QUESTION PERIOD — Health
COVID-19 Vaccine Rollout
May 25, 2021
Honourable senators, my question is for the government leader in the Senate. Senator Gold, Manitoba Premier Brian Pallister has been informed that 100,000 Manitobans could be immunized over just the next few days if surplus COVID-19 vaccines sitting in freezers in the border states of North Dakota and Minnesota would be sent to our province.
While restrictions and lockdowns continue across our country, this week Canada will receive only 600,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine. Canadians need more vaccines as quickly as possible, and we need the Trudeau government to do everything in its power to get these American vaccines into Canada. Leader, if Prime Minister Trudeau is such good friends with President Biden, why has he not called him and asked him to allow surplus vaccines in the U.S. to be shipped to Manitoba and other provinces?
Thank you for your question. Before I answer it, let me extend my congratulations to you and every other Winnipegger for the victory of the Winnipeg Jets. But at the same time, my condolences to my colleague, Senator LaBoucane-Benson and others from Alberta for their loss. As a Montrealer, hope springs eternal in our series.
The Government of Canada is working — not only with the provinces, but also with its American partner — to ensure that Canadians receive all the vaccine doses they need as quickly as possible. To date the government has delivered over 23 million vaccines to provinces and territories and over 61% of Canada’s adult population has received at least one dose. That represents over half of the Canadian population as a whole. We’re third amongst G20 countries now.
The Government of Canada was pleased to respond to Premier Pallister’s request for assistance with the difficulties the province is experiencing and will continue to work diligently to secure as many doses as it can, including those from the United States.
What number we are in the world as far as doses and vaccines are concerned is somewhat irrelevant when we could have 100,000 more doses by simply getting the President of the United States to encourage North Dakota and Minnesota to send those over.
Premier Pallister spoke with the Prime Minister on Friday and urged him to reinforce this message to President Biden and his administration to allow excess U.S. vaccines to come to Canada immediately. The premier said the Prime Minister supported the need for excess doses from the U.S. to be sent to Canada now when they are needed most. Leader, that was four days ago. There has been silence from the Trudeau government ever since.
There is an immediate need for these vaccines, and the Prime Minister is not showing any sense of urgency. After all, he thinks a one-dose summer, two-dose fall is sufficient when it just isn’t good enough. When will he make that call to President Biden?
I don’t know whether the call was made. I’ll certainly make inquiries, senator, and keep this chamber apprised. But I want to reassure the chamber and all Canadians that the Government of Canada — both the Prime Minister and Minister of Public Services and Procurement and other officials — are in regular contact with counterparts in the United States to work diligently on behalf of Canada.
