HESA Committee Report

Len Webber

Colin Carrie

Rachael Harder

Dissenting Opinions from the Conservative Caucus Members

The Standing Committee on Health conducted an emergency study on the Opioid crisis that our nation is currently facing. Opioid related overdoses continue to increase at an alarming rate across the country. The goal of the study was to hear testimony from knowledgeable witnesses and bring forward valuable recommendations and possible solutions that would ultimately aid in lowering the amount of opioid related overdoses and deaths. The Conservative Members felt it was important to investigate the accessibility of legal opioids and solutions to control the influx and distribution of illicit opioids in Canadian communities.

It is the opinion of the Conservative Members that the interim report tabled by this Committee has not accomplished this objective. Witness testimony was limited and the review process of the recommendations was immensely rushed. As a result, the report lacks basic, yet vital, details such as a clear definition of the term “harm-reduction”, which is utilized numerous times throughout the report.

The timeline for opposition members to submit dissenting opinions was limited due to the majority of members pushing a last-minute deadline. This only gave opposition members one day to put their dissenting opinions together, if it were to be included in the interim report.

The summary of the evidence in the report does outline the seriousness of the situation; however, the recommendations do not adequately or effectively address the severity of this emergency study as the interim report does not acknowledge the main source of the crisis.  Conservative Members of the Committee saw a great need to address the problem at its root-source. It was clear from a multitude of testimonies that China is the primary source of these illicit drugs yet, there is no clear indication of this in the report’s recommendation section. Government members preferred to ignore the root causes and instead looked to Band-Aid solutions which facilitates ongoing substance abuse and ignores affected communities. With this in mind, Conservative members also acknowledge the importance of facilitating the quick integration of patients into treatment programs with long-term sustainability and protecting the community at large.

With this in mind, the Conservative Members of the Standing Committee on Health propose the following supplementary recommendations to the Committee’s report.

RECOMMENDATIONS

MONITORING:

Numerous witnesses mentioned the lack of treatment centres across the country. They felt that there was a need for a better system which provided real-time data for people seeking treatment and a need for better access and education for first responders. 

Recommendation 1: That the Public Health Agency of Canada provide statistics on opioid overdose and death in a more timely manner to better inform policy and resource allocation decisions[1].

Recommendation 2: That Health Canada report annually on the various publically-funded treatment options available across Canada and provide wait times for these treatments[2].

Recommendation 3: That Health Canada work with the provinces and territories to offer thorough and standardized training for those responding to overdose emergencies[3].

POLICING & ENFORCEMENT

Numerous witnesses agreed that China is the main country responsible for illegal opioids, specifically fentanyl, entering Canada. Todd Shean, Assistant Commissioner, Federal Policing Special Services, RCMP, stated:

Where are these illicit synthetic opioids coming from? According to RCMP criminal intelligence reports and investigations, it is apparent that China is the main source country for these drugs entering Canada, particularly fentanyl.

Recommendation 4: That the Government of Canada publicly acknowledge China as the primary source of Illegal Opioids and one of the root-causes to the Opioid crisis in Canada.

Recommendation 5: That the Royal Canadian Mounted Police provide annual updates on the referrals received from Canada Border Services Agency and Canada Post for illegal drug shipments and report on the conviction rates arising from these investigations[4].

Recommendation 6: That the Government implement stronger criminal penalties for possessing raw materials and/or a production machine intended to manufacture illegal drugs[5].

Recommendation 7: That the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and Canada Border Services Agency be provided more resources for drug testing packages and other shipments[6]. 

Recommendation 8: That the Government improve Canada’s importation regulations for smuggling, scanning for smuggled drugs, and testing suspect packages[7].

PREVENTION

Recommendation 9: That Health Canada work with the provinces and territories and their respective professional organizations to require physicians, pharmacists and patients to receive better education with regards to the risks associated with the use of Opioids[8].

Recommendation 10: That Health Canada work with the provinces and territories and their respective professional organizations to implement stronger accountability measures for prescribers[9].

Recommendation 12: That Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada create and promote drug education programming for youth that specifically targets opioid abuse[10].

Recommendation 13: That the Government require the use of tamper-resistant medications whenever possible[11].

TREATMENT

Witnesses strongly agreed that more needed to be done to ensure that there was better access to treatment. Throughout this study the term “harm-reduction” was used, yet there is no consistent definition.

Recommendation 14: That the Government recognizes the success of any community based treatment or injection facility is dependent on the broader support of the community and therefore requires mandatory community consultations prior to locating such facilities within a community[12].

Recommendation 15: That the Government immediately address the inadequate access rural Canadians and reserve-based Canadians have to prevention and treatment programs[13].

Recommendation 16: That Health Canada provide their definition of ‘harm reduction’ to facilitate a consistency in the public’s understanding of related policy.

Recommendation 17: That Health Canada look at a broader approach and consider a patient-centered approach to reducing opioid prescribing and integrate evidence-based non-pharmacological alternatives for pain management[14].

Recommendation 18: That provinces and territories be encouraged to strengthen mental health support services and programs[15].

The Conservative members of the Committee were generally supportive of most of the recommendations put forward in the main report and recognize that the status quo is not an option.  We strongly disagree with motions that called for less community involvement and reducing safe-guards when it comes to injection sites as we would prefer resources be put into treatment rather than promoting facilities for ongoing substance abuse. 

We have great concerns about the call for additional funding to indigenous communities without ensuring the Government of Canada’s accountability in providing these valuable resources in a timely fashion. 

We disagree with repealing Bill C-2 as we believe this legislation ensures that the safety and security of communities across Canada should be the primary responsibility of the government. Removing consultations and safe-guards is an abdication of this responsibility.

In short, we felt that the recommendations in the Interim Report would not fully target the root causes, would not reduce the problem of substance abuse, nor would they increase the safety and security of our communities.