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Decentralized Democracy

House Hansard - 326

44th Parl. 1st Sess.
June 6, 2024 10:00AM
Context: House Hansard - 326 - Jun/6/24
Mrs. Tracy Gray (Kelowna—Lake Country, CPC)
Mr. Speaker, it is always an honour to rise on behalf of the residents of Kelowna—Lake Country. Briefly, just before I start my speech, I want to honour and remember the sacrifices the Canadian military heroes made as we commemorate the 80th anniversary of D-Day and the Battle of Normandy. Today I rise to speak to Bill C-277, an act to establish a national strategy on brain injuries. Brain injury is an important issue I have heard about from residents in my community, as well as from meeting with individuals here in Ottawa as part of my role as shadow minister for disability inclusion. It is a positive step to see legislation brought forward to develop a national strategy on brain injuries for those living with brain injuries, as well as for those who support them. I am sure this is an issue that all of us in this place care about. As such, this is something that I am glad to have the opportunity to speak to and lend support to. I also want to thank my Conservative colleagues, especially the member for Regina—Lewvan, who spoke in support of the bill previously and specifically mentioned how 5,500 women who are suffering injuries to the brain are, shockingly, suffering these injuries as a result of domestic violence. This is an eye-opening statistic that we legislators must not shy away from addressing. Brain injuries having a national strategy is an issue that requires our attention for good reason. There are many who are affected by brain injuries across Canada. I am sure many of us know someone in our personal lives who has suffered a brain injury and who requires our support. Many of us likely have friends or family members who have been in an accident, have had a sports injury or health issue, or have been the victim of violence that has caused a brain injury. Many of us likely have also had to, or know someone who has had to, care for an individual suffering from a brain injury. The role caregivers play, who are most often a close family member, is a significant one, and one that warrants our gratitude, admiration and respect. In Kelowna—Lake Country, just like across Canada, many are affected by brain injuries, both directly and indirectly through people they know. My community of Kelowna—Lake Country, and in fact our region, is fortunate to have many leaders who care deeply about the issue. Braintrust Canada organized bringing to Kelowna community leaders, public health officials and brain injury specialists for the West Coast Brain Injury Conference. It is there that experts will discuss brain injuries in the context of health, governance and societal fairness and inclusion. Someone suffering from a brain injury can have it affect every part of their life. A brain injury can cause substantial disruption to a person's independence, abilities and work life. It can cause significant issues in interpersonal relationships with family, friends, co-workers or caregivers. Oftentimes, because it is an injury that is not always visible externally, brain injuries can go unrecognized. They can be episodic. This exacts a heavy toll on those suffering and their families, as it is often not given the same recognition as other, more outwardly visible, conditions. A brain injury can affect many parts of a person's health. It can affect behaviour and how someone acts and makes decisions. It can affect cognition and how a person learns, processes and remembers. It can affect emotions and can lead to a number of related mental health challenges. Lastly, it can affect one's physical health and can cause mobility challenges and potentially physical conditions such as headaches, fatigue, pain and sensory problems. Be it a traumatic brain injury caused by sports or a vehicle accident or violence, or a non-traumatic brain injury caused by a stroke, overdose or another reason, one thing is clear: It is a very serious injury that has long-lasting consequences and effects on a person's life. Brain Injury Canada has determined that close to 4% of the population lives with a brain injury. That equates to a staggering 1.5 million Canadians who live with a brain injury, with 165,000 Canadians suffering a new brain injury every year. It is untenable not to have a strategy in place to support all those affected by these injuries. We also know that those living with a brain injury can face additional societal challenges. According to Brain Injury Canada, those with a brain injury have an increased risk of homelessness because of many factors, including job loss and the lack of accessible treatment and supports. Those suffering from a traumatic brain injury can also have greater rates of incarceration. Information provided by BrainTrust Canada shows that an individual has a significantly greater chance of developing a diagnosable mental illness after sustaining an acquired brain injury. As well, about half of people with traumatic brain injury are affected by depression within the first year after injury; nearly two-thirds are affected within seven years. Traumatic brain injury is reported to increase the risk of post-traumatic stress symptoms. A Canadian study found that adults with concussion committed suicide at three times the population norm. Fifty per cent of patients with a concussion experience personality change, irritability, anxiety and depression after concussion. Something that is especially worrying is the convergence between substance use and brain injuries. I am referring to overdosing leading to brain injury. This really must be talked about more. The opioid epidemic has greatly worsened under the NDP-Liberal government. While not always recognized in this regard, it is greatly contributing to brain injuries. Not all overdoses, thankfully, lead to death. However, opioid overdose can cause hypoxic brain injury, a very serious type of brain injury caused by a lack of oxygen to the brain. Between January 2016 and June 2020, Canada saw over 21,000 opioid-related poisonings in hospitals that resulted in hypoxic brain injury. The huge rise of these injuries warrants an immediate strategy to address their occurrences and to help with treatment. In addition to contributing to this, some people with a brain injury find themselves self-medicating after their injury as well. Many have turned to substance abuse to cope with their injury. It has been reported that someone with a brain injury is four times as likely to develop addiction issues. It becomes a vicious cycle. This is tragic. Through the development of a national strategy on brain injuries, which Bill C-277 aims to create, the issue of overdoses in the context of brain injuries can be better addressed. This issue must be part of the strategy. We all know well that the Prime Minister has done too little to address the toxic overdose crisis. It is hoped that the bill will provide another avenue to address the shortcomings of the Liberal government in terms of the substance abuse crisis that has been impacting our communities so terribly. Members of Brain Injury Canada, who are the leading experts on brain injuries and the impact these injuries have on Canadians, have given their support to the bill and its intentions. This collaboration will have to remain ongoing, to best ensure that those suffering from brain injuries are at the table for discussions. Conservatives hope that, with their support of the bill, a strategy will soon be in place that adequately supports Canadians who sustain brain injuries. Even though the administration and operation of health care is provincial, there can certainly be federal leadership on a national strategy. I hope the Liberal government will take this seriously. The Liberals have a track record of photo ops on announced strategies and frameworks, which then take years to make. They do a lot of plans for plans, which lead to reports for reports, with little results-oriented actions or analysis. People with brain injuries need our attention. My Conservative colleagues and I support this issue being elevated here.
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