Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to present this petition on CCSVI.

There is real concern among the community that, while the government fast-tracked a drug which was known to cause a fatal brain infection and has now infected 232 people and killed 49 people and another drug which has killed 15 people, the government is reticent about clinical trials for venous angioplasty which is performed across the country.

There is also concern that a parallel process is being created, one in which the government says that it will undertake clinical trials, while a key CIHR panellist appears to actively work to prevent this.

The petitioners call upon the Minister of Health to undertake phase III clinical trials on an urgent basis in multiple centres across Canada.

Kirsty Duncan Etobicoke North, ON