Health Committee on June 15th, 2011

[The Chair, Conservative, Joy Smith]

Good afternoon, everybody.

First of all, I want to thank you for electing me to the chair. That was very gracious of you. I'm quite looking forward to chairing this committee again. It was a fabulous committee and I know it will continue to be. It's a real honour to be here.

I want to congratulate the vice-chairs, Libby Davies and Hedy Fry.

It's wonderful to have you as vice-chairs on this committee. Welcome.

I would like to go into the routine motions. Is that agreeable to everyone on the committee? Could I have a show of hands? Thank you.

We'll start with the first one, which is on analyst services, and reads:

That the Committee retain, as needed and at the discretion of the Chair, the services of one or more analysts from the Library of Parliament to assist it in its work.

All in favour of adopting this motion?

(Motion agreed to)

[The Chair, Conservative, Joy Smith]

Thank you.

I would like our analysts, Sonya and Raphaelle, to come to the table.

You know Sonya, I'm sure, as she has been here with us for a very long time and has done a fabulous job.

We are pleased to have Raphaelle Deraspe with us.

Welcome. Thank you for being here.

We'll now go to routine motion number 2 on the subcommittee on agenda and procedure:

That the Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure be established and composed of the Chair, the two Vice-Chairs, and the Parliamentary Secretary.

In the last session, the committee decided to add to this. We added that “each member of the Subcommittee [shall] be permitted to have one assistant attend at any meetings” of the subcommittee, because we found that useful.

Dr. Carrie.

[Colin Carrie, Conservative, Oshawa, ON]

Thank you very much, Madam Chair.

I would like to congratulate you on your re-election. I'm looking forward to working with everyone here, and I welcome the new members.

I'd like to propose a--

[The Chair, Conservative, Joy Smith]

I'm sorry, Dr. Carrie. I'm told we have to suspend because we're having a few technical difficulties. Would you bear with me for one moment? Thank you.

We're back online, but before we continue, I want to welcome all the rest of you to this committee too.

We have a new member. I know that everyone knows Ms. Davies, as she has contributed to Parliament for a long time.

We have with us Ms. Quach.

Welcome.

It's very nice to have you with us, Madam Sellah and Monsieur Morin.

Of course, everyone knows Dr. Fry. She has been here and contributing for a very long time, as have the rest of us, only she has been here longer than I have.

Dr. Carrie, along with Mr. Strahl, Mr. Gill, Mr. Brown, Ms. Block, and Mr. Williamson, who are new to our committee, welcome as well. We have a very dynamic committee.

I was remiss in not welcoming all of you, because we need to know each very well. I think this committee is going to go very well.

Dr. Carrie, continue.

[Colin Carrie, Conservative, Oshawa, ON]

Thank you very much, Madam Chair.

With the rejigging of Parliament, what I am going to suggest is something that better represents how the House of Commons is situated these days. I'm going to suggest the following: that the subcommittee on agenda and procedure be composed of five members, including the chair, the two vice-chairs, the parliamentary secretary, and a member of the Conservative Party. Quorum of the subcommittee shall consist of at least three members. Each member of the subcommittee shall be permitted to have one assistant attend any meetings of the subcommittee on agenda and procedure. In addition, each party shall be permitted to have one staff member from the House officer attend any meetings.

[The Chair, Conservative, Joy Smith]

Any discussion?

(Motion agreed to)

We'll move on to motion number 3, meeting without a quorum: that the chair be authorized to hold meetings and to receive and publish evidence when a quorum is not present provided that at least.... We have to fill in the number of members. I would suggest that four members be present, including one member of the opposition and one member of the government.

Dr. Carrie.

[Colin Carrie, Conservative, Oshawa, ON]

I think that's a good recommendation, Madam Chair.

I'd like to add something. In the case of previously scheduled meetings taking place outside of the parliamentary precinct--because, for the new members, one of the things we may do is travel--the committee members in attendance shall only be required to wait for 15 minutes following the designated start of the meeting before they may proceed to hear witnesses and receive evidence regardless of whether opposition or government members are present.

[The Chair, Conservative, Joy Smith]

Thank you, Dr. Carrie.

Ms. Davies.

[Libby Davies, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

Are you suggesting that's only when we're out of the parliamentary precinct?

[Colin Carrie, Conservative, Oshawa, ON]

That's right.

[Libby Davies, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

It's basically not to keep witnesses waiting and to get the show on the road.

[Colin Carrie, Conservative, Oshawa, ON]

Yes, not to be rude.

[The Chair, Conservative, Joy Smith]

All in favour, raise your hands.

(Motion agreed to)

Motion number 4 is the distribution of documents: that only the clerk of the committee be authorized to distribute to the members of the committee and only when the documents are available in both official languages, and that witnesses be advised accordingly.

Dr. Carrie.

[Colin Carrie, Conservative, Oshawa, ON]

After what you said, that only the clerk of the committee be authorized to distribute to the members of the committee any documents, I'd like to add, “including motions”.

[The Chair, Conservative, Joy Smith]

