OTTAWA -- Amid claims the federal government has blocked provinces from buying their own COVID-19 vaccine supplies, Ottawa will soon reach out to strategize how they can work together to boost Canada鈥檚 domestic manufacturing capacity, says Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Dominic LeBlanc.
The meeting is set to happen in 鈥渢he coming days,鈥� and is being led by LeBlanc and Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry Francois-Philippe Champagne.
In an interview on CTV鈥檚 Question Period, LeBlanc -- whose office would not confirm precisely when the call is set to happen -- said the discussion will 鈥渓ook at how we can collaborate with provinces on building up our biomanufacturing capacity in Canada.鈥�
鈥淲e share that concern with all the provinces and want to work with them to do whatever we can, as quickly as we can, to build up that capacity,鈥� he said.
This comes after Manitoba Premier Brian after deciding to buy 2 million doses from the Alberta-based company Providence Therapeutics. That company's COVID-19 vaccine candidate is currently in clinical trials, and has not yet submitted data to Health Canada for review.
Pallister told CTV鈥檚 Question Period the move was 鈥渋nsurance鈥� in case the federal procurement ran into further hiccups, or to have an option for the future. He also claimed that Manitoba was 鈥渂locked鈥� from pursuing additional vaccines from any of the firms that already have deals with the federal government.
鈥淭he major vaccine producers will not sign contracts with the provincial governments, they're precluded from doing so by their agreements with the feds,鈥� Pallister said.
LeBlanc denied the federal government blocked the provinces from signing their own deals. He also noted the federal government has put money into supporting the development of potential Canadian vaccines.
PROVINCIAL CONTRACTS?
Offering to provide evidence of Pallister鈥檚 comments, the premier鈥檚 office provided CTV鈥檚 Question Period with copies of emails, including from AstraZeneca and Moderna, as well as from provincial staff relaying conversations with Janssen, the maker of Johnson & Johnson.
The portions of emails reviewed were in response to the province鈥檚 inquiries about unique deals, and the pharmaceutical companies indicated generally that they were opting to deal with the federal government to fulfil Canada鈥檚 requests.
Clarifying further in an email to CTV鈥檚 Question Period, AstraZeneca鈥檚 director of corporate communications Carlo Mastrangelo said the agreement for 20 million doses that Canada signed with that company in September 鈥渄oes not preclude provincial contracts.鈥�
鈥淲e've said all along that provinces are obviously sovereign orders of government under our constitution and they can make whatever business arrangements they want with any of these global pharmaceutical companies. We think that as a country we had a better chance and a better bargaining position to get as many doses as quickly as we can,鈥� said LeBlanc.
鈥淚f provinces want to go on their own and contact these companies, they're obviously free to do so.鈥�
PLANNING TO HELP WITH 'BIG LIFT'
While the push to set up domestic capacity continues, the current national vaccine rollout鈥攂ased exclusively on internationally supplied shots鈥攊s ramping up.
With much larger shipments of vaccines set to arrive over the coming weeks, increasing considerably in April and beyond, LeBlanc said the federal government is currently working on plans to help the provinces administer the coming surge of doses.
鈥淢aj.-Gen. [Dany] Fortin and his colleagues have been working in fact this week in tabletop exercises, rehearsals, similar to what was done in December, but focusing on the April-May window,鈥� LeBlanc said.
LeBlanc said Fortin is calling it 鈥渢he big lift.鈥�
鈥淲e're obviously there to support provinces and territories and with equipment, with supplies, with logistical support, and that planning is going on,鈥� he said, adding that the provinces and territories will be prepared to 鈥渧ery quickly and effectively deploy these vaccines.鈥�
VACCINE 'MENU'? UP TO PROVINCES
Asked if additional vaccines become approved whether citizens will have the ability to choose which doses they sign up to receive, LeBlanc said that鈥檚 a decision left up to each province and territory.
鈥淭he provinces are the ones that are administering these various vaccines to their different populations and a sequence that they decide. And if some provinces decide to give people a menu, and others don't, then that'll be their decision,鈥� he said.
鈥淲hat we're doing is getting as quickly as we can, as many vaccines as we can to the provinces and territories, and they'll decide how best to deploy them.鈥�
With files from CTV News鈥� Evan Solomon, Ian Wood, and Noah Richardson.
