Conservatives want ‘the truth about government’s pandemic preparedness and response’

THE Conservatives on Monday slammed Liberal MPs who “chose to follow the Prime Minister’s weak leadership and continue to deny Canadians the answers they deserve regarding the Trudeau government’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.”
 
Liberal MPs voted against a Conservative motion which instructed the Standing Committee on Health to undertake a study focused on:

  • Rapid and at home testing approvals and procurement processes to reduce waiting lines,
  • Vaccine development and protocol for its distribution,
  • A review of federal public health guidelines and data being used to inform government decisions,
  • A review of long-term care facility COVID-19 protocols under federal jurisdiction,
  • The availability of PPE in Canada and a review of Canada’s emergency PPE stockpile from 2015 to today,
  • The impact of this government’s use of WHO advice to delay closing borders and delay recommending the wearing of masks, and
  • The reasons for closing Canada’s early warning system, the GPHIN, and its eventual impact.

The motion passed 176 to 152 with the support of the Bloc Québécois, NDP, Green Party and independent MP Jody Wilson-Raybould.

Conservative Party Leader Erin O’Toole said in a statement: “Conservatives are working hard to get the answers Canadians deserve and we are getting results. Despite the Liberals’ efforts, our motion to discover the truth about the government’s pandemic preparedness and response passed with all Opposition parties’ support. As a result of our efforts, the government will hopefully learn from its mistakes and be better prepared for the future.
 
“Trudeau’s Health Minister told media last week that the revised timeframe in our motion was reasonable and that the government could meet it, so Liberal MPs should have had no problem supporting our motion. 
 
“When Canadians are getting rapid tests shouldn’t be a partisan issue. Canada’s place in the vaccine queue shouldn’t be a partisan issue. Improving our pandemic response shouldn’t be a partisan issue. It’s shameful that the Liberals keep trying to make them one.
 
“It’s becoming increasingly clear that Justin Trudeau wants an election and is willing to go to any lengths to get one, even if that means forcing Canadians to go to the polls in the middle of a pandemic. His arrogance and entitlement will needlessly put the health and safety of Canadians at risk.
 
“Canadians deserve to know how their government is managing a health crisis and they deserve a plan for the future. Conservatives will not stop until we have the answers you deserve.”
 

1 COMMENT

  1. The Conservatives’ characterization of our response to their motion is unnecessarily partisan. A number of suppliers and agencies have expressed concern about the very broad scope of the review being proposed, not only because it will divert significant resources in the public service to satisfying the ‘drift net’ order for information and documents, but also due to the risk that sensitive commercial and proprietary information from companies that have supplied materials to help us fight the pandemic could be compromised.

    While the Conservative leader and his health critic want people to believe their study motion is all about ‘transparency’, all the evidence and the Tories’ own track record indicate that the real intention is to tie up parliamentary resources and prevent the government from doing its work. There are much more effective…and efficient…ways for the Opposition to get the information on how the government has performed during the pandemic.

    Although we don’t expect them to compliment the government for the assistance we’ve given to millions of Canadians, an opposition study could very well highlight improvements that we can use going forward. We are prepared to look past the partisan bluster to identify and act on opportunities to better serve Canadians in these difficult times.

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