Health Committee on March 24th, 2011

[The Chair, Conservative, Joy Smith]

I'm sorry, Ms. Dhalla, your time is up.

[Leona Aglukkaq, Conservative, Nunavut, NU]

Jurisdictions then provide the funding to their respective jurisdictions. If you have issues related to patient safety and whatnot, I would suggest that you bring those forward to the provincial health ministry as well.

I'll convey your concerns, as a member of Parliament for Ontario, to your health minister.

[Ruby Dhalla, Liberal, Brampton—Springdale, ON]

We have done that provincially, but you need to take the leadership at the federal level.

[The Chair, Conservative, Joy Smith]

Mrs. O'Neill-Gordon.

[Tilly O'Neill-Gordon, Conservative, Miramichi, NB]

Thank you, Madam Chair. Welcome back. It's nice to have you back with us.

And welcome to our minister and her guests this afternoon, the witnesses, with us. We're happy to have you.

I have to say that, as we all know, our government continues to put billions of dollars into helping to promote our population and promote a healthier population. It's a very important objective for all our age groups, regardless of whether it's children or adults, seniors, but it's also a very important objective for everyone. We know how hard we are all working towards trying to keep our population a little healthier.

The government had invested $730 million over five years through Budget 2010 to renew key aboriginal health programs. Having three reserves in my riding, I'm just wondering if you can explain for the committee how the investments are promoting health and preventing disease in the aboriginal population.

[Leona Aglukkaq, Conservative, Nunavut, NU]

Thank you for that question.

As I stated in my earlier remarks, on the health disparities between Canadians and aboriginal people, there's a huge gap. The funding of $730 million over the five years in 2010 was invested in areas to support the prevention of diabetes and health promotion activities in over 600 first nations and Inuit communities. About $275 million was invested in that.

We've also invested funding of $170 million to maternal and child health; $50 million for aboriginal head start programs on reserves and in urban and northern communities; $75 million to support 200 community-based youth suicide prevention projects; $80 million to pursue the advancement of aboriginal people in health professions. In an announcement yesterday, announced initiatives under the student loan forgiveness will also support those individuals. And $80 million was also invested in the integration of federally funded health services in first nations and Inuit communities with partnerships with provinces and territories. How better to integrate those services, to provide better services and quality services to aboriginal people?

Basically, we recognize that we continue to have challenges in a number of areas, but with the significant investments we have made to improve the lives and the health outcomes of aboriginal people through these, we are seeing results, positive results, and we'll continue to work with the provinces and territories where the Inuit population are, as well as the first nations communities that we have direct responsibility for.

Thank you.

[Tilly O'Neill-Gordon, Conservative, Miramichi, NB]

I want to reiterate what Dr. Carrie said. I have had several calls congratulating us on the program for funding to help those who are looking after parents. That program will be well received in my constituency. It's too bad it has to be put on hold for a while, but I know it will be worthwhile when it does come.

Thank you very much.

[Leona Aglukkaq, Conservative, Nunavut, NU]

Thank you.

[The Chair, Conservative, Joy Smith]

That's very nice.

You do have about a minute and a half more if you want to continue.

[Patrick Brown, Conservative, Barrie, ON]

Madam Chair, perhaps I could jump in.

[The Chair, Conservative, Joy Smith]

Mr. Brown, sure, if you'd like to.

[Patrick Brown, Conservative, Barrie, ON]

I think I'm next on the list, but I will start early.

One thing in the budget that I think is fantastic is the $100 million allocated for the Canada Brain Research Fund. It would be matched by partnerships across Canada. I'd be interested to hear about those partnerships and how that's going to expand on what has already been allocated in the budget. There is a tremendous degree of support for initiatives like that. I think it's a wonderful thing to see Canada leading on that front.

[Leona Aglukkaq, Conservative, Nunavut, NU]

The $100 million to establish the Canada Brain Research Fund is a great investment.

The federal funding for this initiative, as you mentioned, will be matched. It is in the early stages of identifying who the partners will be in the rollout of that. Some of the work we're doing internally already is not just within Canada but with international networks as well. I'll use Alzheimer's research as an example. There are international partners within that.

In terms of how the dollars will be rolled out with interest groups and whatnot, that remains to be worked out.

[Patrick Brown, Conservative, Barrie, ON]

Dr. Beaudet, do you know if there is any interest in the--

[The Chair, Conservative, Joy Smith]

I'm sorry, Mr. Brown, your time is up, but you can restart in about five minutes.

Monsieur Malo.

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

Thank you very much, Madam Chair.

In the main estimates for 2011-12, the contributions in support of the Federal Tobacco Control Strategy have not changed from last year, in other words, they are still $15.7 million.

Madam Minister, you will no doubt recall that the last time you were here, you told us you were going to refocus the strategy to target contraband tobacco activities more directly. You went on to explain that you had changed your mind and had refocused the strategy on new warning labels, moving away from what you had announced last fall and revamping the entire contraband tobacco strategy.

I said to you then that you could do both, and that a true tobacco control strategy should consist of two key activities: encouraging people to quit smoking and keeping contraband tobacco off the black market.

In response to a question from a Liberal colleague, Ms. Yeates seemed to say that the entire contraband strategy would be solely in the hands of the RCMP. Yet you said during a press conference that Health Canada also had a hand in combatting contraband tobacco activities.

