8619 OFFICIAL REPORT (HANSARD) House of Commons Debates VOLUME 147 NUMBER 129 2nd SESSION 41st PARLIAMENT Tuesday, October 21, 2014 Speaker: The Honourable Andrew Scheer HOUSE OF COMMONS CANADA (Table of Contents appears at back of this issue.) COMMONS DEBATES October 21, 2014 DEBATES Edited Hansard * Table of Contents * Number 129 (Official Version) Official Report * Table of Contents * Number 129 (Official Version) Compte rendu officiel * Table des matières * Numéro 129 (Version officielle) 147 129 21 10 2014 2014/10/21 10:05:00 House of Commons Débats de la Chambre des communes House of Commons Debates 41 2 The House met at 10 a.m.

Prayers ROUTINE PROCEEDINGS Routine Proceedings (1005) [ English ] Government Response to Petitions Mr. Tom Lukiwski (Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC) : Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36(8), I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the government's response to five petitions.

Committees of the House Health Mr. Ben Lobb (Huron—Bruce, CPC) : Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the sixth report of the Standing Committee on Health entitled “Marijuana's Health Risks and Harms”. Pursuant to Standing Order 109, the committee requests that the government take a comprehensive response to this report.

Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Ms. Jean Crowder (Nanaimo—Cowichan, NDP) Motion for concurrence moved: That the Fourth Report of the Standing Committee on Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development, presented on Wednesday, March 26, 2014, be concurred in. The Deputy Speaker : Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion? Some hon. members: Agreed. Some hon. members: On division. (Motion agreed to)

Petitions Abortion Mr. Earl Dreeshen (Red Deer, CPC) : Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to rise today to present two separate petitions on behalf of more than 200 central Albertans. The first petition asks that Parliament enact legislation that restricts abortion.

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Mr. Earl Dreeshen (Red Deer, CPC) : Mr. Speaker, the second petition requests that Parliament support Bill C-583 on fetal alcohol spectrum disorder.

Agriculture Mr. Charlie Angus (Timmins—James Bay, NDP) : Mr. Speaker, I am proud today to rise to present this petition signed by many people in the Kirkland Lake, Virginiatown, and Larder Lake region. The petitioners are concerned over the right of Canadian farmers to save, reuse, select, and exchange seeds.

This is something that has been a right of farmers going back to the very beginning of agriculture, and there is a very real concern among people who have been involved in agriculture that their ability to maintain this tradition be protected under the proposed changes we are seeing, particularly with Bill C-18 and the plant breeders' rights. I would like to present these concerns to the House.

Impaired Driving Mr. Mark Warawa (Langley, CPC) : Mr. Speaker, I am honoured to present a petition representing thousands of people from British Columbia. The petition highlights that, sadly, 22-year-old Kassandra Kaulius was killed by a drunk driver. A group of people who have also lost loved ones to impaired drivers, called Families for Justice, believe that the current impaired-driving laws are much too lenient. They are calling for new mandatory minimum sentencing for people who have been convicted of impaired driving causing death.

Agriculture Ms. Jean Crowder (Nanaimo—Cowichan, NDP) : Mr. Speaker, I have three petitions, all dealing with the right to save seeds. In this petition, the citizens of Canada recognize the inherent rights of farmers, derived from thousands of years of custom and tradition, to save, reuse, select, exchange, and sell seeds. Current and newly proposed restrictions on farmers' traditional practices, resulting from commercial contracts, identity preservation systems, and/or legislation, criminalize these ancient practices and harm farmers, citizens, and society in general.

The petitioners are calling on Parliament to refrain from making any changes to the Seeds Act or to the Plant Breeders' Rights Act through Bill C-18 , and they are also calling for actions that would not further restrict farmers' rights or add to farmers' costs.

Sex Selection Mr. Leon Benoit (Vegreville—Wainwright, CPC) : Mr. Speaker, I would like to present two petitions. In the first, the petitioners call upon members of Parliament to condemn discrimination against girls occurring through gender-selective pregnancy termination. They note that 92% of Canadians support this condemnation.

Impaired Driving Mr. Leon Benoit (Vegreville—Wainwright, CPC) : Mr. Speaker, in the second petition, the petitioners feel that impaired driving laws are too lenient and they call for two things. They want new mandatory sentences for persons convicted of impaired driving causing death, and they want the Criminal Code of Canada to be changed to redefine impaired driving causing death as vehicular manslaughter.

Falun Gong Ms. Elizabeth May (Saanich—Gulf Islands, GP) : Mr. Speaker, I rise today to present two petitions. The first petition is from literally hundreds of Canadians primarily from the Greater Toronto Area calling on the government to recognize that there is an ongoing and deeply disturbing number of reports of organ harvesting from Falun Gong prisoners, and they call for Canada to publicly request that the Chinese government authorize an independent investigation of this, among other demands.

(1010) Animal Welfare Ms. Elizabeth May (Saanich—Gulf Islands, GP) : Mr. Speaker, the second petition is primarily from residents of Ottawa calling for amendments to the Criminal Code to take crimes against animals out of the property section, close the loopholes, and further ensure that the Criminal Code punishes those who cause harm and suffering to animals.

[ Translation ] Canada Post Mr. Jonathan Genest-Jourdain (Manicouagan, NDP) : Mr. Speaker, I would like to draw the attention of the House to the petition I am presenting. It has been signed by the people of Manicouagan, who are saying that door-to-door mail delivery needs to continue, as it is an essential public service. [ English ] Ms. Linda Duncan (Edmonton—Strathcona, NDP) : Mr. Speaker, I have four petitions. In the first petition, Canadians are calling for an end to the cuts to the postal service.

Health Care Ms. Linda Duncan (Edmonton—Strathcona, NDP) : Mr. Speaker, in the second petition, Canadians are calling for greater federal leadership and investment in a pan-Canadian prescription drug strategy, a pan-Canadian strategy on primary care, and improved conditions for aboriginal peoples.

Pensions Ms. Linda Duncan (Edmonton—Strathcona, NDP) : Mr. Speaker, the last two petitions are calling on the House of Commons to increase the Canada pension and Quebec pension plans.

[ Translation ] Cap-des-Rosiers Lighthouse Mr. Philip Toone (Gaspésie—Îles-de-la-Madeleine, NDP) : Mr. Speaker, today I would like to present a petition that has been signed by hundreds of people in my riding. It is about the Cap-des-Rosiers lighthouse, the tallest in Canada, which was designated as a historic site in 1971. Unfortunately, three years ago the government decided it was no longer needed. Now the government wants to sell it off to the private sector. People are calling on the federal government to preserve this lighthouse.

[ English ] Canada Post Mr. Andrew Cash (Davenport, NDP) : Mr. Speaker, I have three petitions to present on behalf of the good people of Davenport in the great city of Toronto. The first petition concerns the cuts to Canada Post. This is signed by many seniors in my community, who live on streets like Dufferin, Gladstone, Havelock, and Lansdowne. They are concerned about the cuts, and they call on the government to reverse these devastating cuts, particularly with respect to door-to-door mail delivery.

Employment Mr. Andrew Cash (Davenport, NDP) : Mr. Speaker, there is a general crisis among youth in terms of employment in the GTA. Right now, about 50% of all workers in the GTA cannot access full-time jobs. They do not have access to benefits, a pension, or any job security. The second petition is signed by many in my community calling on the government to support a national urban worker strategy.

Natural Resources Mr. Andrew Cash (Davenport, NDP) : Finally, Mr. Speaker, notwithstanding the decision on Line 9, many in my community are very concerned about the way in which public engagement happened with the decision around Line 9, and particularly about the company that is building, managing, and maintaining Line 9. In the third petition, the petitioners are calling on the government to intervene immediately to stop the development of the Sarnia-Montreal Line 9 pipeline.

Rail Transportation Mrs. Carol Hughes (Algoma—Manitoulin—Kapuskasing, NDP) : Mr. Speaker, I rise in the House to table a petition with respect to the Algoma Central Railway passenger rail. The petitioners are from Sault Ste. Marie and Goulais River, in the riding of Sault Ste. Marie. The petitioners would like to ensure that their voices are heard in the House with respect to the cuts that the federal government made to the funding for the Algoma Central Railway passenger train. They note the impact this will have on the economy, health, and safety.

We know that the government reinstated funding for one more year, but they will likely need some more assistance. We need to recognize the importance of passenger rail.

Citizenship and Immigration Ms. Irene Mathyssen (London—Fanshawe, NDP) : Mr. Speaker, I have two petitions. The first is in regard to a tragedy that happened in London, Ontario, almost a year ago. It involved a family that felt there was no recourse but to end their lives. The petitioners are calling on the Government of Canada to reverse the cuts to public service jobs that created a workload that made it impossible for those at citizenship and immigration to help this family.

They want the Government of Canada to ensure that the Department of Citizenship and Immigration is properly staffed and resourced to reach decisions on applications in a fair and timely manner, and that immigration officers consider all factors regarding an application, including humanitarian and compassionate grounds.

(1015) Iraq Ms. Irene Mathyssen (London—Fanshawe, NDP) : Mr. Speaker, the second petition is from Londoners of both the Christian and Muslim communities who are profoundly upset about what has happened to their families and friends in Iraq as a result of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria and its attacks on communities. The petitioners are calling on the Government of Canada to highlight the plight of Iraqi Christians and use all diplomatic and humanitarian efforts to assist them in their plight.

They also ask the government to assist other like-minded governments and organizations that are engaged in the effort to stop the suffering of Iraqi Christians, and work with all governments and organizations currently engaged in humanitarian and diplomatic assistance.

Neonicotinoids Mr. Bruce Hyer (Thunder Bay—Superior North, GP) : Mr. Speaker, it gives me particular pleasure this morning to present these petitions on neonicotinoids from hundreds of people from across Canada. One reason is that many years ago I played a key role as a regulator in banning DDT in the United States. The other reason is that our Senate is holding hearings on this tonight at five o'clock. The petitioners are calling for a ban or at least a moratorium on neonicotinoids, as Europe has done, until we know more about whether they are as bad as they seem.

Questions on the Order Paper Mr. Tom Lukiwski (Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC) : Mr. Speaker, once again, I ask that the remaining questions be allowed to stand. The Deputy Speaker: Is that agreed? Some hon. members: Agreed.

GOVERNMENT ORDERS Business of Supply [ English ] Business of Supply Opposition Motion--Ebola Hon. Hedy Fry (Vancouver Centre, Lib.) moved: Motion That the House recognize the devastation that Ebola is wreaking in Western Africa and the serious threat to public health that the virus could pose to Canada; and call on the Minister of Health, the Chief Public Health Officer of Canada, and the Minister of Public Safety to appear before the Standing Committee on Health twice monthly to report on Canada’s efforts at home and abroad to ensure that the outbreak does not pose a threat to the health and safety of Canadians.

She said: Mr. Speaker, this motion is a timely one. We see that fear, news broadcasts and listening to things going on around the world can create panic and fear in certain parts of the world, including Canada. We want to ensure that the balance is kept with good information going out to the public and to Parliament, and via Parliament to the public, so that people will not begin to panic. They will be aware of the fact that the risks are indeed not very high of Ebola spreading to Canada in the way that it has in West Africa, and that everyone is on top of their game. That is really why we want to do this.

