WEBVTT 00:00:00.635 --> 00:00:07.566 [HIGH ENERGY DANCE MUSIC...] 00:00:13.905 --> 00:00:16.682 Good afternoon. LaLi Mohamed here from Deviant Productions 00:00:16.682 --> 00:00:20.260 where we join you today in one of the busiest intersections in Toronto, 00:00:20.260 --> 00:00:22.152 Dundas Square. 00:00:22.937 --> 00:00:28.724 [HIGH ENERGY DANCE MUSIC...] 00:00:35.755 --> 00:00:41.559 Community members and a coalition of students gathered today to protest Canada's ongoing failure 00:00:41.559 --> 00:00:45.494 to increase accessibility to HIV medicine. 00:00:46.310 --> 00:00:48.463 A "die in" is taking place 00:00:48.463 --> 00:00:50.190 where members hope to shed light 00:00:50.190 --> 00:00:55.844 not only on the many lives lost because of lack of accessibility to this medicine, 00:00:55.844 --> 00:01:01.078 but also to push for motion bill 393 to pass. 00:01:02.263 --> 00:01:06.525 Uh, about two years ago, a bill called Bill c393 was passed 00:01:06.525 --> 00:01:09.011 as a private members bill in parliament, 00:01:09.011 --> 00:01:10.891 and we really want to ensure that it survives, 00:01:10.891 --> 00:01:14.593 that it is amended, and that it includes a one license solution. 00:01:15.024 --> 00:01:18.126 Some of you may know that the key part of this bill 00:01:18.126 --> 00:01:21.767 is to make it easier to get low cost generic drugs to developing countries. 00:01:21.844 --> 00:01:26.992 And that key part was actually taken out by a parliamentary committee a couple of weeks ago. 00:01:26.992 --> 00:01:30.483 So we need to now keep pressure on our MPs to get it put back in the bill 00:01:30.483 --> 00:01:32.000 and then get the bill passed. 00:01:32.185 --> 00:01:34.798 We're all going to rush to the centre and we're gonna drop down. 00:01:34.798 --> 00:01:38.801 We're gonna stay in that position until we get the signal to get back up, 00:01:38.801 --> 00:01:42.881 we move back to our corners and then we'll repeat this again when the next scramble is on. 00:01:43.589 --> 00:01:49.906 [HIGH ENERGY DANCE MUSIC...] 00:02:24.152 --> 00:02:50.228 [CHANTING: WHAT DO WE WANT? ACCESS! WHEN DO WE WANT IT? NOW!...] 00:02:50.351 --> 00:02:56.153 We're now with Richard Elliot, the Executive Director of the Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network. 00:02:56.153 --> 00:02:57.642 Um, Richard, what are we doing here tonight? 00:02:57.642 --> 00:02:59.699 We've been "dying in" in the middle of this intersection 00:02:59.699 --> 00:03:04.204 to call attention to the fact that parliament needs to take action on a bill that's in front of it 00:03:04.204 --> 00:03:06.921 that will help get access to more affordable drugs for people with AIDS 00:03:06.921 --> 00:03:09.962 and other health problems in developing countries. 00:03:09.962 --> 00:03:12.981 There seemed to be a lot of Canadian support in passing the bill, 00:03:12.981 --> 00:03:14.736 why do you think there is resistance from the government? 00:03:14.736 --> 00:03:16.327 [Tim McCaskell, AIDS Action Now! member] 00:03:16.327 --> 00:03:20.192 I think the government, uh, is in the pocket of the brand name pharmaceutical industry 00:03:20.192 --> 00:03:21.480 that doesn't want this passed 00:03:21.480 --> 00:03:23.673 because it gives them more leverage to sell their higher proced drugs. 00:03:23.704 --> 00:03:25.148 [Jolene Cushman, Die-in organizer] 00:03:25.148 --> 00:03:27.552 There's been a lot of resistance about companies being able to reduce 00:03:27.552 --> 00:03:29.932 to make more money, um, 00:03:29.932 --> 00:03:32.486 there have been arguments about there not being enough infrastructure, 00:03:32.486 --> 00:03:35.173 or, that there, they think there's other systemic factors that are gonna get in the way. 00:03:35.173 --> 00:03:36.810 But honestly? 00:03:36.810 --> 00:03:39.734 Being able to produce and export these drugs will make a difference. 00:03:40.041 --> 00:03:42.408 What's the Canadian consciousness right now on the bill? 00:03:42.408 --> 00:03:43.961 Like, do people want to support it? 00:03:43.961 --> 00:03:45.874 Or do they want to deny it? 00:03:45.874 --> 00:03:47.811 Well, about a year ago actually, there was a national poll done 00:03:47.811 --> 00:03:51.924 by a number of organizations that work on global health and development issues, 00:03:51.924 --> 00:03:55.230 and they found that 80% of Canadians support parliament taking action. 00:03:55.938 --> 00:04:00.443 What does this mean, uh, for the lives of people infected and affected by HIV/AIDS? 00:04:00.443 --> 00:04:05.754 Well, uh, it's proven that anti retrovirals make a huge difference, um, 00:04:05.754 --> 00:04:10.521 there's a huge incidence of childhood infection of HIV and AIDS, 00:04:10.521 --> 00:04:14.799 and 50% of those children will die by the age of 2, 00:04:14.799 --> 00:04:18.720 but anti-retroviral medications can save lives of 75% of those children. 00:04:18.981 --> 00:04:22.548 From today until, um, this week or next week when the bill is passed, 00:04:22.548 --> 00:04:26.070 what can, sort of, Torontonians and Canadians do? 00:04:26.070 --> 00:04:29.580 I think you should be phoning your, uh, federal members of parliament, 00:04:29.580 --> 00:04:31.094 telling them you back this bill, 00:04:31.094 --> 00:04:32.822 and telling them to, uh, do everything they can 00:04:32.822 --> 00:04:36.852 to make sure that the, uh, bill is amended the way that it needs to be done 00:04:36.852 --> 00:04:39.034 to make it effective, and that it gets passed. 00:04:39.034 --> 99:59:59.999 [HIGH ENERGY DANCE MUSIC...]