Health Committee on June 17th, 2010

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

From the health committee.

[Patrick Brown, Conservative, Barrie, ON]

I think that's stating the obvious, but it doesn't hurt.

[The Acting Chair, Conservative, Dean Allison]

I think you would have to look at that.

Just to let you know, I have Ms. Leslie, Ms. Davidson, and Mr. Malo on the list.

But I guess the question is whether we want to have the vice-chairs and the PS get together today with the researchers just to draft a quick letter. Once again, you guys would have to decide that those tasked with it could do it. As I said and Mr. Brown says, it probably doesn't hurt. It's not everything, but it may be something easy that can be done, with a short letter thanking the minister for what has already happened and just encouraging them.

Ms. Leslie.

[Megan Leslie, NDP, Halifax, NS]

Thanks, Mr. Chair.

All I was going to ask is if we can just agree to do a letter, circulate it via e-mail to the folks who are on the neurological subcommittee, and if we don't come to a consensus, then individual members can send letters to the minister. I've already done so, actually.

[The Acting Chair, Conservative, Dean Allison]

Okay.

Ms. Bennett.

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

Can we approve the rare disorders letter?

[The Acting Chair, Conservative, Dean Allison]

Okay. Hold on. I still have Ms. Davidson and Mr. Malo.

[Patricia Davidson, Conservative, Sarnia—Lambton, ON]

Well, I can agree with what Madam Leslie has just said. I am very uncomfortable with putting together and agreeing to a letter. Dr. Bennett kept referring to all the testimony we heard on Tuesday. Well, I didn't hear it. I'm not part of that subcommittee, so--

[A voice]

Neither am I.

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

You could read it...[Inaudible--Editor]

[Patricia Davidson, Conservative, Sarnia—Lambton, ON]

Well, if we had known about it, maybe we would have.

[Colin Carrie, Conservative, Oshawa, ON]

You just sprung this on us like about an hour before committee--

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

I'm not on the committee and I went to the meeting--

[Patricia Davidson, Conservative, Sarnia—Lambton, ON]

If I hadn't had another committee, I would have loved to hear the doctors as well. You can only be in one place at a time. I am very uncomfortable approving the letter when I have not heard the testimony.

[The Acting Chair, Conservative, Dean Allison]

Okay.

[Megan Leslie, NDP, Halifax, NS]

But I can agree with what.... Absolutely, I have no problem with that at all.

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

But they would then have to come through us, wouldn't they?

[Megan Leslie, NDP, Halifax, NS]

No. It's just a letter. It's not a report to the House.

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

So the subcommittee can write a letter to the minister?

[The Acting Chair, Conservative, Dean Allison]

Well, the committee decides how you want the process to move forward. If the committee says. listen, we trust the subcommittee to look at that and they can send it out if they have agreement, that's something we could look at.

Colin.

[Colin Carrie, Conservative, Oshawa, ON]

I was just going to say what Ms. Leslie said. Let's see the subcommittee draft a letter. If we can't agree on the wording, individual members can then write a letter to the minister themselves.

[The Acting Chair, Conservative, Dean Allison]

Okay.

Is that all right? Who is on the subcommittee? I'm not normally here. Do we have one from each party? Okay. May I suggest that maybe you have a first draft written by the analysts? Would that make sense or does everyone want to try to collaborate on their own? My suggestion is that maybe the researchers can come up with a letter to circulate and then people can add to it and see if they can come to some kind of consensus.

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

Seeing that I was at all the hearings, is it appropriate that my name be added as associate member of the subcommittee?

[The Acting Chair, Conservative, Dean Allison]

Well, if you want your name added, I don't think that should be a problem. We're really tasking the subcommittee to draft a letter on behalf of the full committee.

Go ahead.

[Cathy McLeod, Conservative, Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo, BC]

Even though I'm not on the subcommittee, I actually have paid attention to some of the testimony and I certainly participated on Monday night. So I would really like to see the actual draft letter and certainly if I'm comfortable I would be prepared to....