Health Committee on March 1st, 2011

[Paul-Guy Duhamel]

Maybe Dr. Provencher will be able to complete what I'm going to say, but as we stated earlier, the major problem with food labelling is that it's not consistent from one product to another, so it makes comparisons very difficult. Just having a standard portion size would make comparisons so much easier and also make the labels easier to use.

As well, there's probably a limit to simplifying nutrition. Nutrition is not rocket science; it's much harder than rocket science. There's a limit to oversimplifying things. Nutrition is what it is, and it's complicated. Nevertheless, we need to have the data presented simply so that people can at least make the comparison simply as well.

[Véronique Provencher]

I agree. The information must be as objective as possible. A table containing nutritional values is objective. If we want to compare different foods, you need to work from a baseline.

I was reading a recent article that said that, when you give people time to understand labels and to do the math, they are generally able to do so fairly easily and to distinguish between different kinds of foods. But people do not always have the time to do that when they are buying their groceries. They make their choices based on habit. So just because the information is available, it does not mean that people will actually read it, or that they will use or interpret it correctly.

[The Acting Chair, Conservative, Tim Uppal]

Thank you very much.

That will conclude the questions from our members.

[Colin Carrie, Conservative, Oshawa, ON]

Mr. Chair, just after you dismiss the witnesses, I have one comment I want to ask.

[The Acting Chair, Conservative, Tim Uppal]

Sure.

Thank you, witnesses, for your contribution to our study on health living.

We'll suspend for a minute or two and then we'll get to you. Is that okay?

[The Acting Chair, Conservative, Tim Uppal]

Members, we will get back to business here. We have one thing to discuss.

Go ahead, Dr. Carrie.

[Colin Carrie, Conservative, Oshawa, ON]

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.

[The Acting Chair, Conservative, Tim Uppal]

It's a little noisy. Could we have the conversation taken outside? Thank you very much.

Dr. Carrie, you have the floor.

[Colin Carrie, Conservative, Oshawa, ON]

This is a quick comment. I was looking at the calendar that you handed out. The minister is here on the 10th, and it has the supplementary estimates there, but the main estimates have also been tabled. I just wanted to confirm that we could talk about both the main and the supplementary estimates at that meeting.

[The Acting Chair, Conservative, Tim Uppal]

If that's the will of the committee, but it makes sense.

For how long will the minister be here?

[Colin Carrie, Conservative, Oshawa, ON]

I'm not sure. In the next day or so we'll be able to confirm that.

[The Acting Chair, Conservative, Tim Uppal]

Would we be discussing the main estimates and the supplementary estimates that day?

[An hon. member]

Yes.

[The Acting Chair, Conservative, Tim Uppal]

Is there discussion from the committee? Is there anything to discuss?

That's fine. They've been tabled today, so we can do both that day. Is everybody okay with that?

Go ahead, Ms. Leslie.

[Megan Leslie, NDP, Halifax, NS]

Can we wait to make a decision until we find out how long the minister can be here?

[Colin Carrie, Conservative, Oshawa, ON]

We can do anything we want.

[The Acting Chair, Conservative, Tim Uppal]

Do you want to decide on Thursday, then?

[Ujjal Dosanjh, Liberal, Vancouver South, BC]

Excuse me; when are the estimates?

[The Acting Chair, Conservative, Tim Uppal]

It is the supplementary estimates, but the main estimates were tabled today as well, so the question is whether we could discuss the supplementary estimates and the main estimates in that one day.

[Colin Carrie, Conservative, Oshawa, ON]

Can I make a suggestion? Megan, if the minister can be here for one and a half hours or for the full amount of time, would you be amenable to doing both?

[Megan Leslie, NDP, Halifax, NS]

I would be.

[Colin Carrie, Conservative, Oshawa, ON]

You would be. How about everybody else?

Okay, that's fine. D'accord?

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

I know where you're going.

[The Acting Chair, Conservative, Tim Uppal]

Go ahead, Mr. Malo.

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

I really want to finish my thought. I simply want the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health to be aware that if, by the end of June, we wish to see the minister again for the purposes of our work, we can invite her. She will be delighted to appear before the committee once again, if that is what we wish.