Legislation Status, by Province

Alberta

Minister: Hon. Tyler Shandro

Legislation Status: Repealed legislation to permit Alberta plasma for export during pandemic

Summary: BREAKING: The United Conservative Party repealed the Voluntary Blood Donations Act against strong opposition and recommendations from Canadian Blood Services not to do so. The repealing of the law will now ensure that plasma will be exported out of Alberta and deplete Canada’s supply chain by removing donors out of the national system. In the middle of […]

British Columbia

Minister: Hon. Adrian Dix

Legislation Status: Steps are being taken in BC to protect the blood system.

Summary: BREAKING NEWS: BC GOVERNMENT TABLES LEGISLATION TO BAN PAID PLASMA April 26, 2018 Legislation will prohibit payment for blood and plasma collection VICTORIA – Health Minister Adrian Dix today introduced the Voluntary Blood Donations Act, which will help preserve the integrity of Canada’s public blood and plasma collection system by preventing payment for blood and […]

Manitoba

Minister: Hon. Kelvin Goertzen

Legislation Status: Has Not Taken A Position Yet

Summary: Update, October 2017 Canadian Plasma Resources has cited Manitoba as one of the provinces they have gained approval to build private-for-profit plasma clinics for export. Please see CPR’s business plan here. BREAKING: January 16, 2017 Maclean’s publishes an expose on “Policy laundering” behind blood brokers In Canada. Read the Maclean’s article. Update, December 21, 2016 […]

New Brunswick

Minister: Hon. Hugh J. A. (Ted) Flemming

Legislation Status: Allowed Private Blood Clinics

Summary: January 18, 2019 New Brunswick has elected a new PC minority government. There is broad public support in New Brunswick to end the export of blood plasma out of the province and we are hopeful Minister Flemming and his colleagues will reverse the current position on paid plasma. BREAKING: September 5, 2017 Benoit Bourque is […]

Newfoundland and Labrador

Minister: Hon. John Haggie

Legislation Status: Has Not Taken A Position Yet

Summary: BREAKING: January 16, 2017 Maclean’s publishes an expose on “Policy laundering” behind blood brokers In Canada. Read the Maclean’s article. Update December 21, 2016 – BREAKING – Canadian Blood Services Says Paid Plasma Clinics Are Harming Voluntary Donations CEO of CBS speaks out against private-paid plasma clinics. Confirms that they harm the voluntary donor base […]

Northwest Territories

Minister: Hon. Glen Abernethy

Legislation Status: Has Not Taken A Position Yet

Nova Scotia

Minister: Hon. Randy Delorey

Legislation Status: Said Yes But Reversed Position

Summary: Update, October 2017 Although the government changed their position previously. Minister Delorey has not taken any steps to protect the public blood system, leaving the door open for private paid-plasma. Please see CPR’s business plan here. BREAKING: January 16, 2017 Maclean’s publishes an expose on “Policy laundering” behind blood brokers In Canada. Read the Maclean’s […]

Nunavut

Minister: Hon. Pat Angnakak

Legislation Status: Has Not Taken A Position Yet

Summary: BREAKING: January 16, 2017 Maclean’s publishes an expose on “Policy laundering” behind blood brokers In Canada. Read the Maclean’s article. Update December 21, 2016 – BREAKING: Canadian Blood Services Says Paid Plasma Clinics Are Harming Voluntary Donations CEO of CBS speaks out against private-paid plasma clinics. Confirms that they harm the voluntary donor base in […]

Ontario

Minister: Hon. Christine Elliott

Legislation Status: Passed Legislation

Summary: Christine Elliott is the newly appointed Minister of Health for Ontario. Ms. Elliott and her PC Caucus voted unanimously for the Voluntary Blood Donations Act when it was passed in 2014. BREAKING: January 16, 2017 Maclean’s publishes an expose on “Policy laundering” behind blood brokers In Canada. Read the Maclean’s article. Update December 21, 2016 […]

Prince Edward Island

Minister: Hon. Robert Mitchell

Legislation Status: Has Not Taken A Position Yet

Summary: BREAKING: January 16, 2017 Maclean’s publishes an expose on “Policy laundering” behind blood brokers In Canada. Read the Maclean’s article. Update December 21, 2016 – BREAKING: Canadian Blood Services Says Paid Plasma Clinics Are Harming Voluntary Donations CEO of CBS speaks out against private-paid plasma clinics. Confirms that they harm the voluntary donor base in […]

Quebec

Minister: Hon. Gaétan BARRETTE

Legislation Status: Legislation in Place

Summary: BREAKING: January 16, 2017 Maclean’s publishes an expose on “Policy laundering” behind blood brokers In Canada. Read the Maclean’s article. Update December 21, 2016 – BREAKING: Canadian Blood Services Says Paid Plasma Clinics Are Harming Voluntary Donations CEO of CBS speaks out against private-paid plasma clinics. Confirms that they harm the voluntary donor base in […]

Saskatchewan

Minister: Hon. Jim Reiter

Legislation Status: Allowed Private Clinics

Summary: BREAKING: January 16, 2017 Maclean’s publishes an expose on “Policy laundering” behind blood brokers In Canada. Read the Maclean’s article. Update December 21, 2016 – BREAKING: Canadian Blood Services Says Paid Plasma Clinics Are Harming Voluntary Donations CEO of CBS speaks out against private-paid plasma clinics. Confirms that they harm the voluntary donor base in […]

Yukon

Minister: Hon. Pauline Frost

Legislation Status: Has Not Taken A Position Yet

Summary: BREAKING: January 16, 2017 Maclean’s publishes an expose on “Policy laundering” behind blood brokers In Canada. Read the Maclean’s article. Update December 21, 2016 – BREAKING: Canadian Blood Services Says Paid Plasma Clinics Are Harming Voluntary Donations CEO of CBS speaks out against private-paid plasma clinics. Confirms that they harm the voluntary donor base in […]

Is privatizing Canadian blood plasma collection and protecting our voluntary blood system a Federal or Provincial/Territorial issue?

It is both Federal and Provincial/Territorial.

Federal:

At the federal level, Health Canada, as the regulator of the blood system, is authorized by the Federal Government to issue the license for private paid-plasma clinics. However, the Federal Government has the power to stop private-paid plasma clinics by revoking the granted licenses and by putting a moratorium on any future licenses. The Federal Government can also implement legislation that would prevent Health Canada from undermining our public blood system in the future, by passing a federal version of the Voluntary Blood Donations Act.

Provincial & Territorial

Provinces & Territories have a tremendous amount of power and the constitutional right to implement provincial health policies to safeguard the integrity of our blood system. Ontario is the perfect example of this. The private blood plasma clinics had been built in Ontario with permission from Health Canada, without any public consultation. Ontario stepped up and implemented the Voluntary Blood Donations Act which bans the private sale of blood or plasma in the province - effectively making it illegal for private blood brokers to operate in Ontario's borders.

If a provincial Health Minister says "It's not up to me, it's up to Health Canada" that is absolutely not the case. Provincial and Territorial Health Ministers have a direct responsibility to protect our public blood system and can do exactly what Ontario did without any logistical hurdles. In fact, the Federal Health Minister has said publicly, "It's up to the provinces to decide."