I would just like to know whether that $15.7 million will allow for a comprehensive strategy that truly integrates both of the components necessary to ensure that the public stops smoking once and for all.

[Leona Aglukkaq, Conservative, Nunavut, NU]

Thank you.

Let me first clarify the first point on the contraband issue. When we were dealing with the whole issue of packaging and labelling, what I stated was that I was concerned that more Canadians were smoking contraband and not packaged tobacco. If we're going to be renewing the labels on any packaging, we also have to be very mindful of the fact that there are many Canadians who are smoking cigarettes that are sold in plastic bags. If we're going to be fighting tobacco by improving labelling, then certainly this has to be a factor we need to consider if we're going to curb the trend.

In addition to that, we need to look at the social media network campaign we launched. It was quite successful within the national anti-drug strategy for young people. We now have over 22,000 young people on a national anti-drug strategy social media network to deal with that.

Those were factors I wanted considered, along with the labelling. If we're going to do things just by changing the photograph on a package.... There's more to addressing and fighting tobacco than that, which is why I said that I want to deal with all of these collectively.

Last year, Public Safety Canada, the RCMP, and Canada Border Services also announced new initiatives to deal with the issue of contraband. That has been announced, and it's been moving forward. From our standpoint, it was important that I raise the issue that contraband is an emerging issue in the population health piece. The announcement to deal with contraband is a process on its own, but under the umbrella of tobacco legislation and whatnot, communication, information going out, and labelling were part of it.

In terms of the funding for the tobacco control strategy, we're renewing that. We work with partners that have been established to roll this out. They do very important work. This is an ongoing process.

Thank you.

[The Chair, Conservative, Joy Smith]

You only have about 30 seconds left. Mr. Malo, I don't think there's any time to continue.

We'll have to go to Mr. Brown. I'm sorry.

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

Please go to my colleagues across the way then, if that is what you want, Madam Chair.

[Patrick Brown, Conservative, Barrie, ON]

Thank you.

Just to follow up on the question I started with on the national brain strategy, I was wondering if there's been any initial interest from some of the major neurological groups in being a potential partner in this, whether it's MS, autism, ALS, or Parkinson's.

[Dr. Alain Beaudet, President, Canadian Institutes of Health Research]

Brain Canada is a national not-for-profit organization that's dedicated to supporting research on the brain. We're talking about both neurological diseases and mental health issues. This organization already exists. It raises funds and has been a perfect partner of CHIR in funding brain disorders.

Now, in the new budget, the government proposes to match up to $10 million a year, for 10 years, for a total sum of $100 million on the government's part, which would mean $200 million total of additional funding for brain research. The priorities obviously will have to be established. As the minister said, clearly Alzheimer's disease, I suspect, will be one of the priorities. I think it's probably early days in determining exactly where the money will be invested. I certainly know that Brain Canada is interested not only in neurological disorders but very much in mental health and the biological causes of mental disorders as well.

[Patrick Brown, Conservative, Barrie, ON]

That's perfect.

You know, when I saw that, I think it was on page 143 or 145 of the budget, the first thing I did was e-mail a few constituents in the riding of the city of Barrie.

I think of Derek Walton, who jumps from a plane every year to raise money for ALS. I know that his goal is to raise awareness of the need for research on the brain. And to see something like this I think is just wonderful. I think of Jeanette Elliott, in my riding, who has volunteered every day for the last five years for MS as an unpaid volunteer, just because she believes so much.

There are so many countless individuals like that across Canada. I think this was a tremendous initiative, and I'm very glad to see it in this budget. I only hope we'll see it passed eventually in the House of Commons so that these needed funds can get out for these important neurological disorders and help with the research.

The other question I wanted to ask was with regard to the funds associated with medical students and nurse practitioners. I know that Ontario has really put a focus on nurse practitioners. And there are lots of areas where we have tremendous doctor shortages. If I recall, it was in the form of tuition paybacks.

Could you expand a little bit on how we're going to define rural and remote areas? I realize that there are so many areas in the country that have physician shortages that we're all going to want to feel rural right now. I live in an urban area, but we certainly have physician shortages in Barrie as well. We're an hour away from Toronto. I'm not sure that it would qualify as a rural area.

[Leona Aglukkaq, Conservative, Nunavut, NU]

An hour away from any place...I call that luxury. I'm two days away from my hometown, and it's all flying.

The work in terms of how we define that will continue. Obviously, remote locations that can only be accessed by air is one interpretation of that.

I'll get Glenda to elaborate a bit more on that.

[The Chair, Conservative, Joy Smith]

Ms. Yeates.

[Glenda Yeates]

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Now that we've had the announcement in the budget, we'll begin work with colleagues in the student aid programs and health departments across the country. In some cases, there will be provincial programs that will want to understand how these are defined, how “rural” is defined in various jurisdictions, and come up with definitions that make sense from all points of view.

Having been a provincial deputy of health, I think there's a real sense that having the numbers of professional health providers is critical, but actually attracting and retaining them in areas where you need them for the population is also critical. So I think we'll want to work with partners on that definition, both, as I say, with HRSDC and the student aid partners across the country, but also with the health departments across the country.