Health Committee on April 17th, 2008

[Dr. Karen Dodds]

I think the attention given to health human resources, the fact that the federal government provides $38 million ongoing to the provinces for health human resources, indicates that, yes, we understand there are pressures, and the provinces do what they feel is best in terms of health human resources.

[Sukh Dhaliwal, Liberal, Newton—North Delta, BC]

That's good.

I'm going to go back to this. This government tried to create an agency. It made a promise in the last election campaign, but it has broken that promise. Instead it created—

[An hon. member]

I thought you didn't want to get into politics.

[Sukh Dhaliwal, Liberal, Newton—North Delta, BC]

It's not politics. I'm coming back to my question.

Instead it created an agency. I've travelled to many countries—Europe, Eastern Europe, South Asia—and I see the medical professionals there are qualified either equally to the Canadian standards or better. I see a lot of people from Canada going to those countries to get that medical—

[The Chair, Conservative, Joy Smith]

Mr. Dhaliwal, three minutes is up. You're going to share your time with Dr. Bennett.

[Sukh Dhaliwal, Liberal, Newton—North Delta, BC]

I said four and a half.

Over 6,000 Canadian-born students are studying medicine, and instead of coming back to this country they go to the U.S., because the United States has its act together. Here the federal government is not getting its act together to create residency spots for those Canadian-born students who have a medical education across this globe. What is this government doing to solve that problem?

[Dr. Karen Dodds]

I would like to raise two points.

The first is there is an initiative and funds for bringing back to Canada and recognizing the internationally educated health care professionals. The latest statistics I'm aware of are that recently more Canadian-born physicians have returned to Canada than have left Canada for the United States.

[Sukh Dhaliwal, Liberal, Newton—North Delta, BC]

That's not true.

[Yves Giroux]

If I may add to that, the recognition of foreign credentials is the jurisdiction of provinces and territories. What the federal government can do in that respect is somewhat limited. However, we have set up an office for the recognition of foreign credentials to help people be referred to the appropriate authorities in the provinces and territories.

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

I have found this pretty disappointing in terms of what the department has presented. Because all the funding arrangements, as it says in the accord, require that jurisdictions comply with the reporting provisions, I would like to move that the officials prepare a formal report addressing the progress on each of the ten aspects of the 2004 health accord and provide it to the clerk by May 1, 2008, so we would be able to read it before we deal with this on May 6. That would include a breakdown of the wait times funding, the $5.5 billion, breakdowns on the progress on wait times in each province and territories in all five priority areas in the 2004 --

[The Chair, Conservative, Joy Smith]

Dr. Bennett, if you would bear with me, Mr. Fletcher has a point of order.

Go ahead, Mr. Fletcher.

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

Thank you, Madam Chair.

I think we need to focus on the witnesses. I don't believe a motion is appropriate at this time. We have just begun our hearings. If we can continue with the questioning, I have some questions. I think we should just move forward in the format we've agreed to.

[The Chair, Conservative, Joy Smith]

Thank you, Mr. Fletcher.

One moment, Dr. Bennett.

That motion is in order. It is something you can do at this point. However, we do have witnesses today. The fact of the matter is we are here to listen to those witnesses. This is not an appropriate time for debate, but perhaps we could have that debate at another meeting.

Dr. Bennett.

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

No, let's just vote on it right now and then we will know that the officials will prepare....

[An hon. member]

Question.

[Some hon. members]

[Inaudible--Editor]

[The Chair, Conservative, Joy Smith]

Order, please.

We can vote on it right now. It is within the parameters of the committee.

Mr. Fletcher.

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

Madam Chair, this is very unusual. I have been on this committee now for almost four years. I don't recall any occasion where a motion was brought forward in the middle of a presentation of witnesses. Moreover, I think the motion is premature in that we haven't even finished hearing from the witnesses.

[The Chair, Conservative, Joy Smith]

One moment, please.

We will hear from Dr. Dodds, first of all, but the fact of the matter is the question can be put. It is something that can happen.

Dr. Dodds, did you have a question?

[Dr. Karen Dodds]

The Health Council of Canada is to report on progress on matters under the accord. Their last report was November 2007. Their next report is expected in three weeks. We would be very happy to provide the committee with the past report and the new one when it's published.

[The Chair, Conservative, Joy Smith]

Thank you.

Will this resolve the matter? You have the answer.

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

No.

[The Chair, Conservative, Joy Smith]

The report will be out in three weeks.

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

That would not be acceptable. The Health Council of Canada is allowed to report only on the jurisdictions participating in the council. I think those binders the department has there show that they have done an analysis of progress on the accord. I would like them to table their analysis of progress on the accord, with both finance and health considerations.

[The Chair, Conservative, Joy Smith]

Mr. Khan.