Health Committee on Nov. 22nd, 2007

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

No, that would be up to me, Madam Chair.

[Tony Clement, Conservative, Parry Sound—Muskoka, ON]

—spending for health research has never been higher. It certainly has been that way under our government. There were a lot of promises made by the former Liberal government, which of course they did not keep.

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

We increased it every year.

[Tony Clement, Conservative, Parry Sound—Muskoka, ON]

I'm not responsible for the promises that she made, but I'm responsible for the promises that we've made, which we've kept.

I don't know if you want to go into detail; I think the $1 billion is an all-in number, which includes money for CIHR, plus other research initiatives.

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

We've never used that before, Minister.

[Tony Clement, Conservative, Parry Sound—Muskoka, ON]

Well, I think it's the most accurate way to describe it—

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

No. People are asking for.... I mean, in terms of the—

[Tony Clement, Conservative, Parry Sound—Muskoka, ON]

—and quite frankly, I resent your accusation. I'm not afraid of a bunch of professors.

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

That is even more insulting, Minister.

The world looks to Canada for the way CIHR has been founded and...it is a present to the world, and you won't go to their celebration—

[Tony Clement, Conservative, Parry Sound—Muskoka, ON]

I'm sorry, but that evening I was dealing with some federal-provincial issues and meeting with a provincial health minister, which, quite frankly, was important too.

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

Maybe you should call a meeting of all provincial health ministers and it would save some time.

[Tony Clement, Conservative, Parry Sound—Muskoka, ON]

We're meeting on December 11 and 12.

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

You mentioned natural health products in your speech, Minister, in terms of how much more money was going in there. But as you must know, Minister, the backlogs for the approvals of natural health products have continued to climb and climb and climb and climb. So again, in results-based management, how can you defend putting more money in without admitting that the backlogs have never been higher, and that all of these small companies across this country are starving and are in terrible trouble in terms of their efforts to keep Canadians well?

[Tony Clement, Conservative, Parry Sound—Muskoka, ON]

I think I might pass that one to my deputy.

[The Chair, Conservative, Joy Smith]

I want to call this committee to order. I'm going to be recognizing everyone, so the speaker or the questioner has a chance to have a breath, and you will answer following the recognition.

Mr. Minister, it's now Mr. Rosenberg. Go ahead, thank you.

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

This my choice, Madam Chair.

No, no, I'm sorry, Madam Chair—

[The Chair, Conservative, Joy Smith]

Excuse me, I need to—

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

Madam Chair, the 15 minutes is my choice, actually. So if I want to get these on the record and ask for written reports from the minister, that's up to me.

[The Chair, Conservative, Joy Smith]

That's fine, but we need to have the answers to your questions, Madam Bennett.

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

No, no. He can write them if he can't answer them.

[The Chair, Conservative, Joy Smith]

You don't need the answers to your questions?

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

If he can't answer them, then he can just write them to me.

[The Chair, Conservative, Joy Smith]

Would you like to just have the full 15 minutes to talk, Madam Bennett?

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

I will do whatever it takes to get—

[The Chair, Conservative, Joy Smith]

The minister is trying to answer your questions.