Evidence of meeting #22 for Health in the 39th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was privacy.

A recording is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Sheila Fraser  Auditor General of Canada, Office of the Auditor General of Canada
Jennifer Stoddart  Privacy Commissioner, Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada
Richard Alvarez  President and Chief Executive Officer, Canada Health Infoway
Mike Sheridan  Chief Operating Officer, Canada Health Infoway
Neil Maxwell  Assistant Auditor General, Office of the Auditor General of Canada
Patricia Kosseim  General Counsel, Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada

12:50 p.m.

Liberal

The Vice-Chair Liberal Lui Temelkovski

We're discussing a motion to go in camera or not.

12:50 p.m.

Liberal

Robert Thibault Liberal West Nova, NS

On a point of order, to be of assistance to the committee, if will make it easier for everybody, I'm willing to discuss this in camera, to go in camera immediately and discuss it.

12:50 p.m.

Liberal

The Vice-Chair Liberal Lui Temelkovski

That was my question.

Monsieur Malo.

12:50 p.m.

Bloc

Luc Malo Bloc Verchères—Les Patriotes, QC

Mr. Chairman, Mr. Thibault's question is most relevant. However, the two members of our caucus who looked into this were Réal Ménard and Christiane Gagnon, neither of whom is here today.

There was nothing in the agenda to indicate that this motion would be debated today. Therefore, I did not examine this notice of motion with the two interested individuals. I would ask Mr. Thibault and the rest of the committee to postpone this discussion until next week, basically because I want my party's position on this matter to be clear.

12:55 p.m.

Liberal

The Vice-Chair Liberal Lui Temelkovski

Mr. Thibault.

12:55 p.m.

Liberal

Robert Thibault Liberal West Nova, NS

The clock is ticking, Mr. Chairman and there will certainly be some discussions and points of order that could put us over our allotted time. I agree with my colleague.

However, I want to let him know that we did give notice of motion within the prescribed 48 hours. The motion was brought before the committee and members received a copy of it. They had an opportunity to discuss it in caucus. Nevertheless, as a gesture of good faith, and if there are no objectives, I will consent to postponing this discussion until next Tuesday's public meeting.

12:55 p.m.

Liberal

The Vice-Chair Liberal Lui Temelkovski

We will adjourn for today, and we will have this put on the agenda for the next meeting.

Madam Wasylycia-Leis.

12:55 p.m.

NDP

Judy Wasylycia-Leis NDP Winnipeg North, MB

I'll do this in writing, but I'd like to make a motion that could be considered on Tuesday as well. It is that the Standing Committee on Health prepare a report based on the hearings conducted with respect to organ donor criteria, specifically the issue of gay men being excluded from being organ donors, and that the report be tabled with the House of Commons.

12:55 p.m.

Liberal

The Vice-Chair Liberal Lui Temelkovski

Madam Wasylycia-Leis, if this is a new motion, I suggest you send it to the clerk, and we will look at it within the required time for notice of motion.

12:55 p.m.

NDP

Judy Wasylycia-Leis NDP Winnipeg North, MB

What I'm saying, Mr. Chairperson, is that I'm giving notice now. I've read out the motion. I can put it in writing to make it easier, but the 48 hours starts as of now.

12:55 p.m.

Liberal

The Vice-Chair Liberal Lui Temelkovski

Please do. That's fine.

The next meeting will be in camera.

12:55 p.m.

Conservative

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

I have two points, Mr. Chair. I would like to know from the clerk what action has been taken to correct the record on the erroneous information that was provided to the committee in the first meeting, provided in a letter last week.

I'd also like to point out something about the basis of these motions. We've heard many times that the legislation does not exclude gay men from donating organs, so it seems that the committee is ignoring the testimony that was given by the people who have to enforce the law.

12:55 p.m.

Liberal

The Vice-Chair Liberal Lui Temelkovski

What was the second item?

12:55 p.m.

Conservative

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

That is the second item.

The first item is correcting the erroneous information that was provided by the witnesses in the first meeting, as per a letter that was pointed out to the chair and the clerk at the last meeting.

The second is that men who are gay are able to donate their organs. I don't know why we would suggest that they're not.

12:55 p.m.

Liberal

The Vice-Chair Liberal Lui Temelkovski

Thank you.

I think we can take that into consideration in our next meeting under committee business. I would suggest that we take half an hour at our next meeting to deal with the motion and other committee business. And that will be in public, because Monsieur Thibeault wanted it that way.

The meeting is adjourned.