COVID-19 - How could we do better?

Hon. Andrew Scheer – Press Conference Remarks April 15, 2020

Good morning,

I’d once again like to start off today by thanking all the doctors, nurses, and front-line healthcare workers for the incredible work that they are doing caring for Canadians. And I want to, today, send a special message to all those who have loved ones in homes, or retirement facilities or palliative care units, where they have been unable to visit them for weeks now. I know that there’s a tremendous amount of anxiety that accompanies that type of situation, and I know all Canadians are thinking of loved ones who are in those vulnerable situations. And while we are relieved that our healthcare system has been able to manage the number of cases so far, my thoughts are with the thousands of Canadians who are sick and the hundreds of families who have lost loved ones.

Other countries like South Korea, Singapore and Taiwan successfully ramped up testing and secured medical equipment early on, which allowed them to flatten the curve quickly, preventing their economies from being completely shut down. For weeks Canadians were told that the public health risk was low. Why did that risk assessment change seemingly overnight? Why are other countries so much further ahead of us when it comes to testing and tracing? Why did it take weeks for a rapid COVID-19 testing device to be approved here in Canada? When will we get much needed medical supplies? Why doesn’t Health Canada have a system to fast track new medications to treat COVID-19?

I understand the frustration being expressed by Premiers as they see other countries fast track medications and new testing devices. If G7 countries, whose standards we accept and share, can approve a new product in weeks, why does it take this federal government months, if not years? And if there is a legitimate reason that a new test or medication is not safe, why are Canadians not immediately told?

We have extremely talented doctors, researchers and medical experts here in Canada. Instead of simply relying on the WHO, we should be at the forefront of this health crisis, offering other countries our expertise, not lagging behind because of red tape and over regulation. Now, I asked the Deputy Prime Minister on March 12 , Ms. Freeland, if the government had secured a supplier to provide additional ventilators. She told me then that the government was leading a bulk national procurement effort to get Canadians the medical equipment they needed. Last Saturday, almost a full month later, I asked the Prime Minister how many ventilators Canada had secured and when they would reach Canadian hospitals. His answer: It would still be weeks before those new ventilators will arrive. That’s unacceptable.

Now, all of these examples underscore why Parliament must continue to hold sittings so that Opposition parties can ask these tough questions and hold this government accountable. Let me be clear – this is not about partisanship. This is about getting the best possible results for Canadians. We’ve already seen this before. When Opposition parties provide that rigorous scrutiny, when we engage in those debates, when we ask the tough questions on behalf of our constituents, we get better results for Canadians. That requires those debates, discussions and regular opportunities in the House of Commons to question the Prime Minister, other ministers and key officials.

Thank you very much.