Finance Committee on Feb. 28th, 2022

[Ed Fast, Conservative, Abbotsford, BC]

I would just ask for clarification of Mr. Beech. He has included the words “the number of payments made”.

Mr. Beech, are you referring to the actual amount of payments? How would we actually know what the amount of the payments were if you're just referring to the number of payments made? You could say a payment was made to that province, that province, and that province, and the fourth one got, say, three payments, but we'll never know exactly how large those payments were, at least on a quarterly basis. Perhaps you have some clarification as to what was intended.

[Terry Beech, Liberal, Burnaby North—Seymour, BC]

“Number of and total” could correct that, I guess. The major concern we have is making sure that the individual.... There's no way for individuals to figure out which individual companies...what their per-unit basis is. As long as we're qualifying that, I think everything else is fair game. We could add “total amount” to that, and I think it would be fine. I hope that provides clarity for you, but the intention is what you stated, Mr. Fast.

[Ed Fast, Conservative, Abbotsford, BC]

The way that would then read, it would say, “prepare a report setting out the number and amount of payments made under subsection (1)”. Am I correct?

[Terry Beech, Liberal, Burnaby North—Seymour, BC]

I just have one small correction. It would be “total amount”, because we wouldn't want it to be confused with individual amounts.

[The Chair, Liberal, Peter Fonseca]

I'll look to the legislative clerk.

Could you just explain for clarity?

[Jacques Maziade]

Just to clarify, is it “setting out the total amount of the number”?

[Terry Beech, Liberal, Burnaby North—Seymour, BC]

I think it would be “the number of and total amount of payments made under subsection (1)”.

[Jacques Maziade]

Let me read this back for the committee, please. We will say: “the Minister of Health must prepare a report setting out the number of and total amount of payments made under subsection (1)”.

[The Chair, Liberal, Peter Fonseca]

Is that all right with Mr. Blaikie? It's his amendment.

[Terry Beech, Liberal, Burnaby North—Seymour, BC]

It's a friendly subamendment.

[Daniel Blaikie, NDP, Elmwood—Transcona, MB]

This may just be an aesthetic preference, but I wonder if we might say “prepare a report setting out the number of payments made and the total amount paid under subsection (1)”.

[Terry Beech, Liberal, Burnaby North—Seymour, BC]

That is also acceptable.

[The Chair, Liberal, Peter Fonseca]

We'll make sure we capture that.

[Daniel Blaikie, NDP, Elmwood—Transcona, MB]

The fact that it rhymes is a little bonus. I can't take credit for having planned that out.

I don't know if you can make it rhyme in the French, as well, for Monsieur Ste-Marie, but I'm sure we would all be impressed if that were possible.

[The Chair, Liberal, Peter Fonseca]

I'm looking around and I don't see any further discussion. Shall we call the vote here on this subamendment?

[Dan Albas, Conservative, Central Okanagan—Similkameen—Nicola, BC]

Agreed.

(Subamendment agreed to)

[The Chair, Liberal, Peter Fonseca]

On the amendment, shall NDP-2 carry as amended?

(Amendment as amended agreed to [See Minutes of Proceedings])

[The Chair, Liberal, Peter Fonseca]

Shall clause 46 carry?

(Clause 46 as amended agreed to on division)

[The Chair, Liberal, Peter Fonseca]

Now we have a new clause, 46.1.

[Daniel Blaikie, NDP, Elmwood—Transcona, MB]

Mr. Chair, in respect of this amendment NDP-3 and given our advice on the admissibility of the amendment and the discussion around NDP-1, I won't move this amendment.

[The Chair, Liberal, Peter Fonseca]

Okay. Thank you, MP Blaikie.

Shall clause 47 carry?

(Clause 47 agreed to on division)

[Daniel Blaikie, NDP, Elmwood—Transcona, MB]

Mr. Chair, may I say something?

[The Chair, Liberal, Peter Fonseca]

Go ahead, MP Blaikie.

[Daniel Blaikie, NDP, Elmwood—Transcona, MB]

My understanding is that there aren't any other amendments foreseen. I wonder if we might have unanimous consent to carry the other clauses of the bill on division.

[Ed Fast, Conservative, Abbotsford, BC]

No.