On H1N1, Canada is a jurisdictional mishmash

[CHIMO]

At times such as these, authoritarian dictatorships have a certain appeal.

Whatever its strengths, Canada's federal system is singularly ill-equipped to manage a pandemic, with federal, provincial and municipal jurisdictions overlapping or leaving cracks for things to fall through.

In the case of this year's swine-flu outbreak, Ottawa was responsible for approving a vaccine, contracting for its manufacture and distributing the product to the provinces.

But a glitch arrived when GlaxoSmithKline unexpectedly failed to meet production targets as it switched to making a version of the vaccine for pregnant women.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/health/h1n1-swine-flu/on-h1n1-canada-is-a-jurisdictional-mishmash/article1351466/

Utter bullshit!

Life and death. We elect politicians to work for us. Enough of the crap about provincial guys not being up to speed,

Anyone hear of Connaught?

AVRO?

INCO?

NORTEL?

AECL?

[daleo]

1. The BNA Act gives the federal government responsibility for quarantines

I would think that a vaccination program is a direct decendent of quarentine programs, as the situation was in 1867.

Section 91.11

91. It shall be lawful for the Queen, by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate and House of Commons, to make laws for the Peace, Order, and good Government of Canada, in relation to all Matters not coming within the Classes of Subjects by this Act assigned exclusively to the Legislatures of the Provinces; and for greater Certainty, but not so as to restrict the Generality of the foregoing Terms of this Section, it is hereby declared that (notwithstanding anything in this Act) the exclusive Legislative Authority of the Parliament of Canada extends to all Matters coming within the Classes of Subjects next hereinafter enumerated; that is to say,--

11. Quarantine and the Establishment and Maintenance of Marine Hospitals.