Health Committee on April 22nd, 2010

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

--that these ministers have refused to come on this topic.

[The Chair, Conservative, Joy Smith]

Okay, Dr. Carrie.

[Colin Carrie, Conservative, Oshawa, ON]

A point of order, Madam Chair. This again is outrageous. The minister has been in front of this committee numerous times. She has addressed this issue. Our officials have addressed it.

[The Chair, Conservative, Joy Smith]

This is not a point of order. What rule has been breached for this to be a point of order?

[Colin Carrie, Conservative, Oshawa, ON]

Madam Chair, what we're talking about is unparliamentary language and the business of this federal parliamentary--

[The Chair, Conservative, Joy Smith]

Dr. Carrie, I'm going to interrupt, because it is not a point of order.

[Dean Del Mastro, Conservative, Peterborough, ON]

Point of order.

[The Chair, Conservative, Joy Smith]

Mr. Del Mastro.

[Dean Del Mastro, Conservative, Peterborough, ON]

Thank you.

Madam Chair, there has been a suggestion by the member that the minister has refused to appear. The record shows that the minister has appeared on this issue. That's my point of order.

[The Chair, Conservative, Joy Smith]

Thank you, Mr. Del Mastro.

Mr. Malo.

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

“Refused to abide by the motion” is what my motion says.

[The Chair, Conservative, Joy Smith]

Mr. Malo, would you continue?

[Luc Malo, Bloc, Verchères—Les Patriotes, QC]

Thank you for giving me the floor, Madam Chair. I was somewhat surprised by Mr. Carrie's remarks about the Bloc Québécois in this matter. I asked him to refer to the type of questions that were asked. They were always very clear and always directed at two things. The first involved understanding the sequence of events to see whether things could have been done differently in order to avoid disagreement and disappointment on the part of people who have submitted proposals for building new vaccine manufacturing facilities. The second aspect addressed was what will happen to the funds that the Gates Foundation and the government had put on the table for building those facilities. That is what our questions have always been about.

We decided to agree to hold this third meeting for the sole purpose of getting clarification from the Public Health Branch and from the Minister of Health to find out what will become of the funds allocated. At the two previous meetings on this subject, the answers we were given were somewhat vague and amorphous. Today, I am very pleased to have Dr. David Butler-Jones with us and I would like to be able to ask him that question and to do the same with Dr. Plummer. I am asking for the clerk's opinion on that. Is the minister required to accept the invitation and the committee's motion? I think it is more a question of the committee's standing orders that I would like to ask her. If I could get answers to our questions from Dr. David Butler-Jones and Dr. Frank Plummer, I would be entirely satisfied. That is all I had to say.

[The Chair, Conservative, Joy Smith]

Could I answer your question?

[Luc Malo, Bloc, Verchères—Les Patriotes, QC]

So I totally reject what Colin Carrie insinuated about us. I find it extremely regrettable.

[The Chair, Conservative, Joy Smith]

In answer to your question, Monsieur Malo, a minister does not have to accept that invitation, and certainly doesn't have to do it on very short notice, or at any time, but you can report it to Parliament.

There's one more speaker. Following that, I would be so appreciative if we could hear the presentation and get to the questions.

Dr. Carrie.

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

What about the motion?

[Colin Carrie, Conservative, Oshawa, ON]

Thank you, Madam Chair.

I just want to address the comments of my colleague from the Bloc. He did say there were two major points that he wanted put forward. One is the sequence of events for proposals. I believe the officials and the witnesses have gone through that already a number of times.

He mentioned, what would happen to the funds? Again I think it has been very clear. We heard from our witnesses that the funds are still on the table. The minister, last time, did mention that. I hear allegations that the minister has not addressed this issue, but she was very clear to say that the funds are still on the table.

We heard from our witnesses that because of the global nature of AIDS research and the rapid developments that are occurring, they are currently working on a new strategy for AIDS research globally. We heard from I believe it was the Gates Foundation that as that new strategy is developed, they will be able to decide how those moneys are best funded.

I think everyone around this table has an interest in making sure that the Canadian tax dollars are going to be used for what they were put aside for—in this case, AIDS research. They shouldn't be used for partisan political gains, where one political party perhaps would be trying to use federal resources for political purposes.

[The Chair, Conservative, Joy Smith]

Thank you, Dr. Carrie.

Now I'd like to get to the motion. Dr. Bennett, would you be so kind as to read the motion into the record?

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

Yes.

That the committee expresses its concern to the House that Ministers Toews, Aglukkaq, and Clement did not appear before the committee on April 22, 2010, in relation to the study of the cancellation of the HIV vaccine manufacturing facility under the Canadian HIV vaccine initiative, as requested by a motion adopted by the committee on April 15, 2010.

[The Chair, Conservative, Joy Smith]

Thank you.

[Dean Del Mastro, Conservative, Peterborough, ON]

I'd like to propose an amendment to the motion. It would simply read:

The committee understands that it did provide short notice, and as such understands the ministers' difficulties in reworking their schedules.

[A voice]

Is that an amendment?

[The Chair, Conservative, Joy Smith]

That is an amendment, yes.

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

It's not friendly.