In the past, the minister and the Chief Public Health Officer have not been forthcoming with actual details of what they have been doing. We want to ensure this is not a partisan issue. Where the health and safety of Canadians are concerned, we put aside partisanship. This House has to decide what is best for Canadians and how to communicate with them in an appropriate manner. This has nothing to do with partisanship. We are concerned about a few things and that is why we have proposed this motion.

The first one is that recent cases of Ebola have emerged in North America and some recent cases have emerged in Europe. We know that Ebola is not completely contained in West Africa and this is important to remember. We are concerned that cuts to the Public Health Agency of Canada over the last five years may have compromised its ability to respond to public health crises, period.

We note that the minister and Chief Public Health Officer on Friday last week and yesterday have begun to communicate to the public and that the Chief Public Health Officer is letting the public know about the complete national plan of action in order to inform the public. However, we want to be assured that this level of communication becomes continuous, that it does not happen just on Friday and Monday, and then we no longer hear from anyone.

It is really important, in the best interests of creating good information and therefore not creating panic and confusion, that we continue to ensure that there are regular updates. That is the reason why we are asking the minister, the Chief Public Health Officer and any other appropriate ministers to report to the parliamentary all-party committee on health twice a month, and of course, if we see any virulence increasing in Ebola, or we see any other cases that are closer to home, that the reporting be ratcheted up to get information weekly as the situation changes.

This is something that is in the best interests not only of Canadians but of keeping up-to-date information regarding this disease, so that Canadians do not panic. We also want to be assured that Canadians are informed. We want to ensure that up-to-date public health protocols to contain the disease are evidence-based and are not politically-based, and are not done in response to political correctness or in response to public panic. These must be evidence-based and they must be absolutely based on public health protocols.

It is imperative that the federal government takes every step necessary to protect the public from the spread of dangerous diseases, not just like Ebola but all dangerous diseases because as the world becomes a smaller place and as travel becomes more frequent from every corner of the globe, the risks of pandemics and epidemics spreading unwittingly have become higher and higher.

We need to think about how to not only protect Canadians but also to take every step as Canadians to move into the region of the world where the particular illness has begun and begin to do the kinds of things we need to do to contain it. We know that the only way to stop the spread of Ebola is to contain the disease within the region where it is currently rampant.

(1020) It is interesting to note that Nigeria, which was one of the most affected countries, is considered to be, and I use the term guardedly, Ebola free, because for 42 days there have been no new cases. Nigeria is a good example of how an African nation, a developing nation, has actually worked on a plan that it stuck to. Everyone in Nigeria was on the same page of that plan, every health care professional, every region, rural and urban, and even non-health-care professionals who were brought in, and the plan was clear. This is an important thing to remember.

The plan must be clear, everyone must understand it. We must ensure that everyone is working out of the same textbook. Nigeria is a good example because it use evidence-based protocols. Canadians need information in an open and transparent way, which is what we are asking for, openness and transparency by the Minister of Health and the Chief Public Health Officer, in order to reduce confusion and to reassure against panic.

The Public Health Agency of Canada has to begin to co-ordinate, and we do not know if it has which is another reason why we are asking for transparency, regular meetings of the professional health organizations, like the Canadian Public Health Association, the Canadian Medical Association, the Canadian Nurses Association, and the Association of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases Canada because the nurses have said that they are concerned.

Again, this concern may translate to Canadians that things are not right, and that may not be so; however, everybody needs to be informed, so that they can ensure they do not create a panic by suggesting that something is amiss. The government must ensure that the Public Health Agency of Canada continues to work with the provinces and territories. We must have dedicated regional hospitals in every province with the highest levels of isolation protocols and treatment units. We must have one plan that every province and territory is actually following. It must be the same plan and everyone must be on the same page.

Again, I point to Nigeria which has actually done that exact thing, one plan, and it has worked very well. However, we also need to be aware that Ebola is a disease where it is not good enough to say that we do not have any direct flights from the affected regions. As we well know, somebody can go from an affected region to some other place then transfer to Canada via a different route to any one of our airports. We also know that the disease takes 21 days to actually show itself.

Somebody could be well, go into the hospital, then go off to some small rural community and during the 21-day incubation period begin to show symptoms of the disease. Therefore, rural and urban areas, even though they are not in large centres, must know some very basic things. They must know what the symptoms look like. Every single small hospital must have some personal protective equipment. The reason why the spread occurred in Spain and Texas was because people did not have the right equipment.

The federal government must ensure that, if necessary, it provides financial assistance to small provinces and small areas that may not have the money to buy some personal protective equipment. Not only should the equipment be there but there must be ways that people learn and be trained on how to put them on and how to take them off. Once the equipment has been contaminated, taking it off correctly is very essential.

One of the ways the Minister of Health and the Public Health Officer can do this is to put webinars on the PHAC website, so that people can learn by watching someone doing it and can be assured that they are doing the right things. Border personnel and emergency room personnel across the country should be aware of early signs and symptoms of Ebola. They should also know how to use their personal protective equipment.

(1025) The Canadian government must ensure that travellers who received a health assessment by the PHAC quarantine officer at the airport have no signs of infection. We must also have the means to inform persons, who fear they have been in an affected area or may have been exposed, on how to self-isolate during the 21 days, how to look for signs and symptoms, and what they must do immediately. We are talking about giving people the basic information that they need.

We are also concerned about reports that there used to be public health equipment to be sent to countries at risk for diseases which was sold off, one for $1.5 million recently. In fact, it was auctioned off at a fraction of its real value. Now, we do not have some of that equipment to send and we are depending on other countries to send MASH units because we know that the ability in the affected regions to have any kind of public health system is very compromised.

Therefore, they need small clinics in some of the villages and the isolated areas, so they can go to these clinics and receive the kind of care they need. More than anything we know that the mortality rate for Ebola is now moving to 70%. What we also know is that with good hydration and good care that could drop significantly to about 20% to 30%. When we have a country with absolutely no health infrastructure whatsoever and no electricity to see when it is pitch black at night to put in and take out IVs, these are the kinds of basic practical things that need to happen in the region that is most affected.

If we can contain the disease in West Africa, we would be able to stop the spread to the rest of the world. We need to have some other questions answered. We know that in September PHAC pledged $35 million to the World Health Organization to go to Doctors Without Borders and to some of these affected areas. We also saw last week that a new $30 million was pledged. That brings it to $65 million in all, yet we only know that $4.3 million has been committed. Where is the other $61 million? Why is it not getting there when timeliness is very important in containing any kind of epidemic?

Getting things done right away is really important. We also want to know why the 800 vaccines, that were committed to the World Health Organization, did not get there until Monday? What stopped it? What were the problems? When these vaccines could have been there a long time ago, why were they not? We would like to know. Nobody is blaming the Public Health Agency of Canada. No one is blaming anyone. We just want to know why it took so long. What are the challenges that we are facing in getting money to the affected region and getting vaccines to the World Health Organization?

As we heard, the World Health Organization has fallen down on the job at a particular point in time when it could have responded earlier. That may be the simple answer to it. However, we want to know why all of these things have been happening. We have heard that vaccine trials are set to begin in Switzerland, Germany, Gabon and Kenya. Are there vaccines for trials in North America? Should we have trials in the United States and Canada? We would like to know the answer to that. The $30 million that was pledged on October 17 was a new pledge. We want to know what that money would be directed to.

Would it be to directly fulfill the requests by the World Health Organization and Médecins Sans Frontières to supply personal protective equipment, rehydration equipment, training and personnel? As we have heard, hydration is one of the serious things that leads to death. The World Health Organization has said repeatedly that it needs personnel, yet today, we heard from the Minister of Health that Canada will not send more personnel. Canada has only sent 13 health care personnel so far, but will not send more until it is sure of an exit strategy. Who is devising the exit strategy?

Is the minister working on an exit strategy right now? We need to know. These are the questions that keep coming up and we need answers. Again, this is not about blaming; rather, it is about wanting to be informed, to be open and transparent in terms of what is going on.

(1030) I just want to speak a little about Nigeria. Nigeria has now been 42 days free of a new case of Ebola, which means that it seems to be Ebola-free. Since Ebola has a 21-day incubation period, Nigeria has had two full incubation periods without any new disease. One of the things Nigeria had to deal with, the same thing we see in Sierra Leone and the other regions, was struggling against a backdrop of a weak health system, although Nigeria has a stronger health system than most. There are significant deficits in capacity, personnel, trained people, and protective equipment.

There is also fear and there are cultural practices. I am referring to the disease in West Africa right now, because we know that to stop the spread to the rest of the world, we have to end the disease or contain the disease in West Africa. What Nigeria did was really important. We know that there is a great deal of fear among people who live in the villages. They have a cultural practice of bathing their dead, and this increases the risk of being exposed to blood and bodily fluids. Education was necessary.

What Nigeria did, apparently, was bring together religious leaders, local people, and local community leaders and have them knock on everyone's door, go to everyone's place, to tell them that they had to stop doing that. They told them that this was not something someone gave them maliciously but that it was a virus, and these were the things they had to do and the practices they had to change. Having people from local communities and leaders from religious communities speak to them made a difference. That dealt with some of the fear.

According to the World Health Organization, there have been about 9,000 cases of Ebola as of October 12. This is an underestimation, according to the World Health Organization, because we still do not know if there are cases people are hiding or if people had someone with Ebola who died and they buried the person without letting anyone know, because of fear, again. We know that almost 4,500 deaths have been reported in Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone, and up until now, Nigeria. There have been additional deaths recorded in Spain and the United States.

The Public Health Agency of Canada has, as far as we know, based on the last discussion with Canadians, done some really important things. It has actually been talking to the provinces and territories. It has been moving on a plan. It has done some training sessions to ensure, as in Nova Scotia, the ability to put on the protective equipment. That is a great start.

However, it is really important that the public health officer of Canada ensure that everyone is working with the same plan, that every province and territory is working with the same plan, and that they have what they need to ensure that the plan is operative. That means meeting and talking much more regularly than is happening. Something I want to repeat is that webinars are good things. People in rural and isolated areas in Canada are able to go online and see how to put on personal protective equipment and how to take it off.

Some of the work has been done, such as having travel notices to advise Canadians of the risk of travelling to countries with Ebola, additional scrutiny of passengers who have been in affected countries, and automatic referral for screening by a PHAC quarantine officer at the point of entry into Canada of someone from an affected country. These are all important. PHAC has been supportive of some of the control systems already in Canadian hospitals. We see that Ontario has actually done an extraordinary job of creating a solid plan, which it is moving on.

What I am trying to say about the Public Health Agency of Canada is that it is not good enough to support. It is very important to ensure that it is done. We need to know that this is happening on an ongoing basis. As parliamentarians, we would like to be informed, twice a week, through the parliamentary health committee, by the minister, the Chief Public Health Officer, or the appropriate officials so that we will be able to reassure our constituents and Canadians across the country that everything is moving according to clear, evidence-based public health protocols.

