The Canadian Public Health Agency has come under a great deal of questioning after it declared that it has decided against building the pilot HIV vaccine-manufacturing plant.

The Head of the Agency, Dr. David Butler-Jones had to bear the brunt of this decision as he faced a grueling question- answer session at the House of Commons Health Committee. The Health Agency resolved not to undertake the building of the plant last month.

Butler- Jones defended the agency’s decision by explaining that all four final bidders of the plant failed to fulfill a necessary condition. None of them could prove that they were capable of self sustenance after the plant was built.

Adding to this, he claimed that data from a study conducted by the Gates Foundation, Canada’s partner in CHVI, showed that existing facilities had the capacity to produce research vaccines that would demonstrate to be sufficient for clinical trials.

Butler- Jones was offended by NDP Health Critic Judy Wasylycia-Leis’s criticism that pointed out that bidders had spent up to $2 Million on the process of bidding. He answered, "There was a fair and open process with appropriate evaluation and you're suggesting somehow I would alter that or somehow the minister altered that".