Finance Committee on May 28th, 2026

[Jake Sawatzky, Liberal, New Westminster—Burnaby—Maillardville, BC]

Thank you very much. I appreciate those insights.

My next question is for Mr. Boston with the Canadian Men's Health Foundation.

In my riding of New Westminster—Burnaby—Maillardville, I have many unionized trades workers. I often hear about the pressures they face from burnouts and mental health challenges with high-stress work environments. At the same time, the government recently announced the team Canada strong initiative, including a $6-billion investment to recruit, train and hire up to 100,000 new Red Seal workers. As we make these major investments, it's also important that budget 2026 have some dedicated mental health supports for these workers to ensure that they can remain resilient.

I just wanted to get your insight, Mr. Boston, on the importance of investing in supports through the workforce, so that people can live happy and healthy lives.

[Kenton Boston]

Thank you very much, MP Sawatzky.

It's nice to see all of you this morning.

Yes, indeed, that is the critical linchpin as we build Canada stronger. We know our challenges for keeping the workforce and the challenges in finding workers, specifically for skilled labour and trades. It's critical for us. We know the impact of the suicide rate on our society.

We're developing programs right now that really support people in the trades. We're working with unions, with companies and with organizations. For us, it's about making sure that we get our services to the people on the front lines and deliver it to them in a way that resonates.

We're looking for funding right now for a peer-to-peer network. That network is going to be built by tradespeople for tradespeople. It's not tied to a health insurance program, to government or even to an organization. It's people that are in the trades supporting each other as they go through life, not only on the job but after the job.

I'm loving the conversation this morning about making sure there's a medical system that supports people, specifically those in the trades and young people. As it's been articulated this morning, the biggest challenge is getting them into the system. That's where we really feel this idea of a peer network tied to people in the trades that works with them after they're off the job, whether it's at seven o'clock at night or two o'clock in the morning as they're looking to get up in three hours so they can do it all over again....

That's the joy of what we're trying to build. We're asking for the country to come together to make sure we understand people on the front lines.

[Jake Sawatzky, Liberal, New Westminster—Burnaby—Maillardville, BC]

Thanks, Kenton.

I have about 20 seconds left.

Could you speak to the return on investment of investing in these upstream supports?

[Kenton Boston]

Right now we are working with programs that have a 5:1 investment and a 4:1 investment. That means every dollar spent saves four dollars or five dollars. It's an enormous opportunity to spend money, make money and preserve lives in Canada.

[Jake Sawatzky, Liberal, New Westminster—Burnaby—Maillardville, BC]

Thank you very much, Chair. Do I have any more time?

[The Chair, Liberal, Karina Gould]

No, that's all. Thank you very much, Mr. Sawatzky.

Mr. Garon, you now have the floor for six minutes.

[Jean-Denis Garon, Bloc, Mirabel, QC]

Thank you, Madam Chair.

I'd like to welcome and thank all the witnesses for being with us today.

Dr. Burnell, you state in your brief that last year, your organization, the Canadian Medical Association, stressed the need to eliminate interprovincial barriers to physician mobility by harmonizing professional requirements.

In your opinion, are Quebec's language requirements on knowledge of French and the ability to speak it an interprovincial barrier?

[Margot Burnell]

With respect to Quebec, we respect the provincial authority to decide on its own linguistic standards. However, having to be proficient in French.... It may not be the most common second language for many people at this point in the country.

I come from a province that is officially bilingual—New Brunswick—so I understand the complexities of care with respect to that.

[Jean-Denis Garon, Bloc, Mirabel, QC]

I'm having a hard time understanding your answer. Could you just give me a yes or no?

According to the Canadian Medical Association, are Quebec's French requirements an interprovincial barrier, yes or no?

[Margot Burnell]

We respect the province in making its own decisions in this regard.

[Jean-Denis Garon, Bloc, Mirabel, QC]

They're not an interprovincial barrier, by the way, with all due respect to the members of your organization.

Wage negotiations were held recently between doctors and the Government of Quebec. A premier of Ontario got involved in those negotiations. He gave his personal phone number to doctors in Quebec and invited them to leave Quebec and come to Ontario if they were unhappy.

Do you think this type of behaviour on the part of a premier is likely to improve relations between the provinces and encourage them to reduce interprovincial barriers?

[Margot Burnell]

I would suggest that the issue arose with respect to lack of communication and discussion at the grassroots level in helping the government to achieve its primary objective, which was increased access to primary care and specialty care.

The response of the organizations was to ask to be at the table, to be heard, to provide solutions and then to move forward. The issue is keeping those physicians who wish to continue to practice in Quebec there to serve your patients and your population. It's getting back to the grassroots and obtaining their suggestions for moving forward.

[Jean-Denis Garon, Bloc, Mirabel, QC]

It's not easy to get answers.

Your organization is calling on the federal government to enact primary care legislation.

In your opinion, isn't that all under federal jurisdiction?

[Margot Burnell]

We know that there are close to six million people who do not have access to primary care to see a primary care professional. We know—

[Jean-Denis Garon, Bloc, Mirabel, QC]

In terms of sections 91 and 92 of the Canadian Constitution, which define the areas in which the federal government has the right to legislate, do you think such legislation would fall under provincial jurisdiction?

You can just be honest and say yes or no.

[Margot Burnell]

I think the federal government, in collaboration with the provinces and territories, must undertake this to have shared solutions. That's why we're recommending—

[Jean-Denis Garon, Bloc, Mirabel, QC]

So, after reading the Canadian Constitution, the Canadian Medical Association believes that passing a law on primary care respects both the letter and the spirit of the Constitution.

Did I understand correctly?

Forget the idea that we have to work together. I'm asking you a legal question: Is it under federal jurisdiction to do that?

I would like a real answer.

[Margot Burnell]

The role of the federal government is to set standards across this country to comply with the principles of the Canada Health Act. Having that sets shared expectations and accountability across this country, so that if you access a primary care physician, whether it be in Quebec, New Brunswick or Vancouver, you can have the same expectation—

[Jean-Denis Garon, Bloc, Mirabel, QC]

So, clearly, you are coming here to Ottawa to tell the federal government, which, by the way, intends to increase federal health transfer payments to the provinces to 3% as of the next fiscal year, to impose more conditions on the provinces and impose even more constraints on them under not only the Canada Health Act, but a new act, in an area of jurisdiction in which Ottawa doesn't have the constitutional right to legislate directly.

I guess that's what you call working together. Did I understand your definition correctly?

[Margot Burnell]

With respect to the federal transfer dollars and bilateral agreements, which account for 20% of provincial health budgets, what we are looking for is accountability, with respect to the spend of those dollars, to achieve what the province—

[Jean-Denis Garon, Bloc, Mirabel, QC]

It's called federal control—

[The Chair, Liberal, Karina Gould]

Thank you, Mr. Garon. Your time is up.

We will continue now with Mr. Mazier for five minutes.

[Dan Mazier, Conservative, Riding Mountain, MB]

Thank you, Chair.

Good morning. Thank you for coming to committee.

Dr. Burnell, thank you to you and your team for appearing here today. It's nice to see you out here again.

I know you support Bill S-5, the interoperability bill out of the Senate. I want to know the role the government has advised you of that Canada Health Infoway will have in implementing this legislation if passed.

[Margot Burnell]

I think the most important point, first of all, is to pass the bill, which is basically enhancing the opportunity to start dealing with the barriers to data interoperability. What the rules and regulations—

[Dan Mazier, Conservative, Riding Mountain, MB]

The question was around whether you are aware of Canada Health Infoway. Have there been discussions around that, of who's going to be implementing the bill?