(1035) Mr. Bruce Hyer (Thunder Bay—Superior North, GP) : Mr. Speaker, I wonder if the hon. member, who knows a lot about medicine, and apparently about Ebola as well, would like to comment on what I saw on the media. I do not know the facts, but apparently the Conservative government, which loves to privatize everything in sight and sell off important Canadian assets, has sold Ebola protective gear, which we could really use now in this Ebola fight, worth well over a million dollars, for a few tens of thousands of dollars. I wonder if she is familiar with this issue and would like to comment further. Hon.

Hedy Fry : Mr. Speaker, I mentioned that in my speech. It is a pity that we took steps to do this kind of thing. We now know that pandemics will occur more frequently in a world that has absolutely open borders and travel. People of every class and of every age are travelling around the world. This is going to be important, so we need to take some steps now. We need to ensure that Canada has what it needs to help any country in which an epidemic has begun and to do so swiftly. The Public Health Agency of Canada has been cut severely over the last five years, and its ability to respond may be compromised even now.

I would like to know whether the cuts have done anything to create a delayed response by the Public Health Agency of Canada. I would like to ensure that after this Ebola epidemic is contained, we do not wait for another epidemic. I would like to ensure that the countries of the world sit together and talk about building, in the interim, strong, clear, and solid health systems in the developing world so that they can respond themselves in a timely and effective manner when something like this happens. [ Translation ] Ms. Marjolaine Boutin-Sweet (Hochelaga, NDP) : Mr.

Speaker, the member knows as well as I do that when ministers show up at committee, just like when they show up at question period, they do not answer questions. They avoid the question or read from notes given to them by the PMO. How will this motion change that, given that this has been happening since I was elected, if not longer? What will the member do to ensure that the minister actually responds to important questions about protecting Canadians from this terrible disease? (1040) [ English ] Hon. Hedy Fry : Mr. Speaker, we have seen this happen over and over at committee, but this is something different.

There is a huge risk to Canadians if this disease ever gets to Canada. This is about public safety and public security. If we put aside partisanship and let the minister and the Chief Public Health Officer know that all members of the House are prepared to work together to ensure that evidence-based protocols are put in place, that might go a long way, because we will not be as critical. We may ask questions. We may look at creative and positive ways to work together to find the right answers. Ms. Kirsty Duncan (Etobicoke North, Lib.) : Mr. Speaker, the best way to stop this disease is to stop it at its source.

An upward epidemic trend continues in Sierra Leone and in Liberia. The situation in Guinea appears to be more stable. However, the context of Ebola is still a grave concern. The World Health Organization recommended that within 60 days of October 1, 70% of all those infected should be in hospital and 70% of the victims buried safely if the outbreak is to be successfully arrested. Otherwise, the Ebola numbers risk rising dramatically. Does the member think the World Health Organization has enough diagnostic laboratories, transport support, and funding to help with operation logistics?

If there was one thing the member could ask of the government today to help the people of West Africa, beyond this motion, what would it be? Hon. Hedy Fry : Mr. Speaker, my colleague has been concerned about this issue ever since Ebola first began to show epidemic proportions in West Africa. Perhaps one of the things I would ask, other than that the government report to Parliament and let Canadians know what is going on, is that the money that has been promised gets to the region as soon as possible and that there is a timely response. We cannot keep dragging our feet. This has been going on since April.

We have spent only $4.3 million. There is still $61 million that has not been spent. The second thing I would ask is that we send personnel. The World Health Organization has asked over and over for personnel. Other countries, like the United States, have sent their armed forces personnel and MASH units. Small countries like Cuba have sent more personnel than we have sent. We can do this. The minister said that she would like to have a safe exit strategy. I would like to know that she has one now so that it can be ready to roll within 24 hours. Mr. Jasbir Sandhu (Surrey North, NDP) : Mr.

Speaker, I have had a number of members in my constituency whose relatives are in the Ebola-affected area of Liberia. They are very concerned about their relatives and friends who are in that country. We have seen the foot-dragging that has taken place by the government in responding to this disease that all the world is putting in effort to combat. The Conservative government has actually failed to take leadership on these issues. It has failed to take a leadership role at the international level, and this is an opportunity for it to do that. We have lost a seat on the UN Security Council.

Would this sort of humanitarian effort actually help us get back that seat? Hon. Hedy Fry : That is a very interesting question, Mr. Speaker. I had not quite thought of the Ebola epidemic in terms of whether it would give us some kind of goodwill down the road. I do not think that is what it is about. It is about ensuring that we end an epidemic in a part of the world where people are dying and that we prevent the spread to the rest of the world and the creation of a pandemic. I do think there has not been an answer as to why it is taking so long for the money we have said we are giving to get there.

We started off with $35 million. Only $4.5 million has actually gotten to the right places. Why did the vaccines take so long to get to the World Health Organization? There are some real questions we have to answer. I think we want to put this on an open and transparent footing. I do not want to keep going back in time and saying that we should have, could have, would have. We know now that we should have, could have, would have as a country. Let us move forward. Let us all work together to get moving on making the right decisions in a timely manner.

Let us get the stuff to the people who need it, and let us talk after this epidemic about building strong health systems in the developing world.

(1045) Ms. Eve Adams (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health, CPC) : Mr. Speaker, in fact, Canada is at the forefront of responding to the Ebola crisis in West Africa. Does the member opposite think that when Canada's Chief Public Health Officer made himself available for fulsome briefings to all members of the opposition and made himself again available to all parliamentarians to answer any and all questions that it was not sufficient?

Does the member opposite think that regular, almost daily, press conferences by either the Minister of Health or Canada's Chief Public Health Officer are not sufficient? Does the member think that regular daily responses here in question period by our Prime Minister , by me, and by members of this House are not sufficient? Hon. Hedy Fry : Mr. Speaker, I gather the member must not have been listening when I made my speech. No, it is not enough. That is why we brought this motion forward. We need to get regular briefings.

I would like to point out to the member that these public press conferences that occurred only occurred last Friday and this Monday. It is kind of late in the game to have these happening, but nothing is ever too late, so I thank the minister and the Chief Public Health Officer for doing that. It is important that as this disease continues to progress or not progress we get regular, updated briefings on what is going on. Of course it is not good enough. We do not want Canadians to be panicking. We do not want parliamentarians not knowing what to tell their constituents when they ask questions.

As soon as they started in Ontario, the Minister of Health and the Chief Medical Officer of Health of Ontario immediately went out and did it. I am just saying that it is not enough. No, it is not. Ms. Eve Adams (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health, CPC) : Mr. Speaker, I am grateful for the opportunity to speak to the House about the serious outbreak of Ebola in West Africa. Our government is taking steps to ensure that Canadians here at home remain safe and protected. There is no question that the Ebola situation in West Africa is tragic.

I think that I speak for all members of the House when I say that our thoughts are with those who are affected, their families, all of the surrounding communities, and the international community. The government is closely monitoring the Ebola outbreak in West Africa, and it is working with its international partners to support the response and help those who are suffering. The current outbreak has been ongoing since December 2013. As of October 17 of this year, the total number of reported cases was 9,216, including, tragically, 4,555 deaths in those affected regions.

With the exception of cases in the United States and one in Spain, the current outbreak continues to be confined to West Africa. Much recent media attention has been focused on the situation in Texas, and while there have not been any cases of Ebola in Canada, we must be prepared for a case to come here. Provincial and local health authorities and officials are the lead of any Ebola case in Canada, but the Public Health Agency of Canada continues to assist. Ebola spreads in a community through direct contact with infected body fluids.

The scientific evidence shows that Ebola is not airborne and cannot be transmitted through casual contact. The Ebola virus does not spread like the common cold or influenza, or even like SARS. I should note that I will be splitting my time today here in the House with the member for Pickering—Scarborough East . As I said, Ebola cannot be spread from a person who is not showing any symptoms. Secondly, the situational and environmental contexts in West Africa are radically different from those here in Canada.

Our hospitals in Canada have sophisticated infection control systems and procedures in place that are designed to limit the spread of infection, protect health care workers, and provide the best care possible for patients. In contrast, the West African countries that are affected tragically have limited resources to respond to prolonged outbreaks, especially in rural areas. The health care infrastructure there, again very unfortunately, varies greatly in the countries and communities affected, and there is a lack of appropriate personal protective equipment.

Tragically, despite some progress, outbreak control strategies continue to be met with distrust, due to fear and misinformation. Despite the fact that the risk to Canadians is low, the Government of Canada remains vigilant and is taking concerted action to ensure that Canadians continue to be protected against the Ebola virus. This includes maintaining our preparedness to detect, investigate and prepare for people with the Ebola virus in the unlikely event that a case were to appear in Canada. We are well prepared.

The Public Health Agency of Canada has recommended that Canadians avoid all non-essential travel to Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, due to the outbreak. Additionally, public health notices have been issued for Nigeria and Senegal, recommending that travellers take special precautions. The government is making sure that Canada and Canadian travellers know how to protect themselves, and what they need to do if they begin to experience symptoms of illness.

It is recommended that those travelling to affected countries monitor their health carefully and seek immediate medical attention if they develop symptoms that could be associated with Ebola within three weeks of returning. Canada is well prepared to identify and manage ill travellers. The Quarantine Act is administered by the Public Health Agency of Canada 24 hours a day, seven days a week, at all points of entry into Canada. Technical guidance and protocols have been shared with provinces and territories and with the transportation sector to detect and manage suspected cases of Ebola infection.

Front-line staff have been trained to screen international travellers arriving in Canada for communicable diseases, and to refer any travellers suspected of being ill to quarantine officers.

(1050) We also have five Ebola response teams in place. These include specific scientists, lab expertise to quickly confirm diagnoses and emergency supplies from our national strategic stockpiles, such as masks, gloves and gowns. These rapid response teams would support the provincial and territorial authorities in their response should a case of Ebola occur. Under the Quarantine Act, officers have the authority to implement the appropriate public health measures to ensure public safety.

From there, a strong network of laboratories stand at the ready to detect and respond quickly in the event a case of Ebola arrives in Canada. While there have been no cases in Canada, each suspected case to date has tested our response capability and demonstrated to Canadians that we are ready to respond and that our systems are working. In every case, the individual suspected of being infected with the Ebola virus was identified, isolated, investigated by health authorities and tested for the Ebola virus by the Public Health Agency of Canada's National Microbiology Laboratory in Winnipeg.

We have learned from our experiences with SARS and with the H1N1 influenza pandemic. We are are applying this learning to how we prepare for future outbreaks. Canada should be proud of our world-class researchers and science capacity. It was our very own scientists at the Public Health Agency's National Microbiology Laboratory in Winnipeg who developed an experimental vaccine for the Ebola virus. It is the result of years of hard work and innovation by Canadian scientists to better global public health and security.

The Government of Canada has offered a donation of up to 1,000 vials of the experimental vaccine to the World Health Organization. The vials represent two-thirds of the total vials of the experimental vaccine currently in the possession of the Public Health Agency of Canada. I think we can all concur that this is a rather generous donation. Canada will keep a small supply of the experiential vaccine to conduct research and clinical trials on safety and efficacy. We will also keep some vials in the unlikely event that they are needed here at home in Canada.

