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Novel Coronavirus COVID-19 (nCoV-2019)
- Thread starter AlvinofDiaspar
- Start date
Northern Light
Superstar
Corporate welfare incoming for Sanofi, the French multi-national pharma company; under cover of building up vaccine production capacity.
www.thestar.com
I laud the idea of building vaccine production capacity; but if its coming with hundreds of millions in government dollars, it can flow to a public sector, non-profit outfit; and/or a Canadian for-profit company; in which
the government is getting a substantial equity stake for its capital!
Ottawa, province to kick in millions to help fund new vaccine manufacturing facility in Toronto
Wednesday’s announcement comes after severe criticism of the Canadian government’s slow vaccine roll-out, mainly due to the country’s limited manufacturing capacity.
www.thestar.com
I laud the idea of building vaccine production capacity; but if its coming with hundreds of millions in government dollars, it can flow to a public sector, non-profit outfit; and/or a Canadian for-profit company; in which
the government is getting a substantial equity stake for its capital!
picard102
Senior Member
Yes, older people got to live their 20's and 30's without year long shutdowns of social spaces.
They care less about the lockdowns as a result.
Depending on your definition of older, I would say that the “need” for social spaces has changed over the past couple of generations. There didn’t used to be a coffee shop on every corner, and going out for a meal was a treat, not a daily event. So while older people are missing social interaction just like everyone else, what they consider as a necessary social space may be different.
As we get older, our perceptions of what is essential and important can also shift
Family situations also have an impact. The millennials in my life with children have had quite different takes on this whole situation than those without.
And for me, this isn’t about me, it’s about we and all of us. I want my family and friends and people in general to be safe and healthy. I want them to avoid lingering health impacts. I subscribe to the short term pain for long term gain credo.
As we get older, our perceptions of what is essential and important can also shift
Family situations also have an impact. The millennials in my life with children have had quite different takes on this whole situation than those without.
And for me, this isn’t about me, it’s about we and all of us. I want my family and friends and people in general to be safe and healthy. I want them to avoid lingering health impacts. I subscribe to the short term pain for long term gain credo.
AlvinofDiaspar
Moderator
Corporate welfare incoming for Sanofi, the French multi-national pharma company; under cover of building up vaccine production capacity.
Ottawa, province to kick in millions to help fund new vaccine manufacturing facility in Toronto
Wednesday’s announcement comes after severe criticism of the Canadian government’s slow vaccine roll-out, mainly due to the country’s limited manufacturing capacity.
I laud the idea of building vaccine production capacity; but if its coming with hundreds of millions in government dollars, it can flow to a public sector, non-profit outfit; and/or a Canadian for-profit company; in which
the government is getting a substantial equity stake for its capital!
Other than the fill-and-finish facility (which is important) the proposal really doesn't have much if anything to do with COVID at all. Serious planning against pandemics will require more than these one-off flashy PR exercises.
AoD
lenaitch
Senior Member
Corporate welfare incoming for Sanofi, the French multi-national pharma company; under cover of building up vaccine production capacity.
Ottawa, province to kick in millions to help fund new vaccine manufacturing facility in Toronto
Wednesday’s announcement comes after severe criticism of the Canadian government’s slow vaccine roll-out, mainly due to the country’s limited manufacturing capacity.
I laud the idea of building vaccine production capacity; but if its coming with hundreds of millions in government dollars, it can flow to a public sector, non-profit outfit; and/or a Canadian for-profit company; in which
the government is getting a substantial equity stake for its capital!
The area confuses me a bit. Aren't we the people already funding the development/expansion of a Quebec-based biomedical production facility? Perhaps more than one is needed. I'm not sure there is such a thing as a not-for-profit player in this industry that is not simply a government entity.
(Edit to continue since it seems my computer went loopy . . . )
There also might be trade agreement implications for the creation of a state-level entity but that's beyond me. Besides, by the time the bureaucracy got around to creating one we will be halfway through the next crisis.
