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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• Canadian tobacco companies may be close to a comprehensive settlement of civil claims and court judgments relating to the health impact of their products.
• The Government of Canada is not a party to these proceedings, but may be asked to comment.
• Cigarette smoking is the leading cause of preventable disease and premature death, killing approximately 46,000 people in Canada each year. The Government has an ambitious target to reduce tobacco use to less than five percent by 2035.
• Health Canada posted a recall for a vaping product called Irex magic 25000 puffs, a refillable vaping product. The company has reported that 3000 units of the affected products were sold in Canada between September 2024 and October 2024.
The Government has introduced Bill C-64: An Act respecting pharmacare (Pharmacare Act), which proposes the foundational principles for the first phase of national universal pharmacare in Canada.
On December 18, 2023, the Government of Canada announced its plan to advance with the establishment of Canada’s Drug Agency (CDA, the Agency), built from the Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health (CADTH) and in partnership with provinces and territories, featuring an investment of $89.5 million over five years, starting in 2024-25. The CDA will provide the dedicated leadership and coordination needed to modernize the Canadian pharmaceutical system, laying a strong foundation to support ongoing growth. CADTH officially launched as the CDA on May 1, 2024. The CDA is also featured in Bill C-64, an Act respecting pharmacare.
Government of Canada launch of the Canadian Dental Care Plan.
Many Canadians face challenges in accessing health care and mental health and substance use services. Budget 2023 outlined the federal government’s plan, “Working Together to Improve Health Care for Canadians” to provide close to $200 billion in additional funding over ten years to provinces and territories.
ArriveCAN was launched in April 2020 to support the digital submission of mandatory public health information required from travellers coming into Canada. ArriveCAN repeatedly evolved in lockstep with the Emergency Orders in Council implementing public health measures at the border to protect Canadians, limit importation and spread of COVID, limit pressures on the Canadian health care system and to eventually support resumption of commercial travel.
The Office of the Auditor General (OAG) tabled an audit report on February 12, 2024, which examined the management of procurement and expected deliverables of the ArriveCAN application with due regard for value for money. The OAG concluded that overall, the Canada Border Services Agency, the Public Health Agency of Canada, and Public Services and Procurement Canada repeatedly failed to follow good management practices in the contracting, development, and implementation of the ArriveCAN application. One recommendation implicated the Public Health Agency of Canada.
Far too many Canadians are still struggling to secure timely access to family health service, whether from a doctor, nurse, or team of providers. This issue disproportionality impacts those living in rural communities.
Recently, media reports and experts have been framing the lack of timely access to family health services as a crisis, with repercussions for the broader health care system.
• On March 25, 2024, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) was notified by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) of the detection of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) A(H5N1) in dairy cattle in Kansas and Texas.
• On April 1st, 2024, the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) confirmed that an individual in Texas tested positive for HPAI A(H5N1) and had exposure to dairy cattle presumed to be infected with HPAI A(H5N1). This likely represents the first mammal-to-human transmission.
• On May 22, 2024, the CDC confirmed a second human case associated with the current outbreak in a Michigan farmworker who had regular exposure to dairy cattle infected with HPAI A(H5N1).
• CFIA has not detected HPAI A(H5N1) in cattle or other livestock in Canada, and there have been no human cases in Canada associated with the current global HPAI A(H5N1) outbreak.
• Based on current scientific evidence, PHAC’s updated risk assessment states that the risk of avian influenza infection to the general public continues to be very low.
• Canada’s health workforce continues to face challenging workplace conditions. High patient workloads, lack of resources, mandatory overtime and fear for personal safety have led to high levels of burnout, absences, and turnover.