Evidence of meeting #3 for Health in the 40th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was million.
A recording is available from Parliament.
February 10th, 2009 / 3:55 p.m.
Bloc
Luc Malo Bloc Verchères—Les Patriotes, QC
Thank you, Madam Chair.
Welcome, Minister. Congratulations on your election and your appointment to the Cabinet.
Before discussing the estimates, I would like to get back to something you mentioned in your presentation. You said you wanted to continue, through different initiatives, to drive down smoking rates even lower than where they sit today. However we can see in the 2007-08 Public Accounts that the contribution in support of the Federal Tobacco Control Strategy was reduced by about $13 million. This means that out of an estimated total budget of $15.7 million, only $2.8 million were spent.
How can you reconcile these two facts?
4 p.m.
Conservative
Leona Aglukkaq Conservative Nunavut, NU
Thank you, Madam Chair.
First of all, I'd like to make it very clear that our government and the Prime Minister are 100% committed to cracking down on all tobacco products marketed to children. This was a clear commitment made by our Prime Minister in the last election. This is why we'll be taking action to set a minimum package size for cigarillos so they are less affordable for children, to prohibit flavours and additives that would appeal to children, and to ban all tobacco advertising and promotion in print and electronic media that may be viewed and read by youth. We will not tolerate tobacco being marketed in ways that are enticing to children. That's my general comment around tobacco.
I would also like to state that Health Canada transfers, under the Canada Health Transfer Act, $22.6 billion on an annual basis to deliver health care services, prevention programs, promotion programs, and so on, in addition to what we invest at the federal level.
4 p.m.
Bloc
Luc Malo Bloc Verchères—Les Patriotes, QC
Perhaps Mr. Rosenberg can explain why these $13 million were not spent.
4 p.m.
Deputy Minister, Department of Health
Unfortunately, I cannot give you any details today. However I can find the information and send it to the committee in the next few days.
4 p.m.
Bloc
Luc Malo Bloc Verchères—Les Patriotes, QC
Excellent. Thank you very much.
Coming back to the supplementary estimates, I can see that in the case of the Patented Medicine Prices Review Board, nearly double the anticipated budget will be spent. The Board will be getting an additional $4.7 million.
Can you give us an explanation of this rather substantial increase? How will the money be used?
4 p.m.
Deputy Minister, Department of Health
I can try. Before answering the question, I have to say that representatives of the Patented Medicine Prices Review Board will appear before the committee on Thursday afternoon. They will surely be able to give you more details.
Generally, the workload deriving from conflicts between pharmaceutical companies, which require a more formal procedure, has been quite high in the past few years. So operating costs have increased accordingly.
4 p.m.
Bloc
Luc Malo Bloc Verchères—Les Patriotes, QC
We will then keep all of our questions for Thursday and determine with the board representatives how these funds directly contribute to the mission and objectives of the board. There are many issues in this area. Many stakeholders are wondering if the board's mandate is being extended. We will discuss these issues with the board next Thursday.
As for the Assisted Human Reproduction Agency, you said, Madam Minister, that you are waiting for the Supreme Court decision to figure out the situation and that you do not want to prejudge the court's decision.
However Mr. Rosenberg said that even so, money would be spent in order to establish regulations which may never be enforced.
If you are spending money on this file, are you not prejudging the Supreme Court's decision?
4:05 p.m.
Conservative
Leona Aglukkaq Conservative Nunavut, NU
Thank you, Madam Chair.
The deputy was quite clear that the government is currently appealing a Quebec court decision and will not proceed with further regulations until the matter has been resolved. But in the meantime, Health Canada is continuing to work to develop regulations in assisted human reproduction. Canada continues to provide information and respond to some concerns.
I don't know if there's more to add to that question, because I think the deputy addressed it earlier.
Thank you.
4:05 p.m.
Bloc
Luc Malo Bloc Verchères—Les Patriotes, QC
Mr. Rosenberg, how will these amounts be spent in detail? Exactly how will these $12 million be used?
4:05 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Joy Smith
Mr. Rosenberg, would you like to make a comment on that, since the question was directed to you?
4:05 p.m.
Deputy Minister, Department of Health
Thank you.
I want to be clear that we're talking about the same thing. My comments earlier were about a $75,000 transfer from the Assisted Human Reproduction Agency of Canada to CIHR.
I said this money will go to research, not to regulation.
4:05 p.m.
Bloc
Luc Malo Bloc Verchères—Les Patriotes, QC
How will the total amount of $12 million allocated to the Assisted Human Reproduction Agency be spent if you have to wait, as the Minister said?
4:05 p.m.
Deputy Minister, Department of Health
Madam Chair, the agency has already been established. Under section 8, some regulations are in place. The agency gives advice to people and shares information. It is therefore active but not at the level it will be once the complete regulations are in place. The agency is nevertheless working and this is how money is spent.
