Evidence of meeting #19 for Health in the 40th Parliament, 3rd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was estimates.
A recording is available from Parliament.
9:30 a.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Joy Smith
Can I word it for you, then? All right.
The clerk will extend an invitation to the minister to come any time she's available within the next six-week period. It would read:
That the Committee invite the Minister of Health to appear on Supplementary Estimates (A) between June 8, 2010 and June 22, 2010.
Is that agreed?
Ms. Murray.
9:30 a.m.
Liberal
Joyce Murray Liberal Vancouver Quadra, BC
I'd like to suggest that if the current subject that's being replaced is on June 10, let's invite her for that date. Let's request that she come on June 10, and if that's not possible, then another day. If we already have witnesses on other days, we don't necessarily want to bump them if the date we'd prefer is available for her.
9:30 a.m.
Conservative
Patrick Brown Conservative Barrie, ON
First of all, I don't think we should assume that the date we're replacing is designated for nanotechnology. I know there are witnesses who will be available for nanotechnology, who have been suggested. As Mr. Sweet said, it's important to get an introduction to a topic we're interested in. But I realize that this is the only topic that has not been suggested by Ms. Bennett, so it's her preference not to deal with it.
I have been told that for the minister's presence, realistically, June 8 or June 10 would be too quick. If we're going to get her in, it would be the following week. By specifying June 10, we'd handcuff ourselves. It would be better just to say that we will accommodate the minister's schedule within our next six meetings.
9:30 a.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Joy Smith
A lot is going to depend on the minister's schedule.
I'll read the motion again. It gives the best possibility for her to come:
That the Committee invite the Minister of Health to appear on Supplementary Estimates (A) between June 8, 2010 and June 22, 2010.
9:30 a.m.
An hon. member
June 17.
9:30 a.m.
Conservative
9:30 a.m.
Liberal
9:30 a.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Joy Smith
Is that agreed, everybody?
(Amendment agreed to)
Okay, put June 17.
So we'll read it again:
That the Committee invite the Minister of Health to appear on Supplementary Estimates (A) between June 8, 2010 and June 17, 2010.
Are you all in agreement to that? Raise your hands.
(Motion as amended agreed to)
It's carried.
I want to make an announcement on the breakfast that's coming up, the drugs for rare diseases round table. I want you to know that Ms. Murray will be chairing that breakfast meeting. The format of the session is an interactive round table. It is meant to allow discussion and feedback in a more informal setting. The round table will start with short introductions from the invited guests, five minutes each. An open seating plan is proposed that intersperses participants and MPs in order to encourage an open and free-flowing discussion. So members will not sit in their normal places.
Dr. Bennett, you had your hand up.
9:35 a.m.
Liberal
Carolyn Bennett Liberal St. Paul's, ON
I hadn't realized that the title was so specific as “drugs for rare diseases”. I think a number of the witnesses will be talking about the need for radiopharmaceuticals. So it is a round table on the treatment of rare diseases and access for persons with rare diseases.
9:35 a.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Joy Smith
Actually, the group that is organizing this breakfast gave that title.
9:35 a.m.
Liberal
Carolyn Bennett Liberal St. Paul's, ON
That's fine, except we're the committee, and we've also invited other witnesses other than that organization. Jean-Luc Urbain, the patients with neuro-endocrine tumours that are not treated by drugs, they're treated by radiopharmaceuticals; they are also coming.
9:35 a.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Joy Smith
The official title is “briefing on rare disorders”, so we could use that.
9:35 a.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Joy Smith
Is it all agreed that the title will be changed? Or we don't need agreement on that; we'll go ahead.
Let's go in camera now. We will be doing our report.
[Proceedings continue in camera]