Ottawa’s math is being challenged after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau suggested this week that problems at the Public Health Agency of Canada are due largely to a lack of support by the previous government, not his own.
Few to use new sickness benefit for COVID-19 diagnosis
Parliament’s spending watchdog says relatively little of the government’s new sickness benefit will go to people who have tested positive for COVID-19.
In a report Wednesday morning, the parliamentary budget officer estimated only $50 million out of the estimated $655 million of the new sickness benefit will go to workers who have COVID-19.
MPs, experts welcome new mental health spending, but urge feds to take more decisive action
As the federal government seeks to turn the Throne Speech from rhetoric into reality, some Parliamentarians say they are frustrated with the level of investment and lack of associated information dedicated to mental health in the government’s latest COVID relief bill, which unanimously passed the House on Sept. 30. MPs and mental health advocates are urging the federal government to take this moment to expand public mental health coverage to address the issues that predate the pandemic and those that’ve been exacerbated by it.
Liberal government must end COVID-19 vaccine secrecy
By Don Davies, MP and NDP Health Critic
Canadians cannot fight COVID-19 in the dark. Experience has demonstrated that an effective pandemic response requires clear, transparent, and open communication from governments at all levels. This is essential for maintaining public confidence in recovery plans and the legitimacy of the institutions implementing them.
Unfortunately, the Trudeau government has demonstrated a disturbing tendency to operate with secrecy, manipulation, and hyper control.
Federal NDP slams Trudeau for argument that "decriminalisation is not a silver bullet"
The war on drugs is a failure. We need medically-regulated safe supply to stop the flow of toxic street drugs supplied by criminals. We need better treatment options. It’s time to treat addiction as a health issue, not a criminal one
Langley's top Mountie 'reassigned' amid questions about mayor's gala and public money
That the RCMP hasn’t said more about any costs borne by the gala is concerning, said Don Davies, a Vancouver MP who is also the NDP’s deputy public safety critic.
“There has to be a transparent and comprehensive investigation into what went on here. We need to assess whether or not there were ethical questions,” he said.
“The public has a right to know and we as parliamentarians ought to be demanding full accountability and transparency in what went on here."
Federal government must stop privatization of health care in Alberta
VANCOUVER – NDP Health Critic Don Davies (Vancouver Kingsway) is calling on the federal government to enforce the Canada Health Act and stand up to Alberta Premier Jason Kenney's plan to privatize orthopedic surgeries.
“Jason Kenney's privatization agenda will create a two-tiered health care system that violates our most basic principles of equal access and will hurt the quality of care," said Davies. "We are calling on federal Health Minister Hadju to make it clear that this will not be tolerated."
Minister of State for Child Care Katrina Chen follows Svend Robinson's example by funding high school scholarships
And at the federal level, Vancouver Kingsway NDP MP Don Davies has been awarding scholarships out of his own pocket to students in his riding since 2009. He always designates one of those scholarships to a student with diverse needs.
There are three high schools in Vancouver Kingsway.
In addition, Davies runs a "Create Your Canada" contest. In this initiative, Davies has been bringing two students from Vancouver Kingsway to Ottawa every year since 2009 for a three-day tour.
Is flying safe during COVID-19? Here’s the scant bit of scientific evidence Transport Canada is relying on
New Democrat MP Don Davies (Vancouver Kingsway) has been a vocal critic of the Justin Trudeau Liberals for not ordering airlines to follow physical distancing rules. He is calling for a federal relief package to ensure carriers are not filling middle seats for economic reasons.
“Is it possible to practise physical distancing on aircraft? … The answer is yes. So the airlines are violating direct concrete, consistent advice being given by public health officials,” Davies told the Star. “They’re effectively subordinating public safety to the economics.”
Liberals made cuts to early warning system just months before COVID-19 pandemic
VANCOUVER - The Federal Liberal government made significant cuts and reduced the international monitoring function of the Global Public Health Intelligence Network (GPHIN) just months before the COVID-19 outbreak, leaving Canada vulnerable and preventative action slow to roll out.
“This was an incredibly irresponsible decision,” said NDP Health Critic Don Davies. “For decades, this early warning system proved its worth and flagged threats before contagions got out of control. There is no question that it would have detected the SARS-CoV-2 virus earlier. Yet the Liberals decided that this was unnecessary.