Evidence of meeting #152 for Finance in the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was provinces.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Conservative
Tom Kmiec Conservative Calgary Shepard, AB
Is the withholding common? You mentioned two provinces. Does it happen every year that provinces have certain amounts withheld? There were withheld amounts in March 2018. Is this an annual thing that happens?
Executive Director, Canada Health Act Division, Strategic Policy Branch, Department of Health
It all depends on whether there are patient charges in the provinces or not. If there are, yes, then deductions are taken. If there are no patient charges in any of the jurisdictions, then there are no deductions.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Wayne Easter
Simply put, it's to make sure that people abide by the Canada Health Act, right?
Executive Director, Canada Health Act Division, Strategic Policy Branch, Department of Health
That's right, and as I said, it's to provide a positive incentive in addition to the negative incentive of having the deduction in the first place.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Wayne Easter
Okay. I don't believe there are any further questions.
Just as a note to the committee, we are out of our allocated time for this. On the rest of the divisions, do any committee members anticipate having a lot of discussions on any of them? Is there a major area that's going to take half an hour or more? I ask because we can go into this evening, but if we do, we need to realize that we have about 25 public servants whose lives this evening are already planned, and whom I know will come if we ask them to. But if we don't need to, then we don't need to.
I guess what I'm asking is if we can get through the other 14 or 15 divisions from of 3:30 to 5:30 on Thursday. Do you think we can, or do you think we can't?
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Wayne Easter
We can't be absolutely sure. Previously, when we started clause-by-clause, we invited officials for the divisions. Before we start clause-by-clause on Tuesday the 22nd, we can do that as well.
I'm asking do we need to meet into this evening?
Liberal
Liberal
Liberal
Michael McLeod Liberal Northwest Territories, NT
Mr. Chair, we are at division 3, and there are 20 divisions.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Wayne Easter
We do, but we go through the divisions fairly fast. We could meet for an hour this evening after votes. I just hate jeopardizing the lives of public servants, but I am sure they will be willing to come.
Liberal
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Wayne Easter
I'm willing to go to midnight, but I just don't want to jeopardize the lives of public servants. Midnight is after Raj's bedtime, so we'll have to stop before that. So we'll meet from 6:30 until 8. The clerk will see what he can do with some of the divisions. We might not go in order because there may be some people who can't come tonight.
So we'll meet again tonight at 6:30.
