Watch

Mr. Speaker, it is shameful how misinformation is being peddled by the leader of the Conservative Party. Last week, when the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development spoke of the horrible wildfires in Alberta, the leader of the Conservative Party of Canada, the member of Parliament for Carleton, yelled across the aisle, “Started by your government”. The former leader of the Conservative Party of Canada said not that long ago that it seemed as though of his party had gone a little too far down the rabbit hole of conspiracy theories during the pandemic, referring to comments by some of MPs as being not helpful and spreading a lot of uncertainty. Sadly, it seems that the member for Carleton is doing the same thing. He is spreading distrust and fact-free conspiracy rhetoric with respect to the deadly opioid epidemic. This week, when the Minister of Mental Health and Addictions, a physician, was standing up for science and an evidence-based approach to saving lives with harm reduction, supervised consumption and safe supply, the leader of the Conservative Party aggressively repeated that she was killing people. This is to a doctor who has taken the Hippocratic oath. It is beyond the pale. Canadians deserve honest representation and leadership. I would say the leader of the Conservative Party should be ashamed of himself, but it is clear that he has no shame.

234 words

Mr. Chris Lewis (Essex, CPC)

May/18/23 2:02:13 p.m.
Watch

Mr. Speaker, hockey is Canada's game. Men's and women's hockey bring families together at rinks and around televisions across the country to cheer on our favourite teams. These athletes have dedicated parents and team owners, great coaches, fantastic teammates, dedicated fans and fabulous volunteers to support them on their journey. The Provincial Junior Hockey League of Ontario provides an opportunity to showcase our amazing young athletes. Seventeen hockey clubs make up the western division of the PJHL, including three from my riding of Essex: the Amherstburg Admirals, Essex 73's and the Lakeshore Canadiens. Although I am dating myself, I was a proud goaltender for the Kingsville Comets junior C hockey club back in the day, and these clubs were my rivals. Today, I stand to congratulate the Lakeshore Canadiens for winning the western conference championship. Although the Schmalz Cup was not in the cards this year, we are all proud of them. Let us bring it home next year.

163 words

Mr. Gord Johns (Courtenay—Alberni, NDP)

May/18/23 2:03:17 p.m.
Watch

Mr. Speaker, Parksville has lost a legend. Phil St. Luke was lovingly known throughout the community as Flyin' Phil. He brought joy to all who knew him, and most people did, whether through waving during his daily walks through the streets of Parksville, working with him as a community volunteer, cheering him on during the annual Canada Day parade or chatting with him in a local coffee shop or at community events. Flyin' Phil represented the very best in humanity, and his kind, loving and uplifting spirit is greatly missed. He succumbed to cancer in January at the age of 70. Our community will gather to celebrate his life next month, and funds are being raised for a public statue so his spirit will live on. Rest in peace, Flyin' Phil. He enriched the lives of an entire community, and for this we are forever grateful.

146 words

Mr. Martin Champoux (Drummond, BQ)

May/18/23 2:04:07 p.m.
Watch

Mr. Speaker, the Cercle de fermières de Saint-Cyrille is celebrating its 85th anniversary. The year 2023 is a historic year for the group. Our farm women will have plenty of opportunities to showcase their many talents. The group consists of 36 extraordinary volunteers, dedicated to improving the living conditions of women and families, and to passing on their cultural and artisanal heritage. They are women of boundless generosity, whose actions have an impact throughout the community. I would like to acknowledge the commitment of some long-standing members of the Cercle des fermières for their exceptional contribution. Congratulations to the longest-serving member, Cécile Langelier, member since 1975, as well as Jeanne Descôteaux, France Houde, Annette Faucher and Gisèle Boudreault. Without these women and their successors, our traditions would surely disappear. I am feeling happy and reassured to see that Quebec's rich history and the continuity of our artisanal heritage are in good hands. We will be kicking off the festivities this evening at the Lauzière heritage house. Happy 85th anniversary to the Cercle des fermières de Saint-Cyrille.

195 words

Ms. Annie Koutrakis (Vimy, Lib.)

May/18/23 2:05:12 p.m.
Watch

Mr. Speaker, on May 18, the Tamil community celebrates the day of remembrance, Mullivaikkal, which commemorates the lives lost during the 25-year civil war in Sri Lanka. As we honour the victims of this tragedy, we are reminded of the strength and resilience of the Tamil community in Canada and around the world. During the Mullivaikkal massacre in 2009, Tamils held rallies and protests in Canadian cities, raising awareness of the violence taking place and calling for action to prevent further death and destruction. I have met many Tamil Canadians who survived the civil war in Sri Lanka but lost loved ones. Despite all the adversity the Tamil community has faced, it has made a rich and valuable contribution to our country. I thank the Tamil community for its commitment to denouncing the human rights abuses and atrocities committed. As we reflect on the pain of these events, we continue to look towards healing and making the world a safer place for all.

