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Decentralized Democracy

House Hansard - 320

44th Parl. 1st Sess.
May 29, 2024 02:00PM
  • May/29/24 9:45:08 p.m.
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Madam Chair, I am splitting three ways, and my questions will be for the Minister of Mental Health and Addictions. My colleagues have asked about a company called Fair Price Pharma, which is run by former B.C. public health officer Perry Kendall and a partner. Its business is selling heroin. The results of an Order Paper question show that in a two-year period leading up to December 13 of last year, the minister met with Fair Price Pharma on September 15, her predecessor met personally with Fair Price Pharma four times and that health officials met with it an additional seven times. That is a dozen meetings in two years, which is a lot of meetings for a minister and officials with one company in the heroin business. What is being discussed in these 12 meetings between Liberals and this heroin company?
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  • May/29/24 9:45:52 p.m.
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Madam Chair, to be clear, I, as Minister of Mental Health and Addictions, have not met with Fair Price Pharma. The September 15 meeting the member is referencing was actually a meeting of ISED, with another office and not my department. There were members of my staff who were present at that meeting, who were invited to listen in. To be clear, we meet with experts in this field. Dr. Kendall was joined by Dr. Schechter and other experts at those meetings, and we need to talk to experts, even if we do not agree with them.
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  • May/29/24 9:46:29 p.m.
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Madam Chair, this is not a dispassionate expert. This is someone who went from the public health world into selling heroin. Twelve meetings in two years is not normal even for an expert. Again I will ask, what is being discussed in these meetings? What is Fair Price Pharma asking the Liberal government for?
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  • May/29/24 9:46:49 p.m.
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Madam Chair, the Dr. Kendall the member is referencing was part of the B.C. government, not the federal government, just to be clear. As I mentioned before, those meetings were held at ISED, I did not attend those meetings and was not privy to the discussions around the table.
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  • May/29/24 9:47:09 p.m.
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Madam Chair, 12 meetings in two years. Four in-person meetings with this heroin company and the former minister. This new incoming minister must have been briefed on the nature of this close relationship and what was being discussed. For a final time, why is the government meeting 12 times in two years with this heroin company? What is being discussed? What is Fair Price Pharma asking for?
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  • May/29/24 9:47:35 p.m.
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Madam Chair, the member across the way knows perfectly well the meetings were held at ISED. The member also knows I have not met with Fair Price Pharma. The member also knows my predecessor did meet with Fair Price Pharma. That being said, what I do know is across the way they do not listen to many of the experts we need to listen to, including Moms Stop the Harm. I would love to know why the Leader of the Opposition refuses to meet with families who know what they need in their communities. We will meet with everyone. Why do the Conservatives not do that?
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  • May/29/24 9:48:09 p.m.
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Madam Chair, a lot of people want to hide their meetings with drug dealers, but I would have expected better from this minister. What is the purpose of these 12 meetings with this corporate drug dealer?
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  • May/29/24 9:50:00 p.m.
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Madam Chair, there have been 12 meetings with a heroin-selling company. The government is refusing to release contracts involving the Government of Canada and corporate drug dealers. Why will the minister not tell us what was discussed in those meetings, and why is the minister sitting on these contracts?
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