​By the time you read this weeks report, newly sworn in United States President Joe Biden may well have signed an executive order rescinding the construction permit for the Keystone XL pipeline. 

The Keystone XL pipeline is proposed to connect Hardisty, Alberta to Steele City, Nebraska over 1,947-kilometres to transport Canadian crude oil to US refineries. 

The potential loss of the Keystone XL pipeline would have a significant impact for Canada, in particular Alberta, in terms of job losses and billions lost from corporate income taxes, carbon taxes as well as royalty payments.

The loss of the Keystone XL pipeline will also mean that US based refineries will have to increase importing crude oil from countries such as Saudi Arabia and Iraq, countries that have much weaker environmental and labour standards than here in Canada.

A potential increase of shipments of oil by rail between Canada and the United States is also a likely outcome with the loss of the Keystone XL pipeline.

This outcome is not only more costly; but it is less efficient and less safe. 

For these reasons, the Keystone XL pipeline has been long supported by the Conservative Party both when in government and now in opposition. 

It has also been long supported by Prime Minister Trudeau.

In fact, during his time in opposition, Justin Trudeau was clear that “one of the big things the Prime Minister needs to get right is getting our resources to market.”

Mr. Trudeau also stated that if a US President veto’s Keystone XL “the Prime Minister has not fulfilled that responsibility.”

Justin Trudeau was clear that if the Keystone XL pipeline is blocked by the United States that the “Prime Minister take personal responsibility for this diplomatic failure”.

By Mr. Trudeau’s own words this potential Keystone XL pipeline failure is one that he, as the Prime Minister today, must now take full responsibility for.

Those who follow this Prime Minister closely will know that he will not likely take any responsibility for this "diplomatic failure."

The reality is the Keystone XL pipeline has been a target of US Democratic Presidents for some time now, including under both President Obama and now President Biden.

This was just as true in 2013 as it is today.

From my perspective, blaming this solely on a Canadian Prime Minister would be just as unfair in 2021 as it was in 2014.

I mention this as an Opposition MP because I feel it is important that our criticisms as opposition should be fair and accurate to the government in power. 

This was a courtesy that was not extended by the current Prime Minister when he served in the opposition and I recall having these same thoughts when I sat on the government side of the house during that time.

My question this week:

Do you support the Keystone XL pipeline being built?

 I can be reached at Dan.Albas@parl.gc.ca or toll free at 1-800-665-8711.

This week Canada had some good news: the Prime Minister announced a new deal that will result in an additional 20 million doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine coming to Canada.

Unfortunately, this additional vaccine supply will not make it to Canada until sometime between April or May.

This is very important because this week CBC reported that British Columbia has now “slowed its pace” administering the vaccine while the province awaits for more vaccine supply to arrive.

Another decision that B.C. has had to make, related to the lack of supply for the COVID vaccine, is that the required 2nd dose will now be administered 35 days after the first dose. 

The reason for this is to ensure as many vulnerable citizens receive the first dose as possible and to maximize the limited supply.

The challenge with this is that Health Canada states the following:

“The vaccine is given by an injection (0.3 mL) into the muscle of the arm. For the vaccine to work best, you need to get 2 doses: a single dose and then a second dose 21 days later. Based on studies in about 44,000 participants, the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine was 95% effective in preventing COVID-19 beginning 1 week after the second dose. This means that people may not be fully protected against COVID-19 until at least 7 days after the second dose.”

B.C. has indicated that extending the 2nd dose to 35 days is ‘approved’ by the World Health Organization as well as the Federal Government.

This is noteworthy as Health Canada is the regulatory agency that approves the use of any vaccine or drug based on its arms length, evidence based process.

However, some groups of B.C. Doctors have opposed this move suggesting it is potentially “unscientific, unsafe and unethical.”

The B.C. Nurses Union has also been reported as questioning this move stating that nurses “follow the other guidelines from the manufacturer around storage and handling of this vaccine," pointing out that; "now we're going to deviate?"

It is unfortunate B.C. is in this situation.

It is well known that the Trudeau Liberal Government, for reasons unknown, made their first deal with the China based CanSino Biologics to deliver vaccine.

The Chinese Government ultimately blocked this vaccine from coming to Canada.

As a result of that deal collapsing, Canada did not secure the large quantities of vaccine it now has on order from other manufactures in as timely of a manner.

My question this week is not a political one.

If you received the first dose of the Pfizer vaccine (as some citizens now have, here in the Okanagan) do you believe it is a reasonable expectation to receive the second dose within the 21 day timeframe as set out by the manufacturer?

​I can be reached at Dan.Albas@parl.gc.ca or call toll free 1-800-665-8711.

​By now you have heard that COVID-19 vaccines are being distributed worldwide, including within Canada.

Currently two vaccines have been approved for use by Health Canada; the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine and the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine. 

Without getting into the technical details, both vaccines require two doses to be deemed effective.

Pfizer-BioNTech requires a second dose to be given 21 days after the first dose, while Moderna is 28 days apart from the first dose.

The timing between the first dose and the second dose is important, given the limited supply of available vaccine 

For example, at the beginning of this week British Columbia had received 54,625 doses combined of Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccine.

In turn 28,209 of these doses have now already been administered to those who fall under Stage 1 priority.

Who is Stage 1 priority here in BC?  

A brief summary of this list includes “residents, staff and essential visitors to long-term care and assisted-living residences.” 

In addition, “Individuals in hospital or community awaiting a long-term care placement” as well as “Health care workers providing care for COVID-19 patients in settings like ICU, emergency departments, medical/surgical units and paramedics”.

Remote and isolated Indigenous communities are also included in Stage 1.

Some have looked at the 54,625 doses of vaccine delivered to B.C. and questioned why only 28,209 doses have been administered to date, pointing out this vaccination rate is only around 51%. 

Herein lies the challenge.

Since two doses are required per person, the 54,625 doses allows for 27,312 individuals to receive both shots of the vaccine.

BC has now administered over 28,000 doses.

That means that there is not enough vaccine supply available for all of those vaccinated individuals to receive their second dose.

The supply to give those required second doses has not yet arrived, here in BC.

This additional vaccine supply must first land in Canada, then is transported to BC and finally distributed to various vaccination sites within our province to be available for those needing the required second dose within that 21-28 day window.

This illustrates the immense challenges that Provincial Health Authorities are dealing with given the very limited COVID supply that the Federal Government has managed to procure.

For some context, while BC has received 54,625 doses, nearby Washington State, with a population 2.6 million people more B.C., received over six times more doses at 358,025.

It is important to understand, with the limited supply of COVID vaccine here in BC, citizens must continue to take all precautions as a result.

To put it bluntly, it will be some time before the vaccine delivery will make a significant impact.

My question this week:

Are you satisfied with how the vaccine is being distributed in Canada? 

I can be reached at Dan.Albas@parl.gc.ca or call toll free 1-800-665-8711.