We have lamented the lack of domestic capacity in areas of strategic national interest in this and other areas. If we want corporations, who make decisions based on other factors, to set up shop here and prioritize our market, I think we have to sweeten the pot. As in many other areas, our population and geography seems to favour - at best - branch plant production in an era of global commerce. Like it or not, not providing public financial incentives to corporations in general would put us in the minority.
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Northern Light
Superstar
Yes.
I think so.
I was thinking of the manner in which former crown corporation Connaught Labs evolved out of U of T.
And how one could have a similar pseudo-public entity tied to a University or such.
Bottom line being, I'm just not a fan of subsidizing profit-making businesses.
We can achieve the same thing either through direct action (crown corporations/universities etc.) or by means of legislation.
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AlvinofDiaspar
Moderator
Call it a matter of national (bio)security - which it frankly is - and be done with it.
AoD
W. K. Lis
Superstar
If Canada still had its own vaccination manufacture, likely Canada would be able to make vaccines, not just for Canada itself, but for other countries, especially the third world countries as well.
But the Conservatives, in their "wisdom", sold it for the money we would get in return. That didn't last too long.
But the Conservatives, in their "wisdom", sold it for the money we would get in return. That didn't last too long.
karledice
Active Member
Corporate welfare incoming for Sanofi, the French multi-national pharma company; under cover of building up vaccine production capacity.
Ottawa, province to kick in millions to help fund new vaccine manufacturing facility in Toronto
Wednesday’s announcement comes after severe criticism of the Canadian government’s slow vaccine roll-out, mainly due to the country’s limited manufacturing capacity.
I laud the idea of building vaccine production capacity; but if its coming with hundreds of millions in government dollars, it can flow to a public sector, non-profit outfit; and/or a Canadian for-profit company; in which
the government is getting a substantial equity stake for its capital!
So we're finally thinking about our own production facility now
1 year after other G7 countries
Oh I forgot our plan was to collaborate with a CHINESE company to produce vaccines.
The same country that is holding our 2 citizen hostage
What a mess, incompetent PM, incompetent government that we as tax paying citizens have to wear the brunt of
Canada’s failed vaccine partnership with China: The ongoing search for transparency
AlvinofDiaspar
Moderator
That Sanofi facility always existed - the only thing is that it doesn't produce COVID vaccines (and Sanofi didn't have a viable vaccine yet). Which is the point - you can make bets, it doesn't mean whatever you worked on/contracted for will actually work.
AoD
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karledice
Active Member
You're correct it doesn't
But it would have been a better investment of tax payers money and energy than the Chinese vaccine partnership
We should have started investing in our own production facility which we are now instead of sinking into an unstable and unproven partnership
Well, the results speak for itself....once again thanks to a great PM
Canada’s failed vaccine partnership with China: The ongoing search for transparency
AlvinofDiaspar
Moderator
You are pivoting to make a point, which is fine - but it really doesn't have anything to do with this announcement, does it?
AoD
karledice
Active Member
Yes, correct, the point it it is a welcoming change and a step in the right direction, albeit a late one
That is why we're so behind in vaccination rates
lenaitch
Senior Member
Fair point. Other nations tend to play that card more than we do.
Fair point as well, although as I understand it, not all of the vaccines currently in circulation are the new RNA-based technology but are the more 'traditional' types (he said not knowing the first thing about vaccines). It is possible that a biomedical facility of any type might be more capable of ramping up than one starting from scratch.
Forecasting is always going to be a bit of a Mug's Game. The challenge has always been to monetize or commercialize applied clinical research. Having industry do it can be a minefield, like where we have seen allegations of the oil and gas industry in the US funding environmental research.
I suppose if we could ironclad an equity stake in the related for-profit industry that public money backstops then it could work but imagine it is a often a competitive market; we want 10% but country B offers 15, and we seem to have difficulty enforcing such conditions if the company simply pulls up stakes after the cheque clears.
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