Laurel Collins

[Government Business No. 10, August 12th, 2020]

Mr. Speaker, in his speech, the member talked about the health response to the COVID-19 pandemic and vulnerable populations, but he did not mention the other national health crisis we are facing in Canada. Last week in Victoria, I went to a Moms Stop The Harm event that called for decriminalization and an end to the opiate crisis. I spoke with health care workers, community members and families who have lost loved ones.

The member highlighted the science-based and evidence-based approach that the government has taken to the COVID-19 pandemic. It is time for the government to do the right thing, to act with logic, compassion and courage, and take an evidence-based approach to decriminalizing drug use and medically regulating a safe supply.

As we deal with the COVID-19 pandemic, we cannot ignore the staggering death toll from the opiate crisis. When will the government listen to the experts, respect the evidence and treat addiction as a health issue, not a criminal one? These deaths are preventable. A safe supply saves lives.

[Government Business No. 9, July 22nd, 2020]

Madam Chair, I want to thank the hon. member for Fredericton for her advocacy for her constituents in New Brunswick and for Canadians across the country. She has spoken about the economic and administrative benefits of the guaranteed basic income and a more direct universal payment.

Could the member speak to the difference that this kind of approach would make for her constituents?

[Government Business No. 9, July 22nd, 2020]

Madam Chair, the member has been talking about the gaps in immigration. My question relates to the ruling today by the Federal Court that the safe third country agreement, which allows Canada to send certain refugee claimants back to the United States, is unconstitutional. Justice Ann McDonald explicitly states that the U.S. is no longer a safe country for refugees to be sent back to from Canada, and the court found that people's fundamental rights are being violated and that Canada is not a passive participant in these actions.

Does the member agree that the government needs to address this immediately and that it should not appeal this decision?

[Questions Passed as Orders for Returns, April 11th, 2020]

With regard to Environment and Climate Change Canada, carbon emissions reduction measures undertaken by the government, and carbon emissions projections: (a) what measures did the government identify to reduce emissions; (b) what measures identified in (a) are considered to have been fully implemented; (c) for each measure identified in (b), what are the (i) anticipated emissions reductions expressed in metric tonnes (Mt) of carbon dioxide for each year from 2015 to 2030, (ii) emissions reductions reached expressed in Mt of carbon dioxide for each year from January 2015 to January 2020, (iii) total anticipated emissions reductions by the year 2030; (d) what measures to reduce emissions identified in (a) are considered to be in the process of being implemented; (e) for each measure identified in (d), what are the (i) anticipated emissions reductions expressed in Mt of carbon dioxide for each year from 2015 to 2030, (ii) emissions reductions reached expressed in Mt of carbon dioxide for each year from January 2015 to January 2020, (iii) what are the total anticipated emissions reductions by the year 2030; and (f) what are the projected emissions for the Trans Mountain Pipeline expansion project (i) upstream, (ii) downstream?

[Questions Passed as Orders for Returns, April 11th, 2020]

With regard to Canadian Environmental Protection Act investigations and prosecutions since 2015, broken down by year and by category of offence: (a) how many investigations were conducted; (b) how many investigations have resulted in prosecutions; (c) how many prosecutions have resulted in convictions; (d) what was the average length in days of an investigation that resulted in a conviction, from initiation to either laying of charges or discontinuation for (i) small and medium enterprises, (ii) large enterprises; (e) how much money was spent investigating violations by small and medium enterprises, broken down by industry; (f) how much money was spent on investigating violations by large businesses, broken down by industry; (g) how much money was spent prosecuting violations by small and medium enterprises, broken down by type of business; and (h) how much money was spent prosecuting violations by large enterprises, broken down by type of business?

[Questions Passed as Orders for Returns, April 11th, 2020]

With regard to the handling of investigations and prosecutions pursuant to the Canadian Environmental Protection Act: (a) how much money was spent by Environment and Climate Change Canada on investigating violations of the act since 2015, broken down by year; and (b) how much money was spent on litigation and other proceedings against Volkswagen Canada since 2015, broken down by year?

[Opposition Motion—Pharmacare, March 12th, 2020]

Madam Speaker, I share the member's concern for these issues. It is true that Quebec has its own public system. If Quebec wants to, it can continue to have that system and get compensation.

Honestly, Quebeckers are paying so much in drug costs, partially because the federal government is not doing its fair share and not fulfilling its full responsibility. We want to increase health transfers. We also want to provide the option for all Canadians to experience universal single-payer pharmacare.

[Opposition Motion—Pharmacare, March 12th, 2020]

Madam Speaker, it only costs $27 in the United Kingdom and Sweden, and $15 in New Zealand, so we can see very clearly that this would save Canadians money. If colleagues just read the Hoskins report, they would see that the pharmacare strategy would save small businesses and employers money as well. This is a benefit to Canadians.

[Opposition Motion—Pharmacare, March 12th, 2020]

Madam Speaker, I think that my colleague previously spoke very well about these two different issues, one about access to specific medication for rare diseases, which needs to be addressed, and the other issue around single-payer universal health care. A year's supply of atorvastatin, a widely used cholesterol drug, costs about $143 in Canada but only—

[Opposition Motion—Pharmacare, March 12th, 2020]

Madam Speaker, rather than advice for my colleagues, I am going to offer some advice to the member and to the Liberal Party as a whole, and that is to follow through on their commitments. It has been 23 years and drug costs just in this Parliament have gone up every single year since the Liberals took office.

Over the same period, the Liberal government has met with big pharma and insurance lobbyists more than 875 times. It is clear who the government is working for and it is not everyday people.