Already these vials offered for donation are on their way to the World Health Organization in Geneva. The first shipment left yesterday. The vaccine vials are being sent in three separate shipments as a precautionary measure due to the challenges in moving a vaccine that must be kept at a very low temperature at all times, and in the event that there is some sort of unfortunate accident during shipment. The World Health Organization has determined that there are some important safety and ethical considerations that it needs to resolve before the vaccine vials can be given to people.

The global community, under the leadership of the World Health Organization, is making progress addressing these issues. There are also logistical challenges. Canada stands ready to support the World Health Organization and we expect to see our donated experimental vaccine deployed as quickly, ethically and safely as possible. We are committed to supporting the efforts of our international partners to control the Ebola outbreak and we hope that the experimental vaccine will help address this global crisis.

Canadians should be proud of our humanitarian support to address the spread of Ebola in West Africa, including significant funding and the deployment of Canadian experts to assist on the ground. On October 4, our government announced the deployment of a second mobile lab and team to West Africa to assist in the Ebola outbreak. The lab and three additional scientists from the Public Health Agency of Canada have joined the agency's existing team in the field. One mobile lab team will continue to provide rapid diagnostic support to help local health care workers quickly diagnose new cases of Ebola.

The second mobile lab team has been working with Médecins Sans Frontières to monitor the effectiveness of infection prevention procedures, such as hand-washing stations, face masks, disposal sites, in preventing the further spread of Ebola. Once their work with Médecins Sans Frontières is completed, the team members will be deployed to other locations to support diagnostic needs as required. On-site laboratory support produces results in only a few hours, which in turn allows for faster isolation of Ebola cases and patient care. It is pivotal to an effective response in this affected region.

(1055) I would end my remarks by saying that while the motion before the House is admirable in recognizing the devastation wrought by this Ebola outbreak, it is imperative that we as parliamentarians allow our public health officials and ministers the flexibility necessary to focus their efforts on addressing the outbreak. I would like to close by extending my heartfelt condolences to those affected by this ravaging disease in West Africa, and to encourage Canadians to support international relief organizations working in this area. Ms. Hélène Laverdière (Laurier—Sainte-Marie, NDP) : Mr.

Speaker, I would first like to make a brief comment about the fact that of course we are all proud of our scientists, and it is time to stop muzzling them. [ Translation ] That said, I would like to ask my colleague two questions. As I have already heard her say, does she believe that Canadians have enough information about the spread of Ebola and what should be done, or does she agree with us that it is absolutely critical that the minister and officials from the Public Health Agency of Canada provide regular, candid updates to Canadians about the problems connected with this disease?

I would also like to ask if she agrees with us that the best way to prevent Ebola from spreading to Canada is to prevent its spread in West Africa and that Canada could be doing much more. The assistance we are providing is really just a drop in the bucket. (1100) [ English ] Ms. Eve Adams : Mr. Speaker, an independent scientist, Canada's Chief Public Health Officer has been available regularly. He has been communicating at press conferences, taking questions from the media, and regularly sharing his expertise and his information on the spread of Ebola.

This is a disease that unfortunately the world has now known for the better part of four or five decades. How Ebola is transmitted is well documented. It is not as transmittable as the common cold. One needs to come in contact with actual fluids. No one who has sat on a plane or in a train has developed Ebola from someone else who was a passenger. This type of information has been made regularly available to the Canadian public and to the international public. One need only to tune to CNN, CBC or CTV to hear this type of information being shared.

The Chief Public Health Officer has also made himself available regularly to provide these types of answers and to provide this type of independent information to all Canadians. Additionally, the Minister of Health has made herself available to provide this type of information. The Prime Minister has provided this type of information. Humbly, I would suggest that I have provided this type of information here and in media panels regularly. This information is being communicated to Canadians. It is critical that Canadians continue to remain vigilant. It is not the time to make partisan games out of this. Hon.

Hedy Fry (Vancouver Centre, Lib.) : Mr. Speaker, I have two questions I would like to ask the hon. parliamentary secretary to the Minister of Health . In April, the Ebola epidemic began to show that it was the beginning of an epidemic. In June, the honorary consul for Sierra Leone got a letter from Washington asking for protective equipment. However, since he sent that message to the ministry, the minister of the Public Health Agency of Canada auctioned off 1.3 million masks and more than 209,000 gloves for the price of $50.

Can the hon. parliamentary secretary tell me why the government did not send that instead, on request, to West Africa? Why was it just auctioned off? Secondly, I would like to know what took the generous 800 to 1,000 vaccines so long to get there? It only got there yesterday. Why did it take so long, since April and June, to get these things done? Ms. Eve Adams : Mr. Speaker, in fact these are two completely unrelated issues. When it comes to personal protective equipment, the member opposite is a bit off on her dates. The Ebola outbreak actually began in West Africa in December 2013, not April 2014.

As members of the House may be aware, there have been some Ebola outbreaks in the last four or five decades and, unfortunately, a few thousand deaths up until this recent outbreak. This recent outbreak is truly different in that thousands of individuals have now passed away from this disease. As soon as the World Health Organization contacted Canadian officials in September, the auction of personal protective equipment was halted. Canadians ought to feel rather proud about our contribution.

We are donating millions of pieces of personal protective equipment, including 1.2 million gowns, 1.5 million gloves, and over 2 million face masks. Mr. Corneliu Chisu (Pickering—Scarborough East, CPC) : Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise in the House today to speak on the ongoing outbreak of Ebola in West Africa. I would like to focus my remarks on highlighting the work done by our scientists in developing the Canadian experimental Ebola vaccine.

As my colleagues will know, on August 12, the Minister of Health announced that we would be donating up to 1,000 vials of this experimental Ebola vaccine to the World Health Organization. This vaccine was created in Canada by researchers at the Public Health Agency of Canada's National Microbiology Laboratory. This vaccine has never been tested in humans, but has shown strong promise in animal research. It is a result of years of hard work and innovation by Canadian scientists to improve global public health and security.

The Public Health Agency of Canada has been prepared to send the experimental vaccine for some time now. I am very pleased to hear that the World Health Organization finally signalled that it was ready to receive it, and vials began being shipped yesterday to Geneva. The WHO, in consultation with partners, including the health authorities from affected countries, will determine how the vaccine will be distributed and used. I would like to share some information on the development of the Ebola vaccine at the Public Health Agency's National Microbiology Laboratory.

The agency's National Microbiology Laboratory officially opened in 1999. It is one of the few facilities in the world and the only one in Canada that has the capacity to accommodate and research the most basic to the most deadly infectious organisms at the highest level of biocontainment. It is a world-class laboratory with a mission to advance human health through laboratory leadership, scientific excellence, and public health innovation. Before the opening of the facility, not a single researcher in Canada had the ability to work on hemorrhagic fever viruses such as Ebola.

A potential case of Ebola in a patient could not even be diagnosed in Canada prior to 1999. Canada was entirely reliant on the Centers for Disease Control in the United States. It speaks to Canadian innovation that within three short years of the facility's opening its doors, researchers at the National Microbiology Laboratory had already developed the foundation of what would become the experimental Ebola vaccine. Through continuous research and experiments that spanned a decade, scientists at the facility perfected a vaccine that has been effective in protecting non-human primates from the deadly Ebola virus.

The particular species of Ebola for which the vaccine was developed, Zaire Ebola virus, is considered one of the most aggressive infectious agents, capable of causing death in up to 90% of humans and non-human primates. For over a decade, at a time when Ebola outbreaks were only sporadic and quickly controlled, Canadian researchers continued their important work to find ways to fight and protect against this virus, knowing the potential for this deadly disease to spread.

They recognized that although Ebola is not indigenous to Canada, international travel provided the opportunity for the transport and introduction of this disease into countries outside Africa through an infected individual. They also realized the potential for the Ebola virus to be used as a biological weapon and worked closely with other government departments to ensure that Canada was prepared. Their research also had a much broader goal.

They believed that the novel technologies and methods used to create treatments and vaccines against aggressive viruses such as Ebola could potentially be applied to less intimidating pathogens. This belief still holds true today. The cascading effects of Ebola research at the agency's National Microbiology Laboratory may soon lead to a universal flu vaccine, may help Canada stop the next pandemic, and could directly contribute to and help shape the future development of better therapeutics to fight a range of new and emerging pathogens. This is the reality of the important work being done in Canada.

It truly exemplifies the world-class research conducted by agency scientists. The Ebola vaccine was a Canadian discovery, with ongoing support from the Government of Canada over the last 15 years. Through considerable funding for this cutting-edge and innovative special pathogens research program, Canada can now, more than ever, stand proud as an international leader in the field of infectious disease research. Since 2007, well over $5 million has been specifically invested to help agency researchers find vaccines and treatments against Ebola as well as some other very dangerous organisms.

(1105) I am proud to say that thanks to this funding, Canada has developed vaccines and treatments for a range of hemorrhagic fever viruses. In addition to this promising vaccine, Canada created and tested the ZMapp Ebola treatment. This post-exposure treatment has a very good survival rate in non-human primates. The treatment uses a unique regimen of multiple doses of antibodies designed and engineered to find, attach to, and effectively cut the Ebola virus, preventing the virus from reproducing and multiplying in the body. It has no side effects.

It is believed that the ZMapp treatment was directly responsible for saving the lives of some front-line workers who became infected with the Ebola virus in West Africa. This is an important example of work being done in Government of Canada laboratories that has led to the saving of lives. It is a proud moment for all Canadians. In addition to the Ebola vaccine and treatment, the agency's National Microbiology Laboratory has developed vaccines that have been shown to be 100% effective at protecting against the Marburg virus and the Lassa virus. These viruses can be deadly and have no known cure.

The threat of these viruses entering the country is real. It is because of the hard work and dedication of so many, through innovation, vision, and scientific tenacity, that I can proudly say that our country is prepared and ready should a hemorrhagic fever virus enter Canada. There are no confirmed cases of Ebola in Canada, but Canada must be prepared for a case to come here. While provincial and local health officials are the lead on any Ebola case in Canada, the Public Health Agency of Canada stands ready to assist. The work to develop a vaccine or treatment is not done in isolation.

Discoveries of this magnitude require collaboration throughout government departments, investment by private industry, and, importantly, international partnerships. This vaccine is an example of what can go right when scientific knowledge is shared across borders, when important additional funding is made available through a variety of specialized grants, and when private industry is brought up to help further the work of Canadian scientists.

While multiple organizations assisted in some aspects of the development of the vaccines, I would like to highlight that the intellectual property rights for this vaccine belong to the Government of Canada. I can assure the House that the Public Health Agency is in regular contact with the licensee of the vaccine and with multiple international partners, including the WHO, to provide guidance and advice on ways to advance the clinical trials and facilitate the production of Ebola therapeutics.

Phase I clinical trials for these vaccines were launched on October 13 at the Walter Reed Army Institute in Silver Spring, Maryland. Canada has supplied 20 vials of the experimental vaccine for use in these trials. We have confidence in this vaccine, but we must remember that it is an experimental vaccine and that phase I clinical trials are important to assess the overall safety of the vaccine in humans and to determine the appropriate dosage. Outcomes of these phase I trials are expected in December. Canada is an important contributor to the fight against Ebola in West Africa.