164 words

Mr. Greg McLean (Calgary Centre, CPC)

May/18/23 2:06:22 p.m.
Watch

Mr. Speaker, this week, Alberta’s NDP MPs in the House teamed up with their Liberal partners to amend the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, creating a duplication of regulations on tailings ponds and hydraulic fracturing. Going forward, the resource industry will need to go through two regulatory bodies. So much for reducing regulations on the mining industry to get mines producing in less than 20 years. This is a flip-flop by Liberals on their position at the environment committee. This is no surprise, I suppose. However, the last thing we need is more jurisdictional clashes caused by the federal government overstepping its constitutional bounds. It is shocking for the Alberta NDP to work hand in hand with the Liberals to override provincial jurisdiction. If it is not obvious, let us be clear in saying this: Notley’s NDP is colluding with the Liberal government to restrict Alberta’s resource development.

154 words

Mr. John Aldag (Cloverdale—Langley City, Lib.)

May/18/23 2:07:21 p.m.
Watch

Mr. Speaker, at this time of year, we celebrate the academic achievements of those who have finished their studies for the year. This includes those who are done another year of post-secondary studies, such as my daughter Hattie, and those who have convocated. We also celebrate the achievements of elementary and secondary schools in Cloverdale—Langley City. I congratulate all grade 12 students who are preparing to celebrate the significant milestone of graduation, including my daughter Kalani. As these students pursue post-secondary education, trades training and entry into the workforce, I would like to acknowledge their hard work and accomplishments in pursuit of their passions and life goals. Congratulations go to the graduating and convocating classes of 2023. I look forward to seeing these graduates shape our future ideas, policies and investments as they become leaders in our country.

142 words

Mr. Kody Blois (Kings—Hants, Lib.)

May/18/23 2:08:10 p.m.
Watch

Mr. Speaker, [Member spoke in Gaelic] [English] What I just said is that May is Gaelic month in Nova Scotia. This is an opportunity to celebrate Nova Scotia's rich history and connection to Scotland and the Gaelic language. Like thousands of Nova Scotians, I can trace my family's history to Scotland. The contribution of Scottish Gaels to Canada, particularly Nova Scotia, is significant; the language has been spoken there for almost 250 years. Our province is home to one of the largest Gaelic-speaking populations outside of Scotland itself. Gaelic cultural identity continues to be a vibrant part of Nova Scotia's diverse peoples and communities. I want to thank the Gaelic community, which continues to promote the language today. This month, and always, we should celebrate the unique connection that exists between Canada and Scotland, especially in Nova Scotia. This year's theme is “Say Yes to Gaelic”. In that spirit, I say this: Dualchas na Gàidhlig,'s ann leibhse a tha e.

170 words

Mr. Marc Dalton (Pitt Meadows—Maple Ridge, CPC)

May/18/23 2:09:19 p.m.
Watch

Mr. Speaker, after eight years under this Prime Minister, everything feels broken. Life is more expensive, work does not pay and housing costs have doubled. The Prime Minister devised a way to control the people. Worst of all, crime, chaos, drugs and disorder rage in our streets. Nowhere is this worse than in the opioid overdose crisis that has expanded so dramatically in the last several years. When I walk outside in Maple Ridge's downtown core, more often than not, I see men and women strung out on drugs. It is tragic and heartbreaking, and it is the same in cities across B.C. Needles are everywhere, and thousands are dying. In B.C. alone, yearly overdose deaths have spiked 300% since the Liberals came into power. The Liberal-NDP solution is to have more free drugs and death. Why does the government cling so stubbornly to its failed drug policies—

153 words

The Speaker

May/18/23 2:10:23 p.m.
Watch

The hon. member for Scarborough—Rouge Park.

8 words

Mr. Gary Anandasangaree (Scarborough—Rouge Park, Lib.)

May/18/23 2:10:27 p.m.
Watch

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to mark Tamil Genocide Remembrance Day. Tamils around the world stand in solidarity with victims, survivors and their families in the north and east of Sri Lanka to ensure that we find the truth, hold those responsible for atrocities accountable, and attain justice and peace. This past January, our government imposed sanctions on four Sri Lankan officials, including Mahinda Rajapaksa and Gotabaya Rajapaksa. They have both been credibly accused of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide. These past presidents of Sri Lanka have blood on their hands and cannot evade justice. As part of our Indo-Pacific strategy, Canada reaffirms our resolve to ensure accountability on the island. Canada will continue to demand accountability by working with multilateral partners, including the United Nations Human Rights Council. As we mark this day, let us also ensure that the Tamils' inherent right to self-determination in their homeland is entrenched and that they attain peace and security.

161 words