Health Committee on Oct. 5th, 2006

[Carolyn Bennett, Liberal, St. Paul's, ON]

Who are they?

[The Chair, Conservative, Rob Merrifield]

I don't know. I'm not sure.

[Nancy Miller Chenier]

We have continued with a combination of the people who were on the original work plan and the suggested witnesses who have come from members of the committee.

And on the social panel, what we were aiming for there was a bit more discussion about some of the things you heard mentioned today; in fact, the issues of poverty, the issues of education, the broader determinants that contribute to childhood obesity.

As you'll remember, we had a significant health panel as one of the first panels this fall. We heard from the federal witnesses on the scope of what they are doing currently and what they think they can do.

We were hoping, in the social panel, to also hear from Human Resources and Social Development. They have a significant role in terms of community development, anti-poverty issues. The idea was again to keep the focus on the federal government and to add in witnesses who are expert in the area.

[Carolyn Bennett, Liberal, St. Paul's, ON]

In terms of what you think you need done, on the Michael Chong and Silken Laumann day, certainly what we were talking about in terms of an infrastructure program that was for physical activity, the Minister of Sport usually would be involved with that, and Jim Watson knows a lot about it. Is there a way you can expand that so that essentially whatever you think you need in terms of a perspective--

[The Chair, Conservative, Rob Merrifield]

One of the problems we had with asking one province--whether it's Jim Watson or not--is that we felt it's not fair to not hear from Quebec or from the other provinces in terms of what they're doing, so that's why we thought a provincial one would be the right thing to do.

[Carolyn Bennett, Liberal, St. Paul's, ON]

Whoever is the co-chair of the sport ministers panel--because obviously Michael is a co-chair and then there's a co-chair of the provinces--we could just see who would speak on behalf of the sport ministers for the country. It's a meeting that happens annually.

[The Chair, Conservative, Rob Merrifield]

I know, but what you're saying is that you would be adding more witnesses to the sport ministries one.

[Carolyn Bennett, Liberal, St. Paul's, ON]

I'm saying that Michael Chong plus the provincial counterpart might just make you...because when the health and education ministers have come together on the healthy schools initiative, one of the problems was that the sport ministers have felt excluded from that in terms of how you get health, education, and sport, because in some places it's the community centre--

[The Chair, Conservative, Rob Merrifield]

So the sports side on the provincial is what you're saying.

[Carolyn Bennett, Liberal, St. Paul's, ON]

In terms of all levels of government that deal with municipalities and deal with all this stuff. It's just a way of drilling down without extending the time, that's all.

[Nancy Miller Chenier]

Just so I understand. you want only the provincial sport ministry. You don't want a provincial health minister, a provincial social development minister, or a provincial finance minister. You want only a provincial sport minister.

[Carolyn Bennett, Liberal, St. Paul's, ON]

On the social perspectives piece, you could bring in whoever you want. In terms of poverty, in terms of the determinants--

[Ruby Dhalla, Liberal, Brampton—Springdale, ON]

I think there is consensus from many people on this side to stay within the eight meetings. At the same time, there is an interest in more information from the first nations and Inuit demographics.

Could I put forward a motion to combine, within the social perspectives, some of the first nations and Inuit witnesses in one of those sessions? This way the committee could keep it at eight sessions and then move on to pharmaceuticals.

[The Chair, Conservative, Rob Merrifield]

I think we're okay with the part of your motion that says to keep it at eight. After the eight, we'll discuss it again.

We're looking at the obesity study, because we may have some legislation or some things we're bound to do.

If the determination is eight and that's what you want, fine. We don't need to discuss it further. We'll try to do the best we can with the eight. But understand that health, first nations, infrastructure, and the provinces will probably not be there. That's what you're saying if you decide to stay at eight. You're not going to hear a good number of these other witnesses. So understand that. But if it's your choice, then so be it.

Madame Gagnon.

[Christiane Gagnon, Bloc, Québec, QC]

Why is it relevant to meet with Michael Chong, the Minister of Sport?

He could appear at the end of our hearings, if we have any time left. I fail to see how he would shed any light on this matter.

[The Chair, Conservative, Rob Merrifield]

We talked about this at the last meeting. We scheduled him, and this was the only day he could come. We scheduled Silken Laumann, and that was one of the only days she could come. It's a time situation.

[Christiane Gagnon, Bloc, Québec, QC]

We could talk about the subject matter rather than listening to the minister talk about his various programs and hearing him make announcements. I would prefer to meet with witnesses who can provide us with much more information about obesity than the Minister of Sport can.

[The Chair, Conservative, Rob Merrifield]

Fair enough.

[Christiane Gagnon, Bloc, Québec, QC]

We could invite the Minister of Health.

[The Chair, Conservative, Rob Merrifield]

I understand what you're saying, but he's already scheduled.

[Christiane Gagnon, Bloc, Québec, QC]

We could always meet him some other time, if we have time left over at the end of our hearings. If we were to have him appear now, that would take away time from more important witnesses.

[The Chair, Conservative, Rob Merrifield]

Mr. Fletcher.

[Steven Fletcher, Conservative, Charleswood—St. James—Assiniboia, MB]

I'll go with the consensus. However, we have a number of witnesses on this list: the Canadian Diabetes Association, the Canadian Medical Association, the College of Family Physicians of Canada, the Centre for Aboriginal Health Research, the Ontario Minister of Health Promotion, the Indian Health Service National Diabetes Program, the provinces, and the president of the Obesity Canada. There are 72 expert organizations.

If the committee decides not to see these people, I just want to make it clear, for the record, that it's not this side of the table denying these people access. We've gone this far; it seems like a travesty to cut off some of the best-known people in the field. Yes, we've found out that it's going to take more than eight meetings. So what? For the greater good of the country and the provinces, why not schedule the extra meetings? Maybe the researchers can tell us how many extra meetings we'd need.

[The Chair, Conservative, Rob Merrifield]

We can go round and round. I think we all know--it's obvious right now--that you want eight meetings. That's what I see as a consensus: eight meetings. The motion says eight meetings; let's have eight meetings.

Let the researchers do the best they can in eight meetings. They're pretty much laid out for us, but away we go. Okay?

The meeting is adjourned.

[Dave Batters, Conservative, Palliser, SK]

No, Mr. Chair. We have important business to cover here.