Health Committee on Nov. 21st, 2006

[The Clerk]

It's usually a day.

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

It will probably be at the next health committee meeting. Is that all right?

[The Clerk]

Will it be by the end of the day on Thursday?

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

Is a week all right?

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

Aren't the four of you voting against a dissenting report?

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

No, we're asking for a dissenting report. We're only setting the timeline.

[The Chair, Conservative, Rob Merrifield]

You're saying it will be next Tuesday.

[Nicole Demers, Bloc, Laval, QC]

Mr. Chair, I think this is both very funny and very bizarre. The vote was not on the three points presented. We already voted on that during another meeting. The Conservative Party members voted for it. The purpose of the vote was just to inform the House that we adopted the motion. Health Canada representatives have already come to give their testimony. We still have to get the list and the studies, but our colleagues voted for that too.

Now we are talking about costs amounting to $53 million and I do not understand anymore. Reporting the motion to the House will not cost $53 million. We already voted on that part of the motion.

[The Chair, Conservative, Rob Merrifield]

No. I think we're becoming confused on two things.

[Nicole Demers, Bloc, Laval, QC]

But that has nothing to do with this motion.

[The Chair, Conservative, Rob Merrifield]

The information we received today is that the documentation requested in the original motion was going to cost $55.9 million. The motion on the floor is to report to the House. I understand the dissenting report would be opposing that it be reported to the House.

It's the issue that's on the table, and you've given notice of motion to the report. Do we vote on it now?

We have a motion on the floor that there be a dissenting report by next Tuesday.

[Nicole Demers, Bloc, Laval, QC]

Can someone explain this?

[The Chair, Conservative, Rob Merrifield]

The motion is for Mr. Fletcher's dissenting report saying he does not agree with this being concurred on in the House. Is that right?

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

Mr. Chair, can we not do that? Do we need to vote on a dissenting report?

[Christiane Gagnon, Bloc, Québec, QC]

He was fine with it before.

[The Chair, Conservative, Rob Merrifield]

Give me a minute. I'll confer with the clerk.

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

Mr. Chair, I have a question.

[The Chair, Conservative, Rob Merrifield]

Let me clarify this. This is what the clerk is suggesting to us.

We'll have Carmen explain it, and it won't have to go through me.

[The Clerk]

This motion will become a report of the committee to the House. In order for there to be a dissenting opinion, the committee has to agree that the committee append to its report a dissenting opinion. We did it, for example, when we did the report on fetal alcohol syndrome. But the committee has to agree to append a dissenting opinion to its report. The report is the motion.

[The Chair, Conservative, Rob Merrifield]

Is there a problem with that? I see concurrence over here, so if there's no problem, then we've--

[Tina Keeper, Liberal, Churchill, MB]

No, we don't want a dissenting report.

[Christiane Gagnon, Bloc, Québec, QC]

You are asking that a dissenting report be attached to the report and that it be accepted by committee members. I see no reason why not.

[The Chair, Conservative, Rob Merrifield]

It's similar to what you did. I see concurrence there. The motion that allows the dissenting opinion is on the floor.

(Motion agreed to)

[The Chair, Conservative, Rob Merrifield]

We will get that opinion later.

We will now move in camera. We'll have a brief recess while we clear the room and move in camera to future business.

[Proceedings continue in camera]