43rd Parliament291Not answered before dissolutionAugust 15, 2021e-3044e-3044 (Business and trade)RonKubekDanAlbasCentral Okanagan—Similkameen—NicolaConservativeBCDecember 16, 2020, at 2:08 p.m. (EDT)February 14, 2021, at 2:08 p.m. (EDT)May 11, 2021February 15, 2021Petition to the <Addressee type="1" affiliationId="" mp-riding-display="1">House of Commons</Addressee>Whereas:Many Canadians are often unable to order Canadian wine, craft beer and spirits from outside of their home province; and Canadians want more consumer choice and to support Canadian producers by being able to order their products.We, the undersigned, Citizens and Residents of Canada, call upon the House of Commons to support and pass Bill C-260 entitled ‘An Act to Amend the Canada Post Corporation Act’, introduced by Mr. Albas, the Member of Parliament for Central Okanagan–Similkameen–Nicola, so that Canadians can order the wine, craft beer and spirits they wish from Canadian producers, and be able to have those products shipped directly to them by Canada Post and support this important industry at a time when they need us the most.Alcoholic beveragesInterprovincial tradePostal services43rd Parliament223Government response tabledSeptember 24, 2020e-2492e-2492 (Health)GeraldMajorDonDaviesVancouver KingswayNDPBCMarch 26, 2020, at 11:02 a.m. (EDT)May 25, 2020, at 11:02 a.m. (EDT)June 11, 2020September 24, 2020May 25, 2020Petition to the <Addressee type="1" affiliationId="" mp-riding-display="1">House of Commons</Addressee>Whereas:In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, hundreds of thousands of critically and chronically ill Canadians, including children, older Canadians and police/military veterans are at risk of losing access to treatment;Health Canada has a constitutional obligation to ensure a working medical cannabis access program is in place;The only way to legally access medical cannabis is directly from licensed medical sellers through the mail; as mail service is scaled back, patients may face barriers/delays to accessing their treatment, forcing them into the unregulated market, increasing the potential of COVID-19 infection drastically and putting elderly and immunocompromised patients at severe risk;There is strong clinical evidence showing the efficacy of cannabis for reducing dependence on opioids; disruption in medical cannabis supply puts patients at risk of increased opioid use, potential overdose and other related issues;Switching to other medications at this time may require involvement from health care professionals when we should be taking steps to reduce the burden on the health care system; andSeeing recreational cannabis stores in multiple provinces designated essential, we expect the same designation be applied federally to medical cannabis to support patients who need access the most.We, the undersigned, Citizens of Canada, call upon the House of Commons to apply a federal designation of medical cannabis as an essential, constitutionally protected service so that all activities involved in preserving patient access to medical cannabis through the government-regulated stream qualify as essential services, and to maintain this important designation to ensure delivery of necessary medicines, including medical cannabis, should any restrictions in mail service arise.
Response by the Minister of HealthSigned by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): Darren FisherThe Government of Canada is committed to ensuring that individuals who require cannabis for medical purposes have reasonable access to legal and quality-controlled products. The Cannabis Act and its regulations provide distinct channels for access to cannabis for medical purposes for individuals who have the support of their health care practitioner. In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, the federal government has classified cannabis for medical purposes as an essential service and function. Health Canada recognizes that the pandemic has created a number of challenges for patients who access cannabis for medical purposes, and has taken steps to support continued access while continuing to protect public health and safety. Measures are in place to support the cannabis industry, without compromising health and safety, which will enable the legal cannabis sector to continue to operate and provide Canadians with access to cannabis for medical purposes. Health Canada continues to monitor production and inventory levels and the availability of cannabis for medical purposes.  Health Canada has also heard the concerns of patients who may not be able to renew their medical documents during this time, either due to the need to self-isolate, or due to not being able to access their health care practitioner. In response, Health Canada has put in place a temporary regulatory amendment, which will provide a six-month extension to the expiry date of patient registrations. If a patient’s registration with the Minister or a federally licensed seller expires between March 13, 2020 and September 30, 2020 and they are unable to consult a health care practitioner to get a new medical document, they may continue to use their current registration document or registration certificate for an additional six months. This amendment facilitates patients’ ability to adhere to public health guidance to practise physical distancing by reducing their need to leave their home to obtain a new medical document from their health care practitioner during this time.
CannabisEssential servicesPostal servicesPrescription drugs
43rd Parliament223Government response tabledMay 25, 2020431-00133431-00133 (Environment)RachelBlaneyNorth Island—Powell RiverNDPBCMarch 9, 2020May 25, 2020February 25, 2020Petition to the House of CommonsWe, the undersigned residents of Canada, request the Minister of Public Services and Procurement, Carla Qualtrough, to:Adopt the Delivering Community Power vision and turn post offices into the infrastructure of a green and socially just economy. Canada Post is the country's largest logistics network and we own it. It's time for it to lead a just transition off fossil fuels by:
  • Transitioning to 100% renewable energy
  • Expanding services for seniors
  • Introducing postal banking
  • Converting its fleet to electric vehicles
  • Installing public charging stations
  • Delivering medicines & groceries
  • Installing solar panels & retrofitting post offices
  • And more!
Join us in calling on the Minister of Public Services to transform post offices into hubs of a clean economy that works for everyone. Our post office can deliver it.
Response by the Minister of Public Services and ProcurementSigned by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): Steven MacKinnonIn January 2018, our Government announced a new forward-looking vision for Canada Post focused on providing Canadians with high-quality, accessible and affordable service, no matter where they live. As part of the review of Canada Post, the House of Commons Standing Committee on Government Operations and Estimates and an independent task force conducted extensive analysis and consultations on Canada Post during which the postal unions and their allies presented their ideas for a community-based model for Canada Post and the delivery of its services.Following a rigorous analysis of the information, the Standing Committee on Government Operations and Estimates recommended that: “Canada Post focus on its core competencies to help Canada meet the challenges of the 21st century.”To create the foundation needed for renewal, the announcement of our new vision included leadership renewal at Canada Post, including the Corporation’s Board of Directors, to build more collaborative and constructive relations with communities, employees, labour and other stakeholders.We have taken immediate actions to support this new service-first vision including:
  • Terminating the community mailbox box conversion program;
  • Enhancing the accessible delivery program;
  • Removing the obligation to pay a dividend to the government so Canada Post can invest more in services and innovations.
  • Promoting Canada Post’s remittance services; and
  • Renewing Canada Post’s leadership.
In addition, the Government has asked Canada Post to explore innovative projects and partnerships to leverage its post offices, benefitting Canadians everywhere, including rural, remote, northern and Indigenous communities.As part of our renewed vision, Canada Post’s leadership and its employees will work together to adapt and take advantage of new opportunities and new ideas to meet the changing needs of its customers and the communities it serves.
Canada Post CorporationGreen economyPostal servicesRenewable energy and fuel