This is in no small part due to the researchers at the agency's National Microbiology Laboratory, who have devoted their work to find cures and treatments for those who so desperately need it. I would end my remarks by echoing the parliamentary secretary's remarks that while the motion before the House is commendable in recognizing the devastation wrought by this Ebola outbreak, it is imperative that we as parliamentarians allow our public health officials and ministers the flexibility necessary to focus their efforts on addressing this outbreak.

To that end, I move, seconded by the member for Don Valley West , that the motion be amended by replacing the words “appear before” with the words “report either in writing or in person to”.

(1110) The Deputy Speaker : It is my duty to inform hon. members that an amendment to an opposition motion may be moved only with the consent of the sponsor of the motion. Therefore, I ask the hon. member for Vancouver Centre if she consents to this amendment being moved. Hon. Hedy Fry : No, Mr. Speaker. The Deputy Speaker : There is no consent. Pursuant to Standing Order 85, the amendment cannot be moved at this time. Questions and comments, the hon. member for Etobicoke North. Ms. Kirsty Duncan (Etobicoke North, Lib.) : Mr.

Speaker, yesterday we learned that $1.5 million worth of stockpiled Public Health Agency of Canada medical supplies were auctioned for just a fraction of that figure. This has raised questions about the true value of Canada's contribution to the global fight against Ebola. Why did the government not respond to the ambassador's June request for gloves and masks? Why did the government not make a donation of personal protective equipment on its own, knowing that the Ebola outbreak was unprecedented? How could the government auction off 1.3 million masks and more than 209,000 gloves after the June request?

What is the true value of the personal protective equipment?

(1115) Mr. Corneliu Chisu : Mr. Speaker, referring to the process of auctioning of the equipment, this routine process was stopped once the WHO request was made. The government offered to donate 1.5 million gloves, 2 million masks, and 1.2 million isolation gowns. The first two shipments, including 128,000 face shields, is already delivered in part by our RCAF Hercules aircraft. With the remaining equipment, which will be delivered in the coming days and weeks, priority is being given to what the World Health Organization is requesting. [ Translation ] Ms. Hélène Laverdière (Laurier—Sainte-Marie, NDP) : Mr.

Speaker, I would like to remind my colleague that Sierra Leone's honorary consul requested these supplies, but the request was ignored by the office of the Minister of International Development . My colleague went on at length about vaccines. Of course, we are all very proud of the vaccine that was developed in Canada, that our own scientists developed. However, we would sure like this government to let them do their work without constantly being muzzled. That said, does my colleague realize that it will take months for this vaccine to be usable in the field?

In the meantime, we are being told that in a few weeks, there could be as many as 10,000 new cases of Ebola per week in West Africa. Should this government not be doing a little more on this front than it has so far? [ English ] Mr. Corneliu Chisu : Mr. Speaker, when an honorary consul is asking something, if it is not coming from a government official, there may not be an answer. Second, when we talk about the experiments with the vaccine, which are taking months, we demonstrated that we sent the vaccines at the request of the World Health Organization as soon as it requested them.

There are 800 vials in the WHO's possession. It will be an issue that will depend on the World Health Organization. Ms. Elizabeth May (Saanich—Gulf Islands, GP) : Mr. Speaker, I think it can be safely said that all of us in the House are united in our concern about this dreadful tragedy and we see that we must keep proportionality. The greater threat is clearly in African nations, and we must not create panic here in North America.

I would like to ask my hon. friend how he sees that balance between protecting Canadian lives at home and the importance of saving lives in Liberia and the African region that is affected. Mr. Corneliu Chisu : Mr. Speaker, we demonstrated a very quick international response to the Ebola outbreak. Domestically, we are quite prepared to face an eventual outbreak of Ebola. At the border, Canada has adopted additional scrutiny for passengers who have been in affected countries in Africa. All international points of entry into Canada are routinely monitored 24-7.

Travellers from affected countries are referred to quarantine officers. Health assessments and temperature checks can implement measures under the Quarantine Act. There are no direct flights from affected countries in Africa. The Public Health Agency and the department of foreign affairs recommend against all non-essential travel to Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone. Canadians in affected countries should consider leaving while commercial flights remain available. (1120) [ Translation ] Ms. Hélène Laverdière (Laurier—Sainte-Marie, NDP) : Mr. Speaker, I will share my time with the hon. member for Vancouver East .

Right now, we are facing an enormous crisis, one that the United Nations considers a threat to global peace and security. This crisis does not affect only the countries of West Africa; it affects us all. The worst thing is that the crisis we are talking about so much could well become an even bigger catastrophe if we do not do everything in our power to contain it now. To date, there have been approximately 10,000 cases since the epidemic began a few months ago. The World Health Organization is now telling us that the number of cases could rise to 10,000 per week by December.

How are we going to cope with potentially hundreds of thousands of cases just a few weeks from now if we cannot cope with 10,000 cases now? Let us not forget that the worse the crisis gets in Africa, the more likely it is to spread here. We absolutely have to contain the disease in West Africa now. To make that happen, we have to do everything in our power, but unfortunately, that is not happening. Canada's response so far has been too little, too late. Weeks passed before Canada made its first substantial contribution.

When the crisis was raging and people on the ground were desperately appealing for equipment, the Public Health Agency of Canada continued selling that equipment at rock-bottom prices to people who turned around a few days or weeks later and sold it to the World Health Organization at a huge profit. This continued even though the office of the Minister of International Development had been notified of the situation. [ English ] The Canadian response to the Ebola crisis is a bit like me having a fire in my livingroom. I decide to put three drops of water on it, but it grows.

I then decide to pour a teaspoon of water on it, but the fire keeps on growing. I finally decide to put two or three cups of water on it. Some people would even say that I should just close the door. Even when we are starting to get a bit more serious, much too late, it seems we cannot do it right or properly. [ Translation ] Canada has promised $65 million in total, but only $5 million has made it to the front lines so far. Does the government realize that in a crisis where cases are multiplying so quickly, time is absolutely crucial and a few days can make all the difference? Canada promised vaccines.

However, it took a ridiculous amount of time for the vaccines to be delivered, and still, they cannot be used for another few months.

Canada also promised equipment, but only a little of that equipment has arrived on site. [ English ] We see in this case the same mismanagement and failure to act swiftly that we have seen, unfortunately, in too many humanitarian crises—for example, Syria, where we are still not receiving the refugees we promised to welcome to Canada; or when urgent calls for equipment for the winter are answered in the spring; or in South Sudan and the Central African Republic, where the Canadian response has been lacklustre to say the least; and to Ebola, where it is too little, too late, as always. (1125) [ Translation ] What should Canada do?

It should follow the example of other countries, such as the United States, that have decided to take the bull by the horns. The U.S. has sent 3,000 soldiers, medical personnel and 11 field hospitals. We must do more in response to the calls by the World Health Organization. Again, this is urgent. We cannot afford to say that we will give a little more and then follow through weeks later. Now is the time to act. We must also support our other partners on the ground in a more significant way. I am thinking about Doctors Without Borders.

I just want to acknowledge the work that is done by those doctors and their president, Dr. Joanne Liu. Dr. Liu is from Montreal and studied at McGill University. There is also the Canadian Red Cross and all the partners in the Humanitarian Coalition, which recently launched an appeal to which I hope we will all respond. We must support the people who work on the ground, and that includes listening to them in order to find out what they need. One thing those on the ground are looking for is the deployment of our Disaster Assistance Response Team.

DART is available to deal with biological risks and to provide medical care. It can count on the armed forces for logistical support. According to the Prime Minister , deploying DART is not appropriate in this situation. Nonetheless, those on the ground fighting Ebola beg to differ. I tend to have faith in what they have to say. [ English ] We also need to think long term. We need to think about building the health systems in those countries. We need to think about building resilience to threats in those countries, whether disease, climate change, or other things.

This includes good governance and the promotion of democracy. I know it may sound far away, but here is a good example. I lived in Senegal for years. It is a relatively stable country with good governance and strong institutions. It had a case of Ebola, and it was able to control it. When we compare it to other countries, such as Liberia, which have just emerged from years of civil war and do not have the infrastructure, we see the results. I am not blaming the Liberian authorities. We need to help those countries rebuild. We need to be active in peace building. We have a responsibility to reconstruct.

Even if it seems as if we are acting a bit like boy scouts, in the long run we will win and help avoid this type of crisis. We can see that clearly now with what is happening in West Africa. We can beat Ebola. We must beat Ebola. It is a matter of our safety, of our humanity, and of world stability. Ms. Kirsty Duncan (Etobicoke North, Lib.) : Mr. Speaker, my hon. colleague and I have worked together on the Central African Republic and South Sudan. I enjoy working with her.

At least 3,700 children in Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone have lost one or both parents to Ebola since the start of the outbreak in West Africa, and many are being rejected by their surviving relatives for fear of infection. As the death toll from Ebola continues to rise, preliminary reports suggest that the number of children orphaned by Ebola has spiked in the past few weeks and is likely to double around now. UNICEF appealed for $200 million to provide emergency assistance to children and families affected by the Ebola outbreak across the region, including protection activities.

So far, UNICEF has received about 20% of the amount. I am wondering what my colleague would like to see the government do to help provide children with the physical and emotional healing they need. (1130) [ Translation ] Ms. Hélène Laverdière : Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for her very relevant question. We cannot forget that we are talking about the Ebola crisis, but this goes beyond the people who are suffering or dying from Ebola. About 75% of the people who die from Ebola are women, since they are most often the ones who take care of the ill. These are mothers who are being lost, which creates orphans.

Furthermore, this has consequences for these countries' health care systems. They are completely falling apart. Even more common illnesses cannot be treated at this time, which only makes the ostracism worse. This brings me to two points. First, in these countries, we are trying to do more work on awareness to try to prevent that ostracism. It makes me very concerned to hear the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health say that people get enough information by watching reports on television. The Government of Canada could do more.

We obviously need to support UNICEF, which has received just 20% of what it is asking for. Mrs. Carol Hughes (Algoma—Manitoulin—Kapuskasing, NDP) : Mr. Speaker, I really appreciated my colleague's speech. She works very hard with the international community and brings her extensive experience to the House. Yesterday, a press release from professor Amir Attaran, from the University of Ottawa, said that if the vaccine had been developed and sent on time, more people could have been saved. We have had a lot of hope about this vaccine since 2005, but we had to wait until 2013 for it to be created.

Could my colleague talk about the fact that it is important for the government to take swift action in response to these kinds of crises? Ebola is nothing new and we knew that a crisis was imminent. The government promised to give about $65 million, but only $5 million has been delivered. Could the member talk about the importance of sending the vaccine and the money as quickly as possible? Ms. Hélène Laverdière : Mr. Speaker, unfortunately, we often take too long to develop vaccines or drugs to treat diseases that seem far removed from us.

What is more, in this case, the government was slow in sending the vaccines to the World Health Organization. As I was saying earlier, every day and every week counts because, in the meantime, the problem keeps growing. It is the same thing when it comes to funding. We need to take action now, not a month or two from now, when we have an even bigger crisis on our hands. [ English ] Ms. Libby Davies (Vancouver East, NDP) : Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to participate in the debate today as the health critic for the NDP. I would like to thank my colleague for bringing forward this motion in the House today.

