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Decentralized Democracy

House Hansard - 75

44th Parl. 1st Sess.
May 19, 2022 10:00AM
Context: House Hansard - 75 - May/19/22
Mr. Gord Johns (Courtenay—Alberni, NDP)
  • May/19/22 4:19:03 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I really appreciate a lot of the comments from my colleague. I too share her frustration. I mean my office right now is getting absolutely inundated by calls from people who are waiting for their passports. As well, the time that they are waiting at airports is completely unacceptable. We know that none of this is a surprise. People were planning on travelling as soon as the travel restrictions eased. Can my colleague speak to how important it is for the government not only to hire staff but to ensure that the public service is fully resourced and that employees of the public service are paid good fair wages, especially in a labour market shortage like right now?
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Context: House Hansard - 75 - May/19/22
Mr. Gord Johns (Courtenay—Alberni, NDP)
  • May/19/22 4:49:09 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, this is a really important issue and we are hearing from many people in my riding. Certainly, we believe that health measures should be informed by health science and not politics. We heard Dr. Tam in March, stating that a full re-evaluation of Canada's pandemic measures would be done and that she would report back to Canadians. We are at the end of May. People have concerns. Trust in public health measures requires explaining the arguments and sharing the evidence they are based on. For two years, the government was in front of Canadians, answering questions. We cannot find it now. It is not in front of Canadians, answering questions about this. To have trust, the government needs to be fully transparent with Canadians with the evidence behind any of the remaining health measures. Does my colleague not agree that Liberals are failing to answer the questions of Canadians? They need to come forward quickly to ensure that there is trust in Canadians.
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Context: House Hansard - 75 - May/19/22
Mr. Gord Johns (Courtenay—Alberni, NDP)
  • May/19/22 5:05:32 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, there are things I truly appreciated in my colleague's speech and things I do not agree with. One thing he touched on were the wait times at the airports. When we see the wait times at airports or passport services, we know the government has not adequately staffed the resources to respond to the increase in the amount of travel. We have constantly heard complaints like these from Conservatives over the years. It is always a surprise to me when Conservatives say there are not enough public servants. They cut services, then they complain about it. The repercussions are delays in service. We saw that happen with Veterans Affairs under the Stephen Harper government. It cut a third of Veterans Affairs, and that made a backlog that exists even to this day. Does my good friend and colleague not agree in the importance of investing in public services to support Canadians and make sure that they get the services they deserve and need?
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Context: House Hansard - 75 - May/19/22
Mr. Gord Johns (Courtenay—Alberni, NDP)
  • May/19/22 7:34:47 p.m.
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Madam Chair, has the minister heard of the expert task force on substance use?
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Context: House Hansard - 75 - May/19/22
Mr. Gord Johns
  • May/19/22 7:35:09 p.m.
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Madam Chair, that sounds like a no. This is a group of experts who were convened by Health Canada to make recommendations to the government on federal drug policy. The expert task force had five key messages related to Canada's substance use strategy. One message was, “Bold actions are urgently needed, including...the expansion of safer supply.” I asked the minister at the Standing Committee on Government Operations and Estimates, on April 29, what she would do to procure a safer supply of controlled substances to address the toxic drug crisis. Has she taken any steps since then on this issue, such as reaching out to the Minister of Health or the Minister of Mental Health and Addictions?
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Context: House Hansard - 75 - May/19/22
Mr. Gord Johns
  • May/19/22 7:36:16 p.m.
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Madam Chair, have any of those ministers reached out to the minister for procurement?
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Context: House Hansard - 75 - May/19/22
Mr. Gord Johns
  • May/19/22 7:36:49 p.m.
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Madam Chair, here is a quote. It is something the minister wrote in the PSPC 2022-23 departmental plan. It says: Nearly two years into the COVID-19 pandemic, protecting the health and safety of Canadians remains a priority for the Government of Canada. PSPC will continue to play a central role in our response by procuring critical supplies, including vaccines, tests and therapeutics. It has now been over six years since British Columbia declared a public health emergency. Is the health and safety of some Canadians, like people who use drugs, not a priority for the government? Why has PSPC not played a central role in responding to this crisis?
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Context: House Hansard - 75 - May/19/22
Mr. Gord Johns
  • May/19/22 7:38:06 p.m.
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Madam Chair, is the minister saying she did not procure for any COVID response needs without direction completely from the provinces?
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Context: House Hansard - 75 - May/19/22
Mr. Gord Johns
  • May/19/22 7:38:29 p.m.
