Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, what I can tell the member I have no regrets about is being there for Canadians and, indeed, for provinces and territories every step of the way. No country has had a perfect pandemic. It is not possible. It is a global pandemic. People are suffering and people are struggling, but this government has been there for people. We have been there for workers. We have been there for workpla…
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Mr. Speaker, every step of the way we have been there for provinces and territories during this pandemic and, indeed, we will be there after the pandemic, as the Prime Minister has committed. Nonetheless, let me run through the money with which we have supported Quebeckers and all Canadians through provincial and territorial transfers. There were $19 billion as the first down payment on the expens…
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Mr. Speaker, let me take this opportunity to say that we understand that Canadians are struggling during this pandemic and, indeed, were before, but of course living through a global pandemic is incredibly stressful and very distressing. That is why we created Wellness Together, because we knew that provinces and territories would need additional support to reach people in their time of need. All …
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Mr. Speaker, every step of the way we have managed to provide provinces and territories and, indeed, Canadians with the tools they need when they need them, including rapid tests. We will stop at nothing. As my colleague has said, we have some of the strongest measures at the border, including at the land border. In fact, international travel represents 1.4% of infectivity in this country, and the…
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Mr. Speaker, we have been extremely clear and transparent with Canadians about the expected vaccine rollout, about the doses arriving in our country and, indeed, any delays in those doses. In fact, there is good news. We are ahead of where we projected we would be. In fact, we expected by the end of quarter one to have six million doses. We received nearly 10 million. We will be receiving 48 milli…
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Mr. Speaker, I would encourage the member opposite to not fall prey to the myriad of fake news articles that are circulating around the Internet about ways people could protect themselves from COVID, and trust that the Public Health Agency of Canada only puts science-based credible documents up, guided, of course, by our Chief Public Health Officer, Dr. Tam and the many scientists that work for us…
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Mr. Speaker, every step of the way we have been there for provinces and territories to ensure that they have the vaccines they need to prioritize their populations in the order they believe is best and safest for Canadians. Let me be clear. Vaccination serves two purposes: one is to protect those most at risk from a severe outcome from COVID-19, including death, and the other is to help control th…
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Mr. Speaker, as I repeatedly have said, we have some of the strongest measures in the world at our borders. In fact, we know that we have a very low number of travellers who arrive positive. How do we know? We demand a pre-departure test. We demand a post-arrival test. Travellers must spend time in a government-authorized hotel until they receive a negative test. They must continue their quarantin…
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Mr. Speaker, this is where I differ in opinion with the member opposite. It is never too late to do something about COVID-19. There are always measures that we can take together, with provinces and territories, indeed with Canadians, to protect each other. COVID is something that requires a great deal of work collaboratively to control. It is a global pandemic. We will not hesitate to add addition…
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Mr. Speaker, as I have been saying today and, indeed, all along, we will stop at nothing to protect the health of Canadians. We have some of the strongest measures in the world at our borders. Travellers are required to submit to a predeparture test and a post-arrival test, and spend 14 days in quarantine. Several stay in a government-authorized quarantine facility while they await their negative …
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Mr. Speaker, every step of the way, we have been there for Canadians, regardless of which province they live in. We will continue to do that. We have some of the most rigid and stringent measures at the border, including a predeparture test, a post-arrival test, a mandatory stay in a government-authorized quarantine hotel, a test on day 10 and a 14-day quarantine. We will continue those measures b…
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Mr. Speaker, let me be clear. Since the beginning, we have added measures at our border to protect Canadians from the importation of COVID-19, and we have been successful. Of all of the incoming travellers from February 21, 1.8% have been positive for COVID, and those have been captured by the testing and quarantine regime. We know that we need to work together to protect Canadians from COVID in t…
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Mr. Speaker, what Canadians want right now, more than anything else, is for their elected leaders to work together to protect their lives. That is exactly what we have done every step of the way, with provinces and territories, no matter where a Canadian lives. In regard to borders, we have some of the strongest measures in the world. As I mentioned, travellers go through a rigorous process of tes…
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to first of all start by thanking and commending Atlantic Canada and the premiers of those provinces for taking bold action on COVID-19, including keeping measures in place until cases are so low as to be sure that they will not rebound, making sure that they have strong measures to isolate people, and to protect people while they are isolating to ensure those people are …
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Mr. Speaker, the Leader of the Opposition should pick a lane. One week, they are arguing for opening up the borders; this week, they are arguing for tighter restrictions at the borders. I will tell him what we will do. We will continue to use science to guide us and to protect Canadians. Every step of the way, we have added measures to protect Canadians. We have some of the most rigorous measures …
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Mr. Speaker, every step of the way the government has added measures to protect Canadians from the importation of COVID-19. In fact, infections resulting from international travel represent just over 1% of total infections in this country. Those infections are caught because we have a rigorous process. Travellers must submit to a pre-departure test, a post-arrival test, a stay in a government quar…
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Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to address the House tonight. Throughout this pandemic, Canada has constantly adapted its response to emerging science, and everything we have done to date has been with one overarching goal in mind, which is to protect Canadians. At this time, Canada is experiencing a third wave. Like many countries around the world, we have struggled to maintain public h…