Obviously we will be supporting the motion. We see it as a very minimal demand to the government to ask the Minister of Health , the Chief Public Health Officer and the Minister of Public Safety to appear before the Standing Committee on Health twice monthly to report and account on what Canada is doing around Ebola, both in Canada and internationally. It is a very minimal demand, and obviously we need to go a lot further and do a lot more. Certainly, as far as the motion goes, we support it and thank our colleague for bringing it forward today.

I want to focus my comments today on what it is that has been completely lacking in Canada's response. Of course we do know that Canada has committed $65 million internationally. Just to put that in context, for example, the U.K. has committed $205 million. Germany, for example, has committed $127 million. There has been just recently very generous contributions made by private individuals.

We are obviously glad that Canada has made the commitment of $65 million, but what is really concerning and we should be focusing on is that at this point less than 10%, only about $5 million of the $65 million has been delivered in goods and services in terms of what needs to be done. That is very concerning. All of us are very concerned about what is taking place in West Africa.

We are watching the evolution and the development of this crisis, and the international response is so critical, not only in terms of the vaccine but also in ensuring that medical supplies, protective gear and so on, as well as health care professionals, are there on the ground. That is the most important point I want to make today. This is not unlike what we have seen with the AIDS crisis. I note the

article that came out in The Lancet magazine yesterday also made the point that the critical issue is containment within the countries that are now infected and to ensure that they have the capacity, the support and the resources, including a vaccine, to deal with their situation on the ground. This is about trying to ensure that we are not seeing an increase in transmissions to other countries, whether it be in other African countries, in Europe or in North America.

It is very concerning to us that we are many weeks into this crisis and Canada has fallen so far behind in its ability or willingness, whatever the impediment is, to deliver on the commitments it has made. I have come to the conclusion that unfortunately what we are seeing unroll in Canada is more of a public relations exercise. I have been on a number of panels with the parliamentary secretary. We have heard the minister in the House when we have asked questions.

We are told every time that Canada is a world leader, we are doing this and we are doing that, the vaccine was donated and it has been made available, yet nothing is actually getting done, or very little. It was only yesterday that some of the vaccine actually moved out of Canada.

We even heard the Prime Minister basically blame the WHO for that, when in actual fact, Canada itself sold the licensing rights to a company for $205,000, a very valuable health product, the vaccine that was developed in Canada, and basically did nothing to expedite the development of the clinical trials and the need to get this vaccine to where it needs to go. In the U.S. they have been working on the clinical trials for a month already.

There are so many questions as to why the Canadian government has made these pronouncements publicly but has not followed through and remained vigilant in terms of delivering on the commitments that Canada has made.

(1135) Yesterday or maybe at the end of last week, we learned the shocking situation that back in June the honorary Canadian consul for Sierra Leone was urgently sending messages to Canada saying that they needed protective gear. Canada was auctioning off those same items for cents on the dollar. It seems unbelievable. It was not until September that those discounted auctions were actually stopped. There was a delay from June until September.

There was information on the ground that was coming back to Canada, saying they desperately need assistance and need to get protective gear over to Sierra Leone, and Canada was selling off the needed equipment at incredibly discounted prices. We have now learned that it is being resold elsewhere at inflated prices. This raises a whole question about the plan and whether or not there is oversight on the plan that Canada has developed and that we have been told exists. We certainly do appreciate the briefings that have been given by officials at the Public Health Agency of Canada.

We appreciate the information they have provided. However, I do have concerns. We know the budget of the Public Health Agency of Canada has been cut by $60 million over the last three years. We have to question whether or not, even within our own environment here politically, within Health Canada, within PHAC, if there is the capacity to deliver on the plan that is being developed.

We have been asking, consistently, in the House and in other venues, and in writing to the minister—I think we have now done two letters—very specific questions about what it is that Canada is doing and why it is that we are falling so far behind. I have to say that we are not getting the answers we need. It is not like this is an issue where we can say, “Oh well, all in good time”. This is a critical urgency. It is an emergency today. There are people who are dying. The rate of infection is averaging 1,000 new infections per week.

Every day, every week there is a lag or delay it is affecting the lives of many people who we could be helping. This is a very critical issue. I want to mention the letter we wrote recently to the Minister of Health . We asked some very pointed questions. We asked which minister was responsible for ensuring quarantine and treatment protocols in Canadian hospitals and clinics. That is a very basic question. We know that PHAC has been developing national guidelines.

We know that yesterday the Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions, a very major organization in this country, representing front-line health care workers, expressed a lot of concern about the fact that front-line health care workers are not prepared in this country. They do not have the protective gear. In fact, provinces are apparently developing different protocols and different levels of safety equipment. What is happening in Ontario may be different than what is happening in Saskatchewan or in British Columbia.

It does raise some very serious questions as to who exactly is responsible for not just developing guidelines but ensuring quarantine and treatment protocols. Who is responsible for ensuring that hospitals and medical practitioners have the appropriate equipment? These are questions that we have not yet had answers to. Today, I want to say that in supporting this motion, it is important that the officials come before the health committee, that we be able to hold them to account and to provide these questions. We will certainly be doing that in the House.

I have been very glad that the Leader of the Opposition , the member for Outremont has been raising these questions in the House on a very regular basis, as have I and my colleague, the member for LaSalle—Émard . We will continue to do so because we are very concerned that this not just be a public relations exercise by Canada, but that it be a full commitment, not just in the short term but in the long term, to help people in West Africa who are affected and to ensure that there are the proper protocols and treatments in place should there be a case in Canada, which of course we hope will never happen.

However, we have to be prepared, particularly given what we have seen in the United States and some of the protocols that were broken there.

(1140) We support the motion and we will be doing a lot more on this file to hold the government to account.

(1145) Ms. Elizabeth May (Saanich—Gulf Islands, GP) : Mr. Speaker, I want to compliment and thank my hon. colleague, the member for Vancouver East , for consistently putting health matters first. On the Ebola crisis, I second all of her concerns with regard to the over-promising and underdelivering from Canada in the face of a crisis. We know that there is still much more we can do. I was personally struck by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's statement that of the $20 million or $30 million promised, apparently he has access to only $100,000 to confront this crisis.

Does my hon. friend know if that remains the situation at the United Nations? How quickly are the promised Canadian funds moving into the region? Ms. Libby Davies : Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member for Saanich—Gulf Islands for her very appropriate and pointed question, because the issue of timing and what is moving quickly or slowly is a very critical matter. As I pointed out in my comments, we do know that as of this date, less than 10% of the funds committed by Canada have actually been delivered.

That implies that we are a long way from where we should be in ensuring that Canada's commitment is actually getting to the people who need it. Overall, the same is true internationally. This does have to be an international effort. It is very concerning to see the estimates made by the World Bank, the United Nations, and others that this is about the long game. It is about a sustained effort. It is about ensuring basic health care capacity in the affected regions. That is a very important question to deal with. We saw that with HIV/AIDS.

Even if treatments are available, if there are no local clinics, no trained personnel, no delivery system, then what needs to be done is completely missing. We have to focus on the short term in terms of a vaccine and protective gear, but we also have to make a long-term commitment to make sure this funding continues. Mr. Andrew Cash (Davenport, NDP) : Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague from Vancouver East for the work she has done on this issue.

She underlines the fact that in many instances the government will make grand announcements and then either not follow through or else be incredibly slow under dire circumstances. Its commitments around Syrian refugees is another example. I want to double back to the letter that my hon. colleague sent to the government, because Canadians watching this debate want to know parliamentarians' level of engagement on this issue and the importance we place on moving these issues forward in a non-partisan way to get the job done and fulfill our commitments internationally.

One of the questions that was asked in the letter was as follows: Is there a plan to rapidly increase production of the vaccine in the unfortunate advent of worst case scenarios as outlined by the World Health Organization? I wonder when we might expect an answer on this issue. There are a number of very detailed questions, but they are very clear and they are questions Canadians want answers to. Could the hon. member enlighten us as to when we are expecting a response? Ms. Libby Davies : Mr. Speaker, that is a very good question.

Unfortunately, I wish I knew the answer as to when we would get a response from the government. This is precisely why we need to have officials come before the committee: so that we can keep pressing on these questions. We have asked if there is a plan to rapidly increase production of the vaccine in the unfortunate event of worst-case scenarios, as outlined by the WHO. We have not had a response on that question. We do not know what efforts are currently under way to produce more of the vaccine. We do not know what percentage of the existing supply will be used for clinical trials.

There are a ton of questions that we have to keep pressing. I can tell the member that we will absolutely do that. It is our responsibility and duty to do that until we get answers.

(1150) Ms. Kirsty Duncan (Etobicoke North, Lib.) : Mr. Speaker, I am grateful for the opportunity to rise today to speak about our Liberal motion that first recognizes the terrible devastation that Ebola is wreaking in West Africa and that will require the Minister of Health , the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness , and Canada's Chief Public Health Officer to appear monthly to report on Canada's efforts at home and abroad to ensure that the outbreak does not pose a threat to the health and safety of Canadians.

My colleague from Vancouver Centre and I began formally raising Ebola on the national agenda on August 3 by writing an open letter to the Minister of International Development regarding what Canada had specifically contributed to the Ebola response. We asked how many specialists Canada had sent to the World Health Organization to help out, and in what disciplines. We asked that the minister work with colleagues in relevant departments here in Canada in areas of air transport, border services, and protection of health care workers. We asked the government as well to give more funding.

While the government responded with a donation of $5 million, the amount was tiny in the face of the overwhelming need and the generosity of other nations. We wrote the letter because Canada had a moral responsibility to do more to help combat what was then an unprecedented outbreak of Ebola. We also understood that the best way to stop this devastating disease was to stop it at its source, before it spread more widely and became even more difficult to contain. We understood that if we want to protect Canadians from Ebola here at home, we had to end the suffering in West Africa.

During the emergency debate on Ebola on September 15, I asked the following: ...how is Canada working with other countries, particularly through the Global Health Security Action Group and the global health security agenda? How is the government working across departments and what specific departments are involved in each of preparedness, response and recovery, and what is the lead agency for each? What specific actions are each of the departments undertaking?

What is the government doing to ensure the safety of Canadians travelling to West Africa to undertake humanitarian work, commerce and trade, and to safeguard the well-being of those who are there now in areas where Ebola is spreading? What guidance is being provided to Canadians before they leave and while in areas in which Ebola has been reported? If they think they have symptoms compatible with Ebola, what should they do upon their return to Canada? How specifically was the April 18 funding of $1,285,000 used to address the outbreak?

How many specialists and in what disciplines did Canada send to work with the World Health Organization and/or to West Africa to help? How specifically was the August 8 funding of $5 million to address the outbreak spent?... Although the risk is low, is Canada ready to isolate and care for someone if affected? Does the Public Health Agency of Canada have a public awareness plan to help Canadians understand the prevention, transmission, and signs and symptoms of the disease?

Does the government accept that the Ebola outbreak in West Africa has become a real risk to the stability and security of society in the region? Does the government accept that Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone need more doctors, nurses, beds, and equipment? Does the government accept that the international response has been inadequate and that we need to scale up international response?... In light of the United Nation's international rescue call, will Canada do more to help?

