Health Committee on Nov. 21st, 2011

[Colin Carrie, Conservative, Oshawa, ON]

Madam Chair, before we suspend the meeting today, I do want to make a point of order. It was something I was very disappointed about in question period. I'd like to bring to the attention of the chair a question asked by Dr. Fry today during question period in the House of Commons.

She referred to a discussion that was held at an in camera committee meeting. I'm sure the honourable member does know that this is a breach of the Standing Orders governing the House of Commons and it's a clear and blatant disrespect of the rules governing the House of Commons.

I would respectfully ask the member to apologize, not only to the members of this committee but also to the members of the House of Commons.

[The Chair, Conservative, Joy Smith]

May we have your comments, Dr. Fry?

[Hedy Fry, Liberal, Vancouver Centre, BC]

Madam Chair, this was not meant to be a breach of anything. I just said that the Liberals have continued to bring this to see that the Standing Committee on Health studies it, and that it's been blocked by the government. I didn't mention that it was done at a meeting of the health committee. I just said that we asked for this to be studied at the health committee, and it continues to be blocked by the government. It was a general statement about generally asking repeatedly, including in the House.

[The Chair, Conservative, Joy Smith]

Go ahead, Dr. Carrie.

[Colin Carrie, Conservative, Oshawa, ON]

Madam Chair, certainly there will be different ways committee members remember that particular meeting, but the point is that we do have the option of doing our meetings in camera. I know it's been something that we respect; that when people say something in camera, and make decisions in camera, they aren't going to be brought up in the House of Commons. That's something that is respect for all members on all different topics. It's been something we've always respected, and I would respectfully ask her to apologize, because there is a certain amount of trust that we have as members in these in camera committee meetings.

[The Chair, Conservative, Joy Smith]

Mrs. Block.

[Kelly Block, Conservative, Saskatoon—Rosetown—Biggar, SK]

Thank you, Madam Chair.

I would just like to add to my colleague's comments. We can go back to the Hansard and see what was said, but I do believe that Ms. Fry referred to it as being blocked by the members of the committee. So we can, as I said, go and check the Hansard to make sure, but I know that as soon as the statement was made, it was a concern to us on the government side.

Thank you.

[The Chair, Conservative, Joy Smith]

First, Ms. Davies.

[Libby Davies, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

I was also going to suggest that maybe we should check the Hansard. I remember the question generally, and I didn't think at the time that it pertained specifically to committee business. Is it something we could put over? I'd actually like to go look at the Hansard and see what it says, see what the actual question was.

[The Chair, Conservative, Joy Smith]

Dr. Fry.

[Hedy Fry, Liberal, Vancouver Centre, BC]

Madam Chair, I've been around this place since 1993. I'm very well aware of in camera requirements and what one can and cannot do. I specifically phrased my question so that it did not refer to this committee or this committee's decisions or any in camera meetings. I also publicly have put out press releases—and it was picked up by many media well before I even brought this up—asking the government, calling on the government, to ensure that they look at the issue of drug shortages. This had been done well before it came here.

I referred generally to the issue of looking at drug shortages and the government not wanting to do this. Sure, look at Hansard, because I didn't refer to it.

[The Chair, Conservative, Joy Smith]

Committee members, I'm going to make a suggestion. We do have some choices here. We could spend a lot of time on this and take up time in another meeting. It could become a question of privilege. There are a lot of things that could happen.

I would suggest, and just remind everybody, that we have to be extremely careful that anything discussed in camera stays in camera. So I would ask the committee that we just remind each other of that, very clearly.

Dr. Fry, would you please be very, very careful in the future so that we don't have these kinds of discussions around our committee? I pride myself in making sure we try to be very mindful of each other and very polite to each other on all sides of the House here. I think we can agree, hopefully, today as a committee, as a reminder, that all of us will be very mindful in the future. Otherwise, we go to plan B, and I don't think any one of us wants to do that.

Is that okay with you, Dr. Fry?

[Hedy Fry, Liberal, Vancouver Centre, BC]

That's fine with me, Madam Chair, because as I said, for 18 years I have never breached in camera meetings in this House, so this was not an intent to breach anything in camera at all.

[The Chair, Conservative, Joy Smith]

Okay, Dr. Fry, you make your point, but also Dr. Carrie has made his point.

Dr. Carrie, do you want to say anything else on this?

[Colin Carrie, Conservative, Oshawa, ON]

Madam Chair, I will be looking at the Hansard. As I said, what's really important I think is that we do respect each other. We have differences of opinion. Quite often we do. There are certain rules we abide by, and I would just like all members to be aware of them.

So I'll check the Hansard and see what was said and I'll get back to you.

[The Chair, Conservative, Joy Smith]

Just again as a reminder, everybody be very, very careful: in camera is in camera.

With that, I will dismiss the committee.