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Mr. Speaker, I share the member opposite's frustration with the return time of day-10 tests for temporary foreign workers. I can assure him that we are working not only with Switch Health, but with many other providers of potential solutions to accelerate the test returns. I am sure the member opposite realizes that it is important for us to continue our rigorous measures at the border for all tra…
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Mr. Speaker, I will point out that we do not need the Emergencies Act to support Ontario. In fact, that is what we have been doing all along, with cash infusions into Ontario and the establishment of field hospitals, and by mobilizing health human resources; supporting, with the Red Cross, rapid response teams; helping with testing; purchasing PPE; purchasing testing; deploying testing; and suppor…
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Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for her kind words. Indeed, the credit goes to the hard-working public servants as well, who are literally working around the clock to help protect Canadians. With respect to her question about COVID long-haulers, as they are sometimes referred to in the various media pieces, I know the CIHR is investigating, through the research networks, to try to understand what …
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Mr. Speaker, as tired as I am, what keeps me going is knowing that all Canadians are tired and that it is an exhausting time, actually, for global citizens. This is a terrifying time for Canadians, and it is a terrifying time for global citizens, but it is an honour to serve my country, as I am sure the member feels every day when he gets up and serves his constituents. The member is right that we…
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Mr. Speaker, every step of the way we have worked with the provinces and territories collaboratively to save lives and stop the spread. That is the philosophy of the government and it is what Canadians want to see: the provinces and territories working with the federal government, stopping at nothing to save the lives of their loved ones and to ensure they have the financial and economic supports …
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Mr. Speaker, as the member opposite has been reassured time and again, the federal government has stopped at nothing to support Canadians, regardless of which jurisdiction they live in. Whether it was delivering PPE, supporting people with the CERB and the wage subsidy, or purchasing vaccines and other therapeutics, we have been there for Canadians and we will continue to be there. Of every $10 sp…
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Mr. Speaker, it is very important that the member opposite not confuse Canadians with, I think, somewhat false allegations. We know that, even in jurisdictions where there have been very high rates of vaccination, public health measures must continue until we are certain that we can crush that curve. That is exactly what we are doing: vaccinating Canadians and making sure that they have the tools …
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Mr. Speaker, COVID-19 is indeed a global pandemic. It is unfortunate that we see every country around the world battling COVID and trying to protect their citizens. That is exactly what we have done. We have added layers of protection at the border including, most recently, as the member opposite would know, the requirement to test before departure; to test upon arrival; to stay in a government-ap…
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Mr. Speaker, every step of the way, we have been there for provinces and territories, and indeed for all Canadians as we battle COVID-19 together. Eight dollars out of every $10 spent on responding to COVID has been federal funding. We have been there with billions of dollars in transfers to provinces and territories, acquisition of personal protective equipment and rapid tests, acquisition of vac…
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Mr. Speaker, this government has stopped at nothing to work with provinces and territories and to provide supports to provinces and territories, whether they are economical supports, health and human resources, equipment or vaccines. We are going to continue that hard work together because that is how we are going to protect lives and stop the spread, by working together and making sure that, no m…
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Mr. Speaker, we all know that vaccines are an important tool to fight COVID-19, but we have to continue to apply public health measures and listen to the scientists and experts who are leading the way. We will be there for Ontarians during this third wave, as we were during the first and second waves. As the member opposite knows, I spoke with Minister Christine Elliott on the weekend. We will be …
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Mr. Speaker, every step of the way we have been there for provinces and territories, indeed, Canadians to protect them from COVID-19 and to protect their financial security. We are going to continue to do that by working with all provinces and territories across the country. The distribution of vaccines is an agreement that has been worked out collaboratively among premiers. We will continue to ma…
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Mr. Speaker, I will repeat that we have some of the strongest measures at the border in the entire world, including, by the way, a ban on foreign nationals entering Canada, predeparture testing required before boarding a plane, post-arrival testing and a stay in a government-authorized quarantine hotel until the return of a negative COVID test. All positive tests are quarantined, and all positive …
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Mr. Speaker, on the contrary, we have some of the strongest measures in the world to screen for COVID-19 at our borders, regardless of the country of origin. It is important that all travellers are screened for COVID-19 and that all positive cases are sequenced for the variants. That is exactly what we are doing. All travellers are required to submit a predeparture test, test on arrival, quarantin…
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Mr. Speaker, around the world, governments are working to immunize their populations to save lives and stop the spread of COVID. Canada is no different. In fact, we are the third highest country in the G20 for the administration of vaccines. We will stop at nothing to protect Canadian lives. We will work with provinces and territories to make sure they have vaccines, and not only that, but that th…
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Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the member for Newmarket—Aurora for his constant advocacy in this area and his compassion and kindness for his constituents. He knows first-hand how disruptive COVID-19 has been for people and communities and how it has impacted all of our mental health. We know that what helps is access to services. We knew we needed to step up to help the provinces and territories in…