We followed up the August 3 open letter with another open letter on September 17, yet again calling on the Canadian government to do more to help West Africa, specifically to provide more money, more personnel, and more materials. On September 24 I published an

article entitled “Will Canada Do More to Help Combat Ebola?” Specifically, I asked: Will our Government do more to help, beyond the most recently announced $7.5 million? Will the acting Chief Public Health Officer of Canada speak directly to Canadians to communicate the global impact of Ebola, and coordinate and support health workers who wish to assist efforts in West Africa?... Will the Government explain to Canadians how it will facilitate the delivery of assistance, including qualified, specialized and trained personnel and supplies to the affected countries?

(1155) We asked as well if the government would offer much-needed field hospitals and other equipment, and more health care specialists, and whether the government would call on non-traditional partners to contribute in the areas of communications, health, information, and transport. Because we lacked answers, my colleague from St. Paul's and I wrote to the Minister of Health to ask for a briefing for all parliamentarians on Ebola, as we needed answers on these important questions.

We would like to thank the Minister of Health for granting our request, but Parliament needs to be updated on a regular, ongoing basis. After the first patient suffering with Ebola arrived in the United States on September 20, the Government of Canada made two separate pledges, each for $30 million. Why did we not see the same pledge and the same sense of urgency to help in West Africa before North America's first case?

The government had two responsibilities when Ebola began spreading unchecked in West Africa: first, to join with the international community in trying to stop it; second, to be prepared should a case to be identified in Canada. When the World Health Organization asked for $600 million in July, the government gave only $5 million. Why a sluggish response to what was identified then as an unprecedented outbreak? For the longest time, the government largely made announcements. It announced vaccines, with a delay of three months between the announcement and sending them to the World Health Organization.

The government announced personal protective equipment, or PPE. On October 3, I asked in question period: With Ebola patients and deaths tripling since August, West Africa needs personal protective equipment urgently, but Canada has failed to fulfill its September pledge. I will ask again: what is the minister doing to ensure that the promised supplies get to where they are needed now?

Prior to this, Canada's only response was to auction off personal protective equipment until September, months after the alarm was sounded and after the Sierra Leone ambassador to the United States and aid organizations made a plea for personal protective support, and months after the World Health Organization said the same.

Shockingly, we learned just yesterday that only two shipments have been sent to the World Health Organization—with others to follow “in the coming months”, according to the assistant deputy minister of public health—and it is unclear whether the first shipments have in fact even been dispatched to affected areas. The government has announced funding. Of the $35 million initially pledged, only $4.3 million for showing up as committed funding on the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs' financial tracking website, suggesting no legal agreements have yet been drafted concerning the remaining funds.

As of October 19, Canada's actual financial contribution for the international response to combat the disease came in 17th place. The United States, with $206 million in committed funding, remains by far the largest donor. Mere announcements cannot fight Ebola. Only commitments on the ground in West Africa can counter the epidemic. Canada's lack of commitment to short-term results is unacceptable with Ebola cases doubling every 25 days. Yesterday we learned that Canada would not be sending any more medical personnel without a guarantee that they can be medically evacuated if they get sick.

Of course we always want to ensure the health and safety of Canadians, but why does Canada not have this capability? When will a plan be in place? Has the minister met with anyone yet on this? When, and who? The World Health Organization has been calling for urgent international support in sending doctors and nurses to the worst-affected countries. Dr. Margaret Chan of the WHO has been clear: But the thing we need most is people, health care workers. The right people. The right specialists. And specialists who are appropriately trained, and know how to keep themselves safe.

(1200) My contacts on the ground in Africa echo her call for more personnel. My contacts were, in fact, hoping that an announcement would be coming from Canada very soon regarding how it would coordinate those who wish to go and work in West Africa. Despite my asking repeatedly during the emergency debate on Ebola, we still do not even know how many Canadians are involved in the response in West Africa.

As the international development critic for our party, let me now focus attention on the needs of West Africa, and let me begin by sending strength, courage, and hope to the people of West Africa—namely, to the people of Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, who have suffered so much—and to Canadians with families, friends, and loved ones in Africa. Let me also extend my condolences to everyone who has lost someone during the world's worst outbreak of Ebola in history. I want them to know that we feel their pain, that we stand by them, and that we will fight for them.

This past Sunday, I spoke via telephone with Professor Monty Jones, special advisor to the president of Sierra Leone and ambassador at large, who was responsible for overseeing the Ebola response in the country. Our Parliament should know that he was listed as one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time magazine in 2007. His Excellency President Ernest Kororma was briefed that the call was taking place and what transpired, and he gave permission for me to talk about the Ebola outbreak in Sierra Leone and, particularly, the urgent needs of the country and the Canadian Parliament.

Twenty-five hundred people have been infected, 900 have died, and 580 have recovered in Sierra Leone. In the words of the special advisor to the president, the disease remains “very stubborn, despite all the measures taken”. In fact, five of the country's fourteen districts are quarantined, including parts of the capital. Sierra Leone needs community-based care centres and 1000 more beds. The country needs more health care workers. Special advisor Jones says three to four health care workers are needed for each patient with Ebola.

This means the country needs a minimum of 500 more doctors, 2,000 nurses, and 1,000 technicians with various specialties. Burial remains a challenge in Sierra Leone, as the government wants to give a decent burial to everyone. Custom in Sierra Leone involves crying, mourning, and touching the body, but now there are no ceremonies, no touching, and burials are fast-tracked. The special advisor to the president explained that a swab is taken from each of the dead, in order to ensure someone has not died of Ebola.

The problem is that there are not enough ambulances, not enough laboratories, and not enough technicians to analyze the blood samples. As a result, there is a backlog of samples, which means there is a backlog of bodies to pick up. Sometimes bodies remain in houses for three days. The longer a body remains, the greater the chance that people will want to touch their loved one. Special advisor Jones says labs currently process 50 to 100 samples per day, but the country needs more labs and more technicians so 500 samples can be analyzed per day.

The special advisor is particularly concerned about possible travel bans and what such bans might mean to the economy and the importation of food and desperately needed health care and medications. Sierra Leone was one of the fastest growing economies in the world. The World Bank ranked it the sixth-fastest reformer. Economic growth was at 11% and predicted to go to 14%, but has now dropped back to 7%. The special advisor explained that a ban would cripple the economy further and prevent much needed food and medical help from coming in.

He explained that people are thoroughly screened in Sierra Leone airports with thermometers and infrared temperature screening and if there is even a slight increase in temperature, they are turned back, to health care. Special advisor Jones hopes that the international community will continue to respect the known science with regard to travel bans and not make political decisions that would hurt his country further.

As a final point, the special advisor to the president wants the Canadian Parliament to know that the economy and health care will need help after the Ebola outbreak and that we must not forget the people of Sierra Leone and, indeed, of West Africa.

(1205) Several humanitarian organizations have relayed the same point to me. Health care systems have effectively collapsed and will require substantial support to be rebuilt and strengthened. The government's investment in maternal, newborn, and child health and the gains in MNCH in the region will be reversed if we do not have a place to assist mothers after the outbreak. I will now discuss the health care needs from people on the ground in West Africa, with whom I am in touch almost daily.

However, before I do, I want to acknowledge the tremendous efforts of health care workers, scientists, and humanitarian organizations in incredibly difficult, heartbreaking circumstances. While there is a real push to create more treatment centres and holding beds, I also hear that there is a tremendous need for training, particularly training for local health workers to use personal protective equipment, PPE, to protect themselves.

Even in developed countries, only a small number of health workers have ever used the required level of protection, which sadly was illustrated by the experiences in Spain and in the United States. Training that is taking place overseas involves three days, plus two days in a ward, then regular supervision and mentoring. There are no shortcuts. The Ebola outbreak ravaging West Africa is the most severe and acute public health emergency in modern times. Never in recent history has such a dangerous pathogen infected so many people so quickly over such a wide geographical area for so long.

It is past time that the Minister of Health , the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness and the Chief Public Health Officer appeared in front of the health committee to update parliamentarians and Canadians on whether Canada is actually fulfilling its pledges on Ebola; that equipment and money is actually getting to the people who need it most in West Africa; and that parliamentarians have an opportunity to ask ministers and officials about Canada's state of preparedness.

Parliamentarians will want to ask about preparedness of Canada's ports of entry, health care facilities, and other institutions to identify, diagnose, isolate, and treat Ebola patients in a safe and appropriate manner.

We have said from the very beginning that this is a non-partisan issue, and so in the spirit of compromise, I move to amend the motion as follows: Amendment by replacing the words "the Minister of Health, the Chief Public Health Officer of Canada, and the Minister of Public Safety to appear before the Standing Committee on Health twice monthly" with the words "the relevant minister or ministers to appear twice monthly and the Chief Public Health Officer of Canada to appear monthly before the Standing Committee on Health".

I call on all members of this House to support this motion to protect the people of West Africa so that we can protect the health and safety of Canadians here.

(1210) The Acting Speaker (Mr. Barry Devolin) : The amendment is in order. Mr. Charlie Angus (Timmins—James Bay, NDP) : Mr. Speaker, we are learning now that HIV first appeared in the 1920s in Kinshasa. It circled around, it died out, it morphed, it came back, and it formed again until it reached a point where it became the virulent killer of the latter part of the 20th century. No one should be surprised about what is happening with Ebola. It has appeared a number of times. The World Health Organization has been aware of it.

However, this latest outbreak has carried on with absolutely no awareness or no interest, it seems, from western powers because it was in poor African countries like Sierra Leone and others. Now we are facing potentially 10,000 new cases a week. We can make many incriminations looking back, but this was staring us in the face: the need for an international response to prevent this pathogen from getting to the point where it is now. What does my hon. colleague think we need to do to learn lessons from this and to make sure that we hopefully will not see 10,000 deaths a week?

We seem condemned to learn these lessons again and again, as governments do not pay attention to the importance of public health. What does my hon. colleague think? Ms. Kirsty Duncan : Mr. Speaker, Ebola really started to increase in the spring. At that time, $100 million was asked for to stem the outbreak. In July that increased to $600 million. There was a real cry for more help from governments around the world. Through a letter at that time I asked the government for more funding and it came through with $5 million, a very small amount. In the fall that number was increased to $1 billion.

As of last week, that fund is only 25% funded. I have been saying since the fall that the international community and Canada must step up their response. West Africa needs more hospital units, more beds, more transportation, more labs, and more personnel. Mr. Sean Casey (Charlottetown, Lib.) : Mr. Speaker, my colleague has a real passion for this topic and for many other topics involving the developing world, health in particular. At the end of the member's speech she proposed an amendment to the motion, and that is the second amendment that has been proposed today.

I would like to invite her to speak to both of them. The first amendment came from the government side and was put forward by the member for Pickering—Scarborough East . He did not get consent from the mover. His amendment would have allowed for the ministers who are being called before committee to make written submissions rather than appear before committee. I would invite my colleague's comments on why that amendment did not receive the consent of the mover and why it is unacceptable.

Could she also speak further to the amendment that she just put forward in terms of how she expects it to gain cross-party support? Ms. Kirsty Duncan : Mr. Speaker, it is the job of government to protect the health and safety of Canadians. We have a major public health crisis, the worst outbreak of Ebola in history. It is also the job of government to communicate with Canadians in an open and transparent manner.

