Kentville native helps lead COVID-19 response as minister of procurement

Need for domestic vaccine, PPE production raised during virtual discussion

Being the federal minister of procurement meant being thrust into the national spotlight with the arrival of COVID-19 last spring.

Kings-Hants MP Kody Blois hosted a virtual discussion via Zoom with Minister of Public Services and Procurement Canada Anita Anand — a Kentville native — on April 6.

As part of her ministerial responsibilities, Anand, who was first elected in 2019 as the MP for Oakville, has played an integral role in procuring the supplies needed to protect Canadians from COVID-19. This has included ensuring an adequate supply of vaccine for the provinces and territories.

Anand said the constitution tells us that the dissemination of health care is not within federal jurisdiction.

“The most we can do is procure all of these vaccines and then provide them to the provinces and then the provinces have the responsibility to decide, individually, how they are going to be administered,” Anand said.

She pointed out that this could be through pharmacies, hospitals or local public health units, and this is why there are so many differences among the provinces and territories in terms of the vaccine rollout.

THE ‘THREE

MOUNTAINS’

Anand said her ministry happened to be one at the forefront when the pandemic hit. She said she looks at federal procurement over the past year in terms of “three mountains.”

The first mountain involved personal protective equipment (PPE). Her department was able to procure 2.7 billion PPE items, of which 1.5 billion have been delivered to date.

Anand said they then moved on to ensure that the procurement of PPE included domestic production. In terms of dollar values, 40 per cent of federal contracts are now with Canadian suppliers.

For example, N95 masks are being produced here. Stanfield’s in Truro retooled to produce medical gowns and there are testing materials coming from LuminUltra in New Brunswick.

“Maritime businesses were just as important in the pandemic as businesses right across the country,” Anand said.

She said the second mountain was rapid tests. The provinces were calling for more and more and her department was able to procure 40.5 million, of which more than 30 million have now been delivered to the provinces and territories. Anand said they want the test kits used before they expire.

Anand said the third — and steepest — mountain involved procuring COVID-19