From: Janet M
Sent: September 12, 2019
Subject: Lobbyist Registry info
I don’t think the Education Minister got the idea for the legislation.
I think all those Pharma folks did!
CORRELATION OR CAUSATION? New Brunswick Canada:
Pharma visits politicians; Politicians propose mandatory vaccines:
On May 8 and 9, Merck sends 10 lobbyists from Canada’s offices in Montreal & Atlantic Provinces to New Brunswick.
On May 9th 2019, Canada’s pharma-lobby, Innovative Medicines Canada, visits New Brunswick too.
On May 23rd, NB’s Minister of Education, Dominic Cardy, launches a proposal for mandatory vaccines:
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WHO DID THESE LOBBYISTS VISIT?
The Merck lobbyists, in different group formations, visited the
- Ministry of Health
- Ministry of Aboriginal Affairs
- Attorney General
- Intergovernmental Affairs
- Ministry of Finance
- the Executive Council Office
- Elections NB and * the Ministry of Education.
According to the lobby registry.
These lobbyists came from Canada’s headquarters in Kirkland/ Montreal in Quebec and Nova Scotia. These visits were preceded by other visits with smaller delegations earlier in Spring.
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On May 9th 2019, Innovative Medicines Canada, Canada’s pharma-lobby group, visited the Ministry of Education as well as other ministries. These visits were also preceded by visits in Spring and followed up by visits from other ICM lobbyists afterward.
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LINK MERCK – Innovative Medicines Canada
The director of Merck Canada, Anna van Acker, is also part of the Board of Innovative Medicines Canada, together with IMC director Pamela Frelick (who visited the Ministry of Education 1 day after Merck did).
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ABOUT MERCK:
Merck is ONE OF THE BIG GLOBAL VACCINE FOUR.
Its headquarters are in the USA. Ken Frazier is the CEO. The Big Vaccine Four worldwide hold over 90% of the global market share. The four:
- GlaxoSmithKline (Great-Britain)
- Sanofi Pasteur (France)
- Merck (USA)
- Pfizer (USA)
All of these multinational companies have offices in various other countries, and in some cases manufacturing plants (such as Sanofi-Pasteur in Toronto, Canada).
MERCK: MMR MANUFACTURER
Merck is one of the 2 vaccine manufacturers of the MMR vaccine (Measles-Mumps-Rubella) together with British GlaxoSmithKline (GSK).
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ABOUT INNOVATIVE MEDICINES CANADA: PHARMA LOBBY
(Quote:)
“Innovative Medicines Canada is the national voice of Canada’s innovative pharmaceutical industry. We advocate for policies that enable the discovery, development and commercialization of innovative medicines and vaccines”…. And “We play an active role in breaking down and analyzing current events in the healthcare industry for our members, policy influencers and the Canadian public.”
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WHO VISITED?
MERCK LOBBYISTS:
From Montreal/ Kirkland, main office:
- (Belgian) Anna van Acker, Director Merck Canada
- Jennifer Chan: Vice President Policy and External Affairs
- Heidi Waser: Vice-President Hospital and Specialty Care
- Manon Lafontaine : Vice-President Patient Access
- Octavio Rego: Director Policy and External Affairs
- Heidi Waser: Vice-President Hospital and Specialty Care
- Sean Kinney: Associate Director Patient Access * Chad Jarema : Associate Specialty Operations & Services
From Nova Scotia:
- Sean Awalt: Associate Director Policy and External Affairs Canada (Halifax, Atlantic provinces account)
- Leo Van Dijk, Director Patient Access Merck, Dartmouth Nova Scotia * Doug Samuelson, Associate Director, Atlantic Public/ Private Drug Plans
Before May 8th and 9th:
March 11th
- Robert Sutherland, Executive Director Government Affairs of Innovative Medicines Canada (visits NB’s Ministry of Health)
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ICM LOBBYISTS:
From Ottawa office:
- Pamela Frelick, President
- Alison German, Vice-President Corporate Communications and Public Affairs IMC From Halifax office
- * Cheryl Stewart-Walsh: Director, Atlantic Canada at Innovative Medicines Canada – (Halifax base) (follow-up visit June 20th)
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REASONS FOR LOBBYING IN NB
(quoting the lobby registry:)
MERCK:
“Representation relating to conditions under which innovative drugs and vaccines are marketed and reimbursed in NB, including under the NB Drug Plans and Formulary or under federal legislation.
More specifically, representations are made
- TO SUPPORT A FAVOURABLE and knowledgeable environment to IMPLEMENT NEW
OR IMPROVE CURRENT IMMUNIZATION PROGRAMS,
- the integrations of biosimilar drugs into the NB Drug Plans and Formulary and * to emphasize the importance that the federal and prov. gov’ts respect their respective jurisdiction with respect to the approval, marketing and reimbursement of drugs.
MC’s objective is to preserve a regulatory framework which CREATE A FAVOURABLE BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT for the development of the life science sector, including innovative drugs, biosimilar drugs and VACCINES, which are the company’s main sectors of activities.”
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ICM/ PHARMA CANADA
“Goal: To discuss collaboratively health and PHARMACEUTICAL OPPORTUNITIES
(including pharmaceutical investments and other economic development opportunities) and policy decisions that will support the objectives of the government of New Brunswick.”
“The focus is on increasing the NB government’s commitment to providing residents with access to medications.”
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PRECEDING VISITS (before May 8th):
PROMOTING A VACCINE REGISTRY?
MARCH/ APRIL 2019
On March 11th
Robert Sutherland, Executive Director Government Affairs of Innovative Medicines Canada visits NB’s Ministry of Health
On March 25th
Dennis Burnside, from Capitol Hill, representing Sanofi-Pasteur, visits the Ministry of Health
On April 5th
Shawn White , Director Patient Access, GlaxoSmithKline visits NB, the Ministry of Finance (not Education?).
On April 10th
CBC writes that Minister of Education Dominic Cardy wants an accurate picture of who is vaccinated and who is not (Vaccine registry)
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SANOFI PASTEUR and GLAXOSMITHKLINE LOBBY
Vaccine manufacturers GlaxoSmithKline, and Sanofi Pasteur also visited New Brunswick’s public offices this Spring (quoting motives from lobby registry)
SANOFI PASTEUR:
visit: March 25th 2019
* Dennis Burnside, Capitol Hill Group Ottawa for SF:
*Which Members of the Legislative Assembly or senior public officials (name or title) do you intend to lobby and what is the focus of your lobbying activity?
- Minister of Health,
- Premier’s Office,
Seeking to raise awareness of vaccines and explore tendering opportunities”
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GLAXOSMITHKLINE
April 5th:
- Shawn White, MISSISSAUGA (Ontario)
“Minister of Health – Equitable Access to innovative medications for NB citizens, support for research and development
Minister of Economic development- Investment in research and development and support of the Life Sciences sector.” —————————–
August 6th:
- Stephen Burke GlaxoSmithKline Global, (Middlesex, ON)
“Focus is health care policy and medicines/vaccines…those MLAs/senior public officials that typically run programs or have a direct or indirect interest (or decision making) in that area. Some Examples include members of the drug plan team, the Public Health team or staff/senior folks within the Minister’s of Health office (or Minister him/herself.”
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SOURCES
Lobby registry New Brunswick: https://www.pxw1.snb.ca/snb9000/Product.aspx…
May 23rd:
https://atlantic.ctvnews.ca/video?clipId=1694654 https://www.cbc.ca/…/teachers-immunization-mandatory-cardy-… https://ca.news.yahoo.com/education-minister-mulls-mandator…