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Madam Chair, they have been requesting leadership. The mandate letter to the minister directs her to “[c]ontinue to procure COVID-19 therapeutics, tests and vaccines, for adults and children, to ensure all Canadians have access to free booster shots and second-generation vaccines as needed”, yet there is no mention of procuring a safer supply to address Canada's other ongoing public health emergency and overdose epidemic. Do you believe stigma has played a role in this lack of direction from the Prime Minister?
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Context: House Hansard - 75 - May/19/22
Mr. Gord Johns
  • May/19/22 7:39:34 p.m.
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Madam Chair, her colleague, the Minister of Mental Health and Addictions, told the CBC that safe supply “is going to be the way that we will save the most lives”, yet the minister is not committed to a timeline for expanding access to safe supply, saying that research is needed before it can be scaled up. Why is the government wasting time on pilot programs instead of ensuring that a safer supply is available across Canada?
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Context: House Hansard - 75 - May/19/22
Mr. Gord Johns
  • May/19/22 7:40:31 p.m.
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Madam Chair, 20 people a day are dying in this country because of a toxic overdose, and 20 families are getting the call. If the government had the political will, how quickly could a national safe supply program be established in this country?
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Context: House Hansard - 75 - May/19/22
Mr. Gord Johns
  • May/19/22 7:40:59 p.m.
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Madam Chair, many Canadians who want access to a safer supply cannot get it, so that answer falls short. Does the minister have any idea of the cost of substance use issues in Canada, factoring in health, social services, policing, the justice system, lost productivity and other relevant costs?
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Context: House Hansard - 75 - May/19/22
Mr. Gord Johns
  • May/19/22 7:41:40 p.m.
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Madam Chair, I live in Port Alberni, where nobody can even get access to detox. It is three and a half hours for a youth to go to Victoria, and there is often a waiting list. In the second report, the expert task force said that current policies are currently costing Canada huge amounts. It recommended significant new investments to reshape the system and address the drug toxicity crisis. Since then, the government has committed $100 million over three years. Does the minister believe that represents a significant new investment that responds to the scale and urgency of this crisis?
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Context: House Hansard - 75 - May/19/22
Mr. Gord Johns
  • May/19/22 7:42:41 p.m.
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Madam Chair, the stigma is not just in the policy; it is in the amount of money that has been spent on COVID-19 and on the toxic drug supply crisis. When will the government respond to the toxic drug crisis with the urgency with which it responded to COVID-19, and in a way that shows it values the lives of people who use drugs, the people who are dying right now in our country and whose lives can be saved from preventable deaths?
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Context: House Hansard - 75 - May/19/22
Mr. Gord Johns
  • May/19/22 7:43:36 p.m.
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Madam Chair, the government says it is taking action while more people are dying. The deaths are mounting. It is not taking action in the way it needs to, like it did with COVID-19. I will change my line of questioning to the minister. As caregivers for children under five eagerly await a decision from Health Canada on Moderna's application for vaccines for this age group, how quickly will doses be distributed to the provinces upon approval?
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Context: House Hansard - 75 - May/19/22
Mr. Gord Johns
  • May/19/22 7:44:34 p.m.
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Madam Chair, given the ongoing issues with the Phoenix pay system, why did the budget not allocate necessary funding to help deal with the now years-long backlog of pay problems for federal public servants?
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Context: House Hansard - 75 - May/19/22
Mr. Gord Johns
  • May/19/22 7:45:10 p.m.
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Madam Chair, the government is increasing spending on expensive consultants to fix the problems of expensive consultants, while public servants are being offered wage increases that do not even keep up with inflation. Does the minister believe hard-working public servants who have delivered for Canadians throughout the pandemic deserve wage increases that account for the rising cost of living?
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Context: House Hansard - 75 - May/19/22
Mr. Gord Johns
  • May/19/22 7:45:58 p.m.
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Madam Chair, does she believe they should be able to be paid and given wage increases to meet inflation and the new cost of living?
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Context: House Hansard - 75 - May/19/22
Mr. Gord Johns
  • May/19/22 7:46:18 p.m.
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Madam Chair, is the minister committed to reigning in outsourcing to ensure Canadians are getting value for services and that we maintain institutional knowledge, skills and expertise in the public service?
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Context: House Hansard - 75 - May/19/22
Mr. Gord Johns
  • May/19/22 7:46:54 p.m.
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Madam Chair, the announcement of a strategic review of the public service and potential cuts of up to $6 billion has prompted concern from hard-working public servants and Canadians who rely on public services. The last time a strategic review happened, the Harper government cut service delivery for veterans, people on EI and many others, while going after 19,000 public service jobs. The lack of details about this review is concerning. Can the minister reassure Canadians that this review will not impact service levels, and that the federal public service unions will be consulted throughout the process?
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