Evidence of meeting #56 for Health in the 40th Parliament, 3rd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was million.
A recording is available from Parliament.
4:05 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Joy Smith
Thank you, Madam Minister.
I understand there are two more minutes left.
Ms. Duncan, I understand you have a question.
4:05 p.m.
Liberal
Kirsty Duncan Liberal Etobicoke North, ON
Yes. Thank you, Madam Chair, and thank you, Minister.
The pandemic budget renewal was not in the budget. Can you tell me what has happened? Please give a short answer.
4:05 p.m.
Conservative
Leona Aglukkaq Conservative Nunavut, NU
The pandemic contract amount, I believe, was $500 million over 10 years.
4:05 p.m.
Dr. David Butler-Jones Chief Public Health Officer, Public Health Agency of Canada
We can get you that detail. There will be a press release in the morning.
4:05 p.m.
Liberal
Kirsty Duncan Liberal Etobicoke North, ON
Okay.
Minister, why don't you enforce the Tobacco Act for all tobacco products?
4:10 p.m.
Conservative
Leona Aglukkaq Conservative Nunavut, NU
Thank you, Madam Chair.
We are committed to working and implementing the new legislation that has been approved by the House. The enforcement piece is being rolled out with new resources and whatnot.
4:10 p.m.
Liberal
Kirsty Duncan Liberal Etobicoke North, ON
It's not for all tobacco products. Why aren't we taking action on all tobacco products?
4:10 p.m.
Conservative
Leona Aglukkaq Conservative Nunavut, NU
In terms of the products that are covered in the legislation, we are enforcing that.
4:10 p.m.
Glenda Yeates Deputy Minister, Department of Health
Madam Chair, as the minister noted, we have a tobacco enforcement compliance and enforcement regime. We are enforcing the legislation—
4:10 p.m.
Liberal
4:10 p.m.
Deputy Minister, Department of Health
Our compliance and enforcement officers work in conjunction with those from the RCMP, the Canada Border Services Agency, and others to make sure we are working as a group.
The issue of illegal activity is something we hand over to the RCMP. Criminal activity is not something that our compliance and enforcement officers are able to deal with, but we work in conjunction with our other partners, who have that law enforcement capability.
4:10 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Joy Smith
Thank you, Mr. Dosanjh and Dr. Duncan.
We'll now go to Monsieur Malo.
4:10 p.m.
Bloc
Luc Malo Bloc Verchères—Les Patriotes, QC
Thank you very much, Madam Chair.
Welcome everyone to the committee's last meeting. Madam Minister, thank you for being here. Welcome. I would also like to thank all of your officials who are here with you today.
I want to begin by reading an excerpt from page 165 of the main estimates for 2011-12. It describes the votes for this year. I will read you the two paragraphs that outline the main estimates under the heading of Assisted Human Reproduction Agency of Canada:
The Assisted Human Reproduction Agency of Canada is estimating expenditures of $10.6 million in 2011-12. Of this amount, $9.9 million requires approval by Parliament. The remaining $628.6 thousand represents statutory forecasts that do not require additional approval and are provided for information purposes.
The last paragraph is where it gets interesting:
In total, the department is estimating an increase of $31.2 thousand, or 0.3% from previous Main Estimates.
Madam Minister, could you please explain why the main estimates for the Assisted Human Reproduction Agency of Canada have increased for the upcoming year, when the Supreme Court of Canada ruled in favour of Quebec on December 23, 2010 with respect to its challenge of the Assisted Human Reproduction Act? The judgment states that the federal government does not have the right to regulate human infertility research or medical practices.
Madam Minister, why did the person who calculated these votes for the Assisted Human Reproduction Agency of Canada not take into account the Supreme Court of Canada ruling? Why have the estimates gone up?
4:10 p.m.
Conservative
Leona Aglukkaq Conservative Nunavut, NU
Thank you, Madam Chair.
As a member, I may be aware, through discussions with the assisted human reproduction members, that we have not spent the full $10 million since the inception of the agency. In fact, every year they've been spending less than $6 million annually.
Now that we have the Supreme Court ruling with regard to assisted human reproduction, we will be looking at restructuring that organization, and I welcome your input. In terms of the final dollar figures, this was before that. We're well aware of the Supreme Court ruling.
That was the allocated budget. But it has been less than $6 million annually since it started. Now we need to revisit that, in light of the Supreme Court decision.
Thank you.
4:10 p.m.
Bloc
Luc Malo Bloc Verchères—Les Patriotes, QC
Madam Minister, are you telling us that it will nevertheless cost $6 million to perform two functions, in other words, providing the public with general information on assisted human reproduction and obtaining advice on the matter? How much will that cost next year? Will you do $6 million worth of advertising?
4:15 p.m.
Conservative
Leona Aglukkaq Conservative Nunavut, NU
Thank you, Madam Chair.
What I stated was that on average it was about $6 million to $5 million they were spending while waiting for the court ruling. We have received the Supreme Court ruling. We are examining it. We are talking to stakeholders in terms of the role of the Assisted Human Reproduction Agency.
In terms of your question about what they will spend next year, I can't answer until we work through this process of evaluating the recent decision of the Supreme Court and have stakeholder consultations.
4:15 p.m.
Bloc
Luc Malo Bloc Verchères—Les Patriotes, QC
What will the agency do in the next few months?
Madam Minister, as you are aware, there were questions about the relevance of some of the agency's expenditures in previous fiscal years.
Did you ask the agency to hold off on any further spending until you had made a decision regarding its future?
4:15 p.m.
Conservative
Leona Aglukkaq Conservative Nunavut, NU
Thank you, Madam Chair.
As I stated before, we are reviewing the Supreme Court ruling and what that means to the current legislation that's in place. To do that, we're also consulting with a number of the stakeholders we have been working with.
I think the members are well aware that during the time certain provisions were being considered by the Supreme Court, the agency continued to deliver on other responsibilities in the legislation that were not before the courts.
As I stated before, we are talking to our stakeholders to see what this ruling means, and we'll be looking to see how we will restructure that. In terms of your question on timelines, I don't know when we'll get through that, but we will continue.