44th Parl. 1st Sess.
June 1, 2022 02:00PM
- Jun/1/22 3:01:15 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, during the past two years of the pandemic, we have been there for small businesses, with help in the way of CEBA loans, the Canada emergency wage subsidy and direct support for families. We were able to continue to ensure that small businesses would be able to hold through the darkest times of this pandemic.
Unfortunately, this pandemic continues, and with it we see record inflation around the world. We see a rise in the cost of fuel and groceries. That is why we continue to be there to support families that are squeezed by this, by investing in them and making sure we are making the kinds of investments that support them without adding further inflationary pressures. That is what we will continue to do.
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- Jun/1/22 3:09:32 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, once again, I wish we were able, like the Conservatives think we are, to simply wish away a pandemic, wish away the thousands of deaths, and wish away the people dying every day, who continue to do so, in this pandemic. Yes, we all want it to be over, but the best way to make sure that it is over—
Some hon. members: Oh, oh!
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- Jun/1/22 3:10:15 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, once again, we see the Conservatives in denial about the reality of this pandemic. We continue to have a pandemic in this country. We continue to need to take measures to keep Canadians safe, and we will continue to be informed by the best public health advice and the advice of experts to get us through this.
We know that Canada was able to do the right things across the country to minimize the impacts of the pandemic both on Canadians and on our economy. We will continue to make sure we are putting the health of Canadians and the health of our economy first and foremost because nobody wants another wave of this COVID-19.
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- Jun/1/22 3:11:31 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, unfortunately, no one knows how long this pandemic is going to last, but I can tell members that, even though the Conservatives seem to think it is over already, it is not. We will continue to make sure we are putting first and foremost the protection of Canadians, their safety, their well-being, the safety and the reliability of their jobs, and their futures.
We have done that every step of the way, and we will continue to be informed by science, not by the barking of the Conservative opposition.
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- Jun/1/22 10:34:35 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I am thankful for the opportunity to talk about our government's response to the pandemic.
Vaccination is one of the most effective tools we have to combat the pandemic and keep Canadians safe. While the provinces and territories are responsible for establishing vaccination requirements within their jurisdictions, vaccine requirements and restrictions were introduced in the summer and fall of 2021 across a number of areas of federal jurisdiction, namely at the border, among federal public servants and within the federally regulated transportation sector.
Vaccine-related policies, along with public health measures, have helped keep Canadians safe. They have supported safe working conditions and spaces for federal public service workers and travellers on federally regulated transport and have reduced the risk and impacts of absenteeism for businesses.
At the time that federal vaccine-related requirements and restrictions were introduced, overall vaccination rates were significantly lower. There was strong scientific evidence from international and domestic sources demonstrating that vaccines were effective at preventing infection against specific COVID-19 variants such as alpha and delta. There was also evidence that showed vaccines protected against severe illness, hospitalization and death from COVID-19. The benefits of vaccination continue to outweigh the risks.
It is also important for us to take stock of where we are, and have a more flexible and responsive approach in managing COVID-19.
Vaccines and therapeutics continue to be important cornerstones of our responses. We are fortunate that vaccination coverage rates in Canada are among the highest in the world, resulting in more lives saved in comparison with other countries, but there are still more opportunities to enhance our protection.
As of May 22, 2022, over 84% of the total population had received at least one dose, 81% had received two doses and more than 18 million Canadians had received a third dose. We know that vaccination does not give us full immunity from infection, but it does prevent us from getting very sick and reduces the potential need for hospitalization.
Our goal of minimizing serious illness and death is still the same; so too is our goal of minimizing societal disruption. We need to recognize that COVID-19 is not going to disappear. We have learned a great deal over the course of the pandemic, but there is still a great deal of uncertainty.
Thanks to Canadians' adherence to public health measures and high rates of vaccination, including booster doses, our outlook continues to improve. Individual public health measures, along with vaccines and therapeutics, will remain key in protecting individuals should a virulent or highly transmissible variant of concern emerge.
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- Jun/1/22 10:38:21 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, as Canada emerges out of the acute phase of the pandemic, the focus will shift toward ongoing management of COVID-19. Individual public health measures, along with vaccines and therapeutics, will remain key in protecting individuals should a virulent and highly transmissible variant of concern emerge. The Public Health Agency of Canada is working with its provincial and territorial partners to address the ongoing presence of the COVID-19 virus. Given the uncertainty, nimble approaches will continue to be required as measures are lifted.
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- Jun/1/22 10:52:04 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I am very pleased to have the opportunity to respond to my esteemed colleague this evening and to talk about what our government is doing to support mental health care across Canada.
We have made historic investments in mental health, including $5 billion to the provinces and territories through ongoing bilateral agreements.
Budget 2022 proposes to provide $227.6 million over two years, starting in 2022-23, to maintain trauma-informed, culturally appropriate services for indigenous people, to improve mental wellness, and to support efforts initiated through budget 2021 to co-develop distinctions-based mental health and wellness strategies.
A major challenge, one that existed for years even before the pandemic, has been the ability to access the right type of care where and when it is needed.
Sometimes people need information online. In some cases, they need peer support. Other times, they need therapy or more specialized care. We know that the pandemic has created even more challenges, as evidenced by the substantial increase in mental health needs.
That is why in the early days of the pandemic the government introduced the Wellness Together Canada portal.
To date, we have invested $270 million in this portal to offer the most appropriate care, at the most appropriate time, in the most appropriate place, delivered by the most appropriate provider.
This means that Canadians can access online information on mental health issues, mental health programs they can do on their own or with counselling, immediate text support and even confidential individual counselling through phone, video and texting with social workers, psychologists and professionals. All of this is available 24 hours day, 365 days a year and in more than 200 languages for free.
We also know that helping Canadians calls for strong partnerships with the provinces and territories, indigenous communities, mental health practitioners, researchers, diverse communities and people with lived and living experience.
An important example is the partnership established between Canada, the Standards Council of Canada and other key stakeholders to develop new national standards for mental health and substance use supports.
This work is backed by a $45‑million investment over two years, and we are very pleased with the progress made in developing national standards related to integrated youth services.
We know national standards are needed so that Canadians know what to expect in terms of timeliness and quality of mental health and substance use services, treatments and supports.
I am sure my colleague knows that, in order to improve mental health care for Canadians, we have to work hand in hand with all our partners.
Our government wants to hear from them, understand their perspectives, identify the areas in need of more investment and get this right for all Canadians, no matter where they live and the care they need.
We remain fully committed to investing a further $4.5 billion over five years to ensure that mental health care is treated as a full and equal part of Canada's public health care system.
Mental health care is health care and Canadians deserve—
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