Question Period Notes
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In accordance with the Access to Information Act, the government proactively publishes the package of question period notes that were prepared by a government institution for the minister and that were in use on the last sitting day in June and December.
The question period notes may be partially or fully redacted in accordance with the legislation; for example, if the notes contain information related to national security or personal information. (Learn more about exemptions and exclusions.)
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• Conversion therapy is a series of practices, discredited by scientific communities, that attempts to change an individual’s sexual orientation to heterosexual or gender identity to cisgender. Sexual orientation and gender identity are inherent characteristics of individuals that cannot be changed through external efforts, and LGBTQ2 identities are normal and should be affirmed as such. The Government of Canada has introduced legislation to ban conversion therapy across Canada, in line with actions already taken by five provinces/territories and 19 municipalities.
• The Government remains committed to supporting Canadians with their mental health and substance use challenges as well as increasing access to services so that Canadians can get the help they need, when they need it.
• Many Canadians rely on plasma to treat life-threatening conditions. During the COVID-19 crisis, global demand, prices, and shortages have increased. The federal government recognizes that increasing domestic plasma sufficiency will help to provide security of supply. Budget 2021 provides Canadian Blood Services funding for the construction of eight plasma collection sites across the country.
• Currently, women, youth, LGBTQ2 people, racialized Canadians, and Indigenous populations face the highest sexual and reproductive health risks and the greatest barriers to accessing support, information, and services. Too often, they do not receive the same quality of care, particularly if they are from marginalized communities.
• Rare diseases are often chronic, can be seriously debilitating and potentially life-threatening. With few or no treatment options, available treatments can command high prices, which pose significant challenges to patients, caregivers, and the health care system, including the sustainability of public and private drug plans that pay for these drugs.
• In Budget 2019 and 2021, the 2020 Speech from the Throne and the Fall Economic Statement, the Government committed to implement national pharmacare, beginning with the creation of a Canadian Drug Agency, a national formulary and a national strategy for drugs for rare diseases.
• The brand-name pharmaceutical industry has challenged the Amendments in Court, and has expressed concerns that they could result in reduced pharmaceutical investments and reduced access to medicines. The Courts ruled to maintain most of the Amendments, but struck down the collection of confidential rebate information. The rulings are currently the subject of an appeal by the applicants and cross-appeal by the Crown.
• Systemic racism has no place in Canada. Unfortunately, Indigenous Peoples continue to experience racism, discrimination, stigma and bias in many facets, including when interacting with the health systems, which has been well documented in a number of reports. There are ongoing domestic and international calls for Canada to implement measures that address racism and discrimination in the health systems and to demonstrate timely and meaningful progress.
• Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada are working closely with the provinces and territories, federal organisations, as well as distribution channels in the private sector and non-profit organisations, such as the Canadian chambers of commerce, Canadian Red Cross and pharmacies, to distribute the Cepheid GeneXpert, Abbott ID NOW, Abbott Panbio, BD Veritor, Quidel Sofia, Quidel QuickVue, Lucira, BTNX Rapid Response and Roche SD Biosensor rapid tests.
• Environment and Climate Change Canada published a news release on Dec 1, 2021, about the confirmed detections of COVID-19 in three free-ranging, white-tailed deer in Canada. As this is the first detection, information on the potential impacts and spread of the virus in wild deer populations is currently limited.