Health Committee on March 10th, 2026

[The Vice-Chair, Conservative, Dan Mazier]

I call this meeting to order.

Welcome, everyone, to meeting 24 of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Health. Today's meeting is taking place in a hybrid format, pursuant to the Standing Orders.

I would like to remind participants of the following points. For those participating by video conference, click on the microphone icon to activate your mic, and please mute yourself when you are not speaking. I remind you that all comments should be made through the chair.

Pursuant to Standing Order 108(2) and the motion adopted by the committee on Tuesday, September 23, 2025, the committee shall commence its study on Canada's pharmaceutical sovereignty.

I would like to welcome our witnesses today. We have, from Apotex, Jeff Watson, president and chief executive officer; as an individual, Michel Bouvier, professor; Julian M. Somers, full professor, by video conference; from the Canadian Generic Pharmaceutical Association, Jim Keon, president, and Jody Cox, vice-president; from the Canadian Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Exporters Alliance, Terry Creighton, president; and from Innovative Medicines Canada, Bettina Hamelin, president and CEO, and Michael Dietrich, vice-president, market access and policy, by video conference.

Welcome, everyone. We have quite a list lined up for this afternoon.

Yes, sir, go ahead.

[Maxime Blanchette-Joncas, Bloc, Rimouski—La Matapédia, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

First of all, I want to congratulate you. You're doing a very good job as vice-chair filling in as chair.

Let me ask my colleagues for unanimous consent. It's just a technicality, but it's important for us to make sure that the committee works as well as possible.

I would like to submit a request to the committee that the committee meetings be divided into two one-hour blocks and that a maximum of three witnesses per hour be allowed to testify at subsequent meetings.

[The Vice-Chair, Conservative, Dan Mazier]

I believe that was the agreement we made. Is the committee in agreement with that?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[The Vice-Chair, Conservative, Dan Mazier]

It was by unanimous consent, so we will adjust accordingly, Clerk.

Go ahead, Mr. Strauss.

[Matt Strauss, Conservative, Kitchener South—Hespeler, ON]

Chair, we had Grifols, the pharmaceutical company, on our work list to appear today. I'm wondering whether you or the clerk could advise us as to why they aren't here today.

[The Vice-Chair, Conservative, Dan Mazier]

They have declined.

[Matt Strauss, Conservative, Kitchener South—Hespeler, ON]

Chair, that was my suspicion, so, given that, I have a motion to summon the president or some other representative of Grifols to our committee to testify.

[The Vice-Chair, Conservative, Dan Mazier]

Can you send that around?

[Matt Strauss, Conservative, Kitchener South—Hespeler, ON]

It has been sent around.

[The Vice-Chair, Conservative, Dan Mazier]

Go ahead, please.

[Matt Strauss, Conservative, Kitchener South—Hespeler, ON]

The motion is:

Given that Grifols and Grifols Canada has declined the committee’s invitation to appear at its study on Canada’s Pharmaceutical Sovereignty, the committee summon Mary Hughes, Vice President of Commercial Operations for Grifols Canada, to appear no later than March 27, 2026.

[The Vice-Chair, Conservative, Dan Mazier]

Go ahead, Ms. Chi.

[Maggie Chi, Liberal, Don Valley North, ON]

We haven't received it by email yet. Can you send it around?

Can we pause, Chair?

[The Vice-Chair, Conservative, Dan Mazier]

We shall pause.

[The Vice-Chair, Conservative, Dan Mazier]

We're back.

Go ahead, Ms. Chi.

[Maggie Chi, Liberal, Don Valley North, ON]

Could I make a wording suggestion for the motion to clarify that this will be part a panel of witnesses?

Clerk, would you be able to make that revision? On top of summoning Grifols and Grifols Canada, clarify that they will be summoned, but they will be part of a panel of witnesses, as part of the pharmaceutical sovereignty study.

[Matt Strauss, Conservative, Kitchener South—Hespeler, ON]

I think she would have unanimous consent to make that revision.

[The Vice-Chair, Conservative, Dan Mazier]

Go ahead, Ms. Jaczek.

[Helena Jaczek, Liberal, Markham—Stouffville, ON]

Thank you, Chair.

Could I ask the member opposite why this rather extreme measure is seen to be necessary, from his point of view? I'm relatively new to this committee, so maybe I missed something.

[Matt Strauss, Conservative, Kitchener South—Hespeler, ON]

Welcome to the committee.

I think the reason they declined the invitation to come is that they were in the news quite a bit with regard to selling blood product that was donated to Canadian Blood Services abroad for profit. That is contrary to both the policy of Canadian Blood Services and the promise that Canadian Blood Services made to the donors. I think it speaks directly to Canadian pharmaceutical sovereignty if Canadians' blood is literally being drained and sold abroad for profit.

I am not surprised that they declined their invitation to discuss that with us. I think what they're doing is relatively extreme. I don't think the invitation or the summons is extreme.

[Maggie Chi, Liberal, Don Valley North, ON]

Thank you, Chair. By the way, you're doing an excellent job. It's good to see you. I meant to say that at the beginning.

I'm just wondering if we can invite them. I remember that last time we did invite. Summoning is quite an extreme measure. I'm happy to revisit summoning. I'm just wondering if Matt is open to re-inviting.

[Matt Strauss, Conservative, Kitchener South—Hespeler, ON]

No, thank you. I don't think other invitations are any more likely to be accepted than the one already sent out.

[The Vice-Chair, Conservative, Dan Mazier]

Just to recap, when we invited the University of Toronto, they at least tried to reach out. They said there was some kind of miscommunication. Ultimately, we had to summon them anyway.

This will at least get their attention. They will get to a higher degree of whoever is going to end up getting summoned to the committee.

[Maggie Chi, Liberal, Don Valley North, ON]

Okay. Thank you.