All agencies funded by Health Canada will appear before the committee, including this agency. Mrs. Wilson will then be able to explain that to you in more detail.
4:05 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Joy Smith
Could I just intercede here, Mr. Rosenberg? That agency will be coming to the committee on Thursday.
Monsieur Malo.
4:05 p.m.
Bloc
Luc Malo Bloc Verchères—Les Patriotes, QC
If, as you said, representatives of the Assisted Human Reproduction Agency will appear before us on Thursday, then, Madam Chair, we will be able to ask them how these funds are being spent. Thank you for this information.
Can you tell the committee how the additional funds allocated to facilitate the approval process for natural health products will be refocused? How many of these products are still to be approved? Manufacturers have many concerns in this regard. Can you explain to the committee how the additional funds will be used to facilitate or speed up the approval process for natural health products?
4:05 p.m.
Conservative
Leona Aglukkaq Conservative Nunavut, NU
Thank you.
Just for clarification, I'm assuming the member is referring to the processing of natural health products permits? Yes.
Madam Chair, our government tabled amendments to the Food and Drugs Act to modernize and strengthen it last year. During the election, we promised to bring this legislation forward again, and we will be doing so in the near future. I say this just for clarification.
This legislation is also about ensuring that food is safe. It's also about strengthening our abilities to protect Canadians from harmful drugs and ensuring that natural health products are widely available, safe, and effective. So legislation will be coming forward for all members to debate when the time comes.
In terms of natural health products, this government is committed to eliminating the backlog of product applications by March 2010. We will be releasing online the progress report on the processing of those permits for natural health products. I believe it is supposed to be posted either today or tomorrow, but it will be posted this week sometime. It will indicate how many permits have been processed. From what I understand, there will be online applications to speed up the process. Last year, we were very backlogged, but on average we're now processing about 200 applications in response to that backlog.
I can give you the details on all of that, or you can wait for the report to be posted online. I think it's posted on the website today.
4:10 p.m.
Conservative
4:10 p.m.
NDP
Judy Wasylycia-Leis NDP Winnipeg North, MB
Thank you, Madam Chairperson.
Thank you, Madam Minister. Congratulations on your election and your appointment to this very important portfolio in the Government of Canada.
I want to start by talking about what you consider to be the core responsibilities of the department. It seems to me that nothing is more important and central to the core of your department than the preservation of our national public health care system. Yet, as you know, we are facing a serious erosion of that system, with user fees popping up all over the place and private for-profit clinics multiplying before our very eyes.
I would like to know from you, Madam Minister, how you intend to.... I would imagine that having been a minister in the Nunavut government, you're aware of the importance of having access for all people in this country, so that they are not denied services they need because of money or geography. So you probably understand the importance of a non-profit health care system. I would like to know what you are doing to ensure that.
So my questions on that front are threefold: number one, have you sent notices to the provinces whose transfer payments for health care were cut back in this budget? Have they been assured that in fact that money has been put back and they don't have to worry about meeting the difference this year?
Number two, are you prepared to come before this committee and actually talk with us about the Canada Health Act, which must be reviewed by this committee? It is something on which we had great trouble in the past getting the minister to address before this committee—yet it goes to the heart of everything that we believe is important in terms of our medicare system.
Number three, would you analyze and go over this extensive report by the Canadian Health Coalition, entitled, Eroding Public Medicare, which documents, over several hundred pages, just how deeply our system is being eroded and how people are being denied access?
Finally, would you just comment on whether or not your government's previous commitment to P3s is now being reassessed by your department, given the most recent information showing that the Brampton Hospital will actually cost $194 million more than what had been stated publicly, costing at least $200 million more over its 25-year lease?
Those are four questions just on that issue. Then I'd like to ask something on pharmaceuticals.
4:10 p.m.
Conservative
Leona Aglukkaq Conservative Nunavut, NU
Thank you.
I'd like to thank the member for her questions.
Sometime, I'd also like to invite the committee to Nunavut to see some of the challenges in delivering health care.
I recognize the members' concerns, and I want to be very clear with my colleagues here that our Prime Minister and this government are 100% committed to a publicly funded, universal health care system, which represents the principles of the Canada Health Act. I'm in support of that. This government also believes that many innovations and experiments can occur within a publicly funded health care system in a manner that is consistent with the requirements under the Canada Health Act.
The act requires provincial and territorial insurance plans to provide coverage for medically necessary positions and hospital service, without charge at the point of service. So for the most part, provinces and territories' health care insurance plans are in compliance with the act.
With regard to the funding to the provinces, at the provincial level I received the funding under the territorial level, the Canada health transfers, and in every year that funding increased. Our government has committed—