Health Committee on June 15th, 2010

[Leona Aglukkaq, Conservative, Nunavut, NU]

Presently the board has spent less than $10 million a year. On average, they've been spending about $5 million to $6 million. As I stated before, the agency has not been able to fully implement the full scope of the legislation because the matter is before the courts, as the member well knows. There was a challenge made by individuals in Quebec and that matter is before the Supreme Court.

Once a decision is made, we'll be able to move forward in the development of the regulations, but at this point in time, the agency is there to establish itself and to move forward in areas where they can until the decision of the court has been made.

Thank you.

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

Madam Minister, the purpose of supplementary estimates is to change the amounts. Right here in the book before us, it's $10,523,316. You have the ability to reduce that, Madam Minister, if you don't think the people of Canada are getting value for their money. Can you tell me why it still sits here in the book at over $10 million?

[Leona Aglukkaq, Conservative, Nunavut, NU]

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Madam Chair, the reason why that sits there is that we cannot predict when the court will make a ruling in regard to the court challenge. We'll continue to move forward in the implementation of the legislation, but at this point in time it's speculative to predict when the Supreme Court will rule on the court challenge that is before it.

But in the meantime, the agency is there to address, within the scope of the legislation, what they can implement, and it will continue to do so and will prepare for the ruling that we're expecting from the Supreme Court. Until such time, the scope of the work is limited. They are challenged with having to delay the regulation piece on the work that is required by the agency, but until such time as the decision is made, we'll continue to move forward in implementing the scope of the legislation.

Thank you.

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

I understand that the Supreme Court challenge is only for a very narrow aspect of the regulations that we're expecting. Can you tell me, Madam Minister, why, six years after the law was passed, we have not yet at this committee seen the regulations that have absolutely nothing to do with the Supreme Court challenge?

[Leona Aglukkaq, Conservative, Nunavut, NU]

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Again, out of respect for the Supreme Court of Canada, we are waiting for the decision, for it to be ruled on, by the Supreme Court before we can go to developing the regulations. But until such time as the court has rendered its opinion on the section of the Assisted Human Reproduction Act that is before the court, as the member knows, we will continue to do the necessary work required.

Until such time as we have the decision of the Supreme Court...we cannot speculate on what the ruling will be. Assisted Human Reproduction, while it's waiting for the decision, has done the publications and licensing—

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

I don't think you understood what I said. I said that the Supreme Court—

[Leona Aglukkaq, Conservative, Nunavut, NU]

I understood very clearly what you said. There is a court matter before—

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

The Supreme Court is only going to rule on a very small part of the act.

[Leona Aglukkaq, Conservative, Nunavut, NU]

Yes. I understand that.

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

Let's go on to isotopes. It has been very clear that the provinces and territories are struggling to deal with the increased costs of the Chalk River problem: the increased cost of isotopes, health human resources, overtime....

The last time you were here, Madam Minister, you said that you were in conversation with the provinces and territories about the increased costs and their request to have those reimbursed. I don't see anything in here in the estimates. Will you commit today to helping the provinces and territories deal with this ongoing crisis in terms of their escalating costs and in terms of trying to deal with what is a federally created problem?

[Leona Aglukkaq, Conservative, Nunavut, NU]

Thank you, Madam Chair.

As the member knows, a lot of work has gone into dealing with the shortage in the Tc-99 supply. Thanks to the tremendous efforts of the health care community, Canada continues to cope with the medical isotope shortage of Tc-99.

We've heard reports from the provinces and territories and the medical community that while they have found some periods to be difficult, mitigation measures we had adopted and put in place to respond to the lower supply have been assisting. We recognize that there is a challenge as a result of the ongoing situation, but Health Canada will continue to work with the provinces and territories.

To answer the member's question, no proposal has been received from PTs regarding funding.

Thank you.

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

On maternal and child health, as you and I have discussed, as we welcome the world to discuss maternal and child health, our domestic situation is getting worse. As we said before, we've dropped from sixth place to twenty-fourth 24th and it is a national embarrassment.

Madam Minister, how many dollars are going to be targeted for a birthing strategy and to create the programs addressing maternal and child health in the areas of federal jurisdiction?

[Leona Aglukkaq, Conservative, Nunavut, NU]

I'm going to start off on the question and pass it on to Dr. Butler-Jones.

This is a note for committee members. I was recently in Geneva for the World Health Organization conference, and I can say that the work that Canada is doing was well received in the international community. Dr. Chan commended Canada's efforts and leadership in addressing the whole issue of maternal and child health. This is something that I think we should all be proud of as Canadians, for taking the leadership to address the whole two areas around--

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

Twenty-fourth...?

[Leona Aglukkaq, Conservative, Nunavut, NU]

--millennium goals.

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

Madam Minister, last Monday—

[Leona Aglukkaq, Conservative, Nunavut, NU]

I'm going to now ask—

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

No, I don't want to hear Public Health answer.

[Leona Aglukkaq, Conservative, Nunavut, NU]

--Dr. Butler-Jones to talk about--

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

Thank you.

[Leona Aglukkaq, Conservative, Nunavut, NU]

--the statistics related to the report.

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

No, Minister, I don't want to hear that. What I want to hear from you, Madam Minister, is that last week in Washington at the Women Deliver conference, Susan Cohen from the Guttmacher Institute called Canada an evidence-free zone. They had just come out of that zone, under George Bush, and now we're sorry that Canada has preferred ideology over evidence.

Where within CIHR do you get the evidence—

[Colin Carrie, Conservative, Oshawa, ON]

On a point of order, Madam Chair, I just wanted to check—

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

--to make maternal and child health policy--

[The Vice-Chair, Liberal, Joyce Murray]

Thank you.

On a point of order, Dr. Carrie.