NDP MPs used part of today's debate to push for paid sick leave for workers. Vancouver MP Don Davies attempted to amend the motion to add language calling for 10 paid sick days for all federal workers. Conservatives rejected that amendment.
NDP MP Don Davies said his party “strongly supports” building up domestic manufacturing capacity but the party believes the federal government should be investing in public facilities rather than private companies.
In an interview last December, Davies said the opioid crisis is driven by a toxic street supply provided by organized crime, and that “the foundational answer to the problem is to decriminalize and regulate access to drugs across the country.”
NDP MP Don Davies said he personally supports medical assistance in dying "but I also know a flawed bill when I see one."
He noted that disability rights groups have condemned the bill, arguing that it devalues the lives of people with disabilities who may be pressured -- either directly or indirectly through societal attitudes and a lack of support services -- into ending their lives prematurely.
Following the vote, NDP MP Don Davies said on Twitter that the motion is “great for transparency, accountability and democracy.”
“I think there’s a reason the government doesn’t want to release these contracts and it’s fighting so darn hard to not do so,” said New Democrat MP Don Davies.
“My suspicion is if we were to see these contracts, we would see they contain provisions that are much shakier. I think we’re going to see provisions that say these companies will provide doses of vaccine to Canadians ‘subject to production,’ ‘subject to availability,’ subject to all sorts of things.”
NDP health critic Don Davies (Vancouver Kingsway, B.C.) said he does not have confidence in Mr. Trudeau’s statements that all Canadians will be vaccinated by September.
“Given that they have failed to meet any of the targets that they’ve stated so far, and, frankly, the fact that they’ve misled Canadians and actually been wrong so many times, that can’t give anybody confidence,” he said.
“There’s a serious credibility problem,” he added.
François-Philippe Champagne, minister of innovation, science and industry, joins The House to talk about Canada's push to acquire and produce vaccines, before a panel of three opposition MPs — Conservative Stephanie Kusie, New Democrat Don Davies and the Green Party's Jenica Atwin — make their case for changing the country's COVID-19 strategy.
So far, there have been a few news media stories on the report and, in the House, the NDP's Don Davies put one question about it to Health Minister Patty Hajdu. But this document deserves more attention.
Not enough scientific and specialized staff
At the outset, the review states bluntly that PHAC has lacked "the breadth and depth of human resources required to support an emergency response of this never-seen-before magnitude, complexity and duration."
The report identifies what it calls "skills capacity gaps across the agency." Of greatest concern is the lack of medical expertise at PHAC.
MPs Eric Duncan and Don Davies react to COVID-19 vaccine shipment delays and are calling on the federal government to show the contracts.