Thank you very much.
First of all, I appreciate Joyce Murray's suggestion. She made a friendly amendment, which I'm quite prepared to accept. We tried to word this according to the provisions under the standing order and knowing that we might have to explain why we didn't feel that this particular appointee was competent for the job without insulting his personal integrity. However, I'm quite prepared to accept an amendment that would do as Joyce Murray suggested.
I also wanted to make a comment, though, to say very clearly that this has nothing to do with one particular drug company. It has nothing to do with the fact that he is a vice-president of Pfizer; it has everything to do with the fact that he is a vice-president or an employee of a pharmaceutical company. That has been the entire issue from witnesses who have expressed concern. It is the basis for why 4,000 people signed a petition.
I will just read you one phrase--it will take one second--and it will just be this: “The appointment of any individual who is an active member of a pharmaceutical company therefore cannot be justified by reference to the commercialization mandate.”
This is to show, in fact, that this is not about an individual, it is not about a particular drug company, it's not a vendetta, it's not a witch hunt. This is simply fulfilling our obligations to ensure that something as important as the CIHR, with a governing council, as you heard, that sets the objectives for research in this country, that defines the research institutes, that lays out the priorities, that determines overall funding strategies, has to be seen to be absolutely transparent and accountable, with no vested interests.
So that's all the purpose of this amendment and this motion is. If it's offensive for anyone to have these words in it, I will gladly withdraw that section. This is what Joyce had recommended, and it will read as follows:
Your committee has examined the qualifications and competence of the appointee and calls on the Prime Minister to withdraw Bernard Michel Prigent's appointment to the governing council of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.
I'm prepared to accept that.