That is the reason we put forward our motion calling on the Minister of Health , the Minister of Public Safety , and the Chief Public Health Officer of Canada to appear in front of committee every two weeks. We then heard today that the government wants to respond in writing. That is not good enough. Canadians need to hear parliamentarians asking questions. Is the government prepared, should a case ever come to Canada? The government has to be prepared. It is not enough to submit written communications. We have to be able to ask those questions. I amended the motion in order to hopefully get all-party support.

I had questions on Ebola last week. Families in my riding have families back home, as do many members of the House. We all need to be asking these questions to ensure that the outbreak in West Africa will come to an end and to ensure Canadians' health and safety are protected.

(1215) Mr. John Carmichael (Don Valley West, CPC) : Mr. Speaker, I welcome the opportunity to address the Ebola crisis in West Africa and to update the House of Commons on our government's actions to date. I will be sharing my time today with the member for Elmwood—Transcona . The outbreak continues to be a very serious situation and our thoughts are with those affected by it. Recent statements from West African researchers, scientists, clinicians and health officials underscore the fact that families and entire villages have been shattered.

Canada remains at the forefront of the Ebola response, contributing funds, expertise and equipment to the international efforts to fight the Ebola outbreak. Our government continues to work with domestic and international partners to ensure the most effective response to the Ebola outbreak in West Africa. We also continue to take steps here in Canada to further protect Canadians right here at home. I will start off by reiterating that there are no confirmed cases of Ebola in Canada. However, Canada must be prepared for a case to come here.

Provincial and local health officials are the lead on any Ebola case in Canada, but the Public Health Agency of Canada continues to assist. The Government of Canada has a number of systems in place in Canada to identify and prevent the spread of infectious diseases like Ebola. It will continue to work with the provinces and territories to ensure that we are prepared to protect Canadians in the unlikely event that a case were to arrive in Canada.

We also has five Ebola rapid response teams in place, which include epidemiologists, lab expertise to quickly confirm diagnosis and emergency supplies from our national strategic stockpiles, such as masks, gloves and gowns. These rapid response teams would support the provincial and territorial authorities in their response should a case of Ebola occur. Internationally, we are supportive of the leadership role being played by the World Health Organization.

We remain committed to working effectively with it and other key partners, including Médecins Sans Frontières and the Red Cross to respond effectively to this public health emergency. Canada has been providing financial and in-kind support of humanitarian, security and public health measures since April to address the spread of the Ebola virus disease in the West Africa region.

On October 17, the government announced an additional $30 million to support international efforts led by the United Nations Mission for Ebola Emergency Response, or UNMEER, to help strengthen global efforts to stop the outbreak, treat the infected and prevent the spread of the Ebola virus disease in West Africa. With this most recent announcement, Canada has committed a total of $65.4 million to the global efforts to support health, humanitarian and security interventions to address the spread of the disease.

The government continues to assess the needs identified by the WHO and to explore what else Canada can do to support global efforts in response to the outbreak. As members are aware, the agency's National Microbiology Laboratory in Winnipeg is on the cutting edge of global research and testing capabilities for Ebola. The lab recently sent a second mobile laboratory to help provide on-the-ground rapid diagnostics and testing infection control measures.

In response to the World Health Organization's appeal to member states for the donation of personal protective equipment to support the ongoing Ebola virus disease outbreak response in West Africa, the Government of Canada offered the WHO a donation of over $2.5 million in personal protective equipment, including gowns, masks, respirators and gloves. The government has already delivered two shipments to West Africa, in part by Royal Canadian Air Force Hercules aircraft. This personal equipment will make a difference on the ground in helping to reduce the risk of transmission and infection.

The Government of Canada is also donating up to 1,000 vials of an experimental Ebola vaccine, developed by the Public Health Agency of Canada, to the WHO to support the response to the ongoing Ebola outbreak in West Africa.

(1220) The Government of Canada owns the intellectual property of this vaccine. It is the product of more than 10 years of scientific research and innovation by the Public Health Agency of Canada scientists at the National Microbiology Laboratory and could be an important tool in curbing the outbreak. The experimental Ebola vaccine has never been tested in humans but has shown great promise in animal research. This donation represents up to two-thirds of the total vials of this experimental vaccine currently in the possession of the Public Health Agency of Canada.

The remainder will be kept in Canada for further research and in the unlikely event that it is needed for compassionate use. The Government of Canada has begun to ship 800 of these donated vials of its experimental Ebola vaccine to the WHO. The first shipment left yesterday by air from Winnipeg to the University Hospital of Geneva. The vaccine vials are being sent in three separate shipments as a precautionary measure due to the challenges of moving a vaccine that must be kept at a very low temperature at all times.

The vaccine must be packed in dry ice and kept at -80°C, which is similar to the conditions required for transplanting human organs. The Public Health Agency of Canada is supplying the vaccine to the WHO in its role as the international co-ordinating body for the Ebola outbreak in the hopes that the vaccine can be made available as an international resource. The Government of Canada views this experimental Ebola vaccine as a global resource. In the interest of global public health, we are sharing it with our international partners to help address the outbreak.

The WHO, in consultation with partners including health authorities from the affected countries, will guide and facilitate how the vaccine is distributed and used. There are both ethical and logistical challenges with the use of experimental vaccines and treatments in humans. The WHO will need to consider those carefully before using this vaccine in this outbreak. We are mindful that the vaccine is experimental. There have only been a handful of people in the world who have received it to date. It has not yet been tested in humans for safety or effectiveness.

We expect the WHO to deploy these doses as ethically, quickly and safely as possible. To this end, the WHO organized an expert consultation in late September to assess the status of work to test and eventually licence this Ebola vaccine along with another that was developed in the United States. More than 70 experts, including many from affected and neighbouring countries in West Africa as well as Canada, attended this event.

Participants had varied backgrounds and were able to provide expertise ranging from the virology of emerging infections to regulatory requirements, medical ethics, public health and infectious diseases. Some participants came with more than three decades of experience working in Africa on other infectious diseases. In order to clarify the safety of the vaccines, the WHO, these experts and other partners have helped to facilitate the expedited evaluation of the two vaccine candidates in order to generate phase one safety and dosage data for decision-making.

A series of co-ordinated phase one trials is currently under way and others will soon be initiated with international partners at more than 10 sites in Africa, Europe and North America. These trials, which are being conducted in healthy volunteers, will provide critical information about the safety of the vaccine and the appropriate dosage required to stimulate a person's immune system to produce Ebola antibodies. Results from the clinical trial are expected in December 2014.

Our government is committed to supporting the efforts of our international partners to control the Ebola outbreak and hopes that the experimental vaccine will be able to address this global crisis. In conclusion, we recognize that the Ebola outbreak currently ravaging parts of West Africa is the most severe acute public health emergency in modern times. Canada, with its partners, is well-prepared and ready to support international efforts in West Africa.

(1225) Mr. Charlie Angus (Timmins—James Bay, NDP) : Mr. Speaker, I listened with great interest to my colleague. I am very interested in this important vaccine. We do not know how effective it will be, but this could be a lifesaver for tens of thousands of people. I would like to ask the member about the decision to sell the vaccine to NewLink Genetics for $200,000. That seems to be an absurdly low figure. We are also hearing questions raised about the ability of this company to deliver the vaccine.

In fact, some international health organizations are calling on Canada to withdraw that agreement, which we have the right to do apparently. Can my hon. colleague confirm whether that right exists to withdraw the rights by which this company was able to get the vaccine for such an outrageously low price, so we can get it to a larger company that can actually deliver the vaccine in a timely manner because we are potentially facing 10,000 new cases a week appearing in Africa? Mr. John Carmichael : Mr.

Speaker, as I stated in my speech, the intellectual property of the vaccine remains the property of the Canadian government and of public health. Clearly, it is important that this vaccine be tested quickly and put to work in West Africa where it can curb the tide of this devastating disease. This is the worst public health crisis we have seen in modern times. We must be able to find a solution that will bring an end to the spread of this terrible disease. The biology labs in Winnipeg have demonstrated the development over 10 years of this remarkable product.

By bringing it to market after testing, and hopefully with the final test results in December, it will bring an end to the spread of this disease. Ms. Kirsty Duncan (Etobicoke North, Lib.) : Mr. Speaker, I would like to know if the government accepts that mere announcements cannot help the people of West Africa and right now that is largely what we have. With respect to the personal protective equipment, the government auctioned gloves and masks for a fraction of what they were worth. Only two shipments of personal protective equipment have gone to the World Health Organization.

The government is not even sure if that equipment has reached those who need it most in West Africa. I want to point out that the $65 million pledged was pledged after the first case had come to North America. Why did we not have that kind of commitment before then? Of the $65 million pledged, only $4.3 million is actually committed funding. Canada's actual financial contributions come in at 17th place. Does the government accept that commitments are not enough and we actually have to get the money, personnel and supplies to the people in West Africa who need it the most? Mr. John Carmichael : Mr.

Speaker, I thank my colleague for her passion on this issue and for her question. Clearly, statements do not deliver results. To that end, our government has committed $65 million, but as the hon. member knows, there are processes and protocols to ensuring that the money gets to the place where it is intended to be used.

Our government has been working with the WHO and related partners to ensure that those moneys that are committed are delivered, as are the additional resources delivered to the place where they are going to be best utilized, and to the benefit of those who are suffering from this tremendous health crisis.

(1230) Mr. Lawrence Toet (Elmwood—Transcona, CPC) : Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to have this opportunity today to take

part in this important discussion on the outbreak of Ebola in West Africa and our response both at home and abroad. I would first like to highlight that there are no confirmed cases of Ebola in Canada, but Canada must be prepared for a case to come here. Provincial and local health officials are the lead on any Ebola case in Canada, but the Public Health Agency of Canada continues to assist them to ensure that they remain prepared.

We have five Ebola rapid response teams in place, which include lab expertise that can quickly confirm a diagnosis, and emergency supplies from our national strategic stockpile, such as masks, gloves, and gowns. These rapid response teams would support the provincial and territorial authorities in their response should a case of Ebola occur. Technical guidance and protocols to detect and manage suspected cases of Ebola infection have also been shared with provinces and territories and with the transportation sector.

Front-line staff have been trained to screen international travellers arriving in Canada for communicable diseases and to refer any travellers suspected of being ill to quarantine officers. However, I would like to focus my remarks today on the ability of vaccines to prevent and combat Ebola, and more specifically, on the government's role in the regulation of vaccines. A safe and effective vaccine would be an extremely important public health tool to help prevent Ebola and contain future outbreaks.

Indeed, Canadian scientists at the Public Health Agency National Microbiology Laboratory in Winnipeg invented an experimental Ebola vaccine that has shown great promise. I am very pleased to see that Canada is making up to 1,000 vials of this vaccine available to the World Health Organization, as they are best suited to determining how and where they can be deployed as safely, quickly, and ethically as possible. On the home front, I would like to talk about Health Canada's role as a regulator of vaccines.

I would like to talk about what it does, how co-operation with our international partners is beneficial and vital, and most importantly, how the process would work should some of this experimental Canadian vaccine n