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Mr. Speaker, every traveller, regardless of their country of origin, is required to undergo some of the strictest measures in the world. Let me repeat that all travellers must subject themselves to a pre-departure test and submit that test prior to boarding the plane to Canada. They must also subject themselves to a post-arrival test and wait in a government-approved hotel until such time as their…
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Mr. Speaker, I know that the member opposite has not been a fan of the mandatory measures that we have put into place at the border. In fact, she has spoken out against them on her social media channels. However, I will tell her that they serve an important purpose. They protect Canadians from the importation of the virus. Every step of the way, we have responded to science. We have been led by ou…
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Mr. Speaker, I will repeat: We have among the strongest measures in the world at our border. In fact, everything that we have added has created a situation where we are protecting Canadians from the importation of COVID. We are able to track and sequence any positive cases. I will take this moment to congratulate the National Microbiology Laboratory during this national week of celebration of labo…
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Mr. Speaker, as I have said many times in the House, we will stop at nothing to protect Canadians' health. We have multiple, layered measures of protection at the border, as the member opposite knows, including a 14-day mandatory quarantine, mandatory pre-departure testing, mandatory arrival testing and mandatory testing at day 10, and we will continue to protect Canadians from the importation of …
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Mr. Speaker, Canada has among the strongest measures in the world at the border. Every traveller, no matter where they come from, is subject to testing on arrival. Then the traveller must wait in a government-approved hotel until the return of their test. Every traveller must further quarantine until the return of their 10-day test and until their 14-day quarantine is over. All positive tests are …
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Mr. Speaker, it is really important that all of us work together now to save lives. It is important that we see cohesion in our messaging. I surely hope that the member opposite is not working in any way to discourage Canadians from taking vaccination when it is their turn. Let us be clear that every step of the way, we have given Canadians the information they need. We have supported Canadians wi…
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Mr. Speaker, every step of the way, we have been there for Canadians. We have been there for provinces and territories in delivering on the things that we know are saving lives. This is a difficult time for the country. It is a difficult time for all Canadians. It is a difficult time for the health care workers, the lab workers, the front-line workers and the essential workers, who are all trying …
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Mr. Speaker, surely the member opposite is not trying to scare Canadians and imply that Health Canada would not be doing an extremely thorough job, as it always does with any medication or vaccine licensed for use in Canada. Health Canada has been monitoring AstraZeneca, as well as all of the other vaccines used for Canadians, and works closely with the provinces and territories to determine any c…
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Mr. Speaker, I apologize for the technical issues. As the member opposite knows, all vaccines approved for use in Canada undergo routine and scrutinous attention. All adverse effects are reported through Health Canada. Health Canada monitors that data closely and will not hesitate to change its licensing for use in Canada should there be any risk to Canadians.
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Mr. Speaker, every step of the way we see the Conservatives play a dangerous game with Canadians. On the one hand they are asking for rapid tests, on the other hand they are asking for faster vaccines and then using a fear of those very same tools to scare Canadians. I will not back down from my comments. We have world-class regulators who have one goal in mind, which is to keep Canadians safe. Va…
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Mr. Speaker, I think the member opposite is missing the point, and the point is that we have been there for the provinces and territories every step of the way, including with billions of dollars, expertise, personal protective equipment, vaccines, rapid tests and PCR tests. The point is that we will not stop. We will be there for the provinces, territories and all Canadians within them. No matter…
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Mr. Speaker, every step of the way we have been there for provinces and territories, in fact, to do exactly what the member has suggested. We have provided billions of dollars. We have provided evidence, expertise, additional hands, rapid response programs, the Canadian Red Cross, even more money, all the vaccines, all the testing, all the PPE. We have done everything we can and we will continue t…
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Mr. Speaker, first of all, my heart goes out to all who are struggling with COVID-19, whether they have been personally affected by it or whether they are on the front lines of our health care system working to save lives. The member opposite is right. Now is not the time to travel internationally, and I believe that it is very important that Canadians continue their hard work to protect each othe…
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Mr. Speaker, we know that vaccines are an important tool to save lives and stop the spread, but we also know that while we vaccinate, we have to continue to apply appropriate public health measures to protect each other. We also know that it is not the federal government that decides which public health measures need to stay in place in which province or territory. I want to thank all Canadians fo…
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Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for his deep concern for Canadians. In fact, it is actually Canada's field hospitals that are on loan to the Province of Ontario. It is a demonstration of how the federal government has been there for provinces and territories every step of the way. We will be there for as long as it takes and for as much as it takes to protect Canadians and to support provinces and…
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Mr. Speaker, I will point the member to the NACI website, which will list the decisions that NACI has made and the underpinning science and research behind those decisions. I will also point out that any Canadian, in fact anyone across the world, can sign up for regular updates from NACI. I have and it is very helpful.
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Mr. Speaker, as we have talked about before, as science and research evolves, so will the advice from the variety of different researchers and scientists who are advising Canadians. I will also point to the fact that it appears the member opposite is in fact trying to instill fear and anxiety in Canadians. I would say that now is the time to remind Canadians that any vaccine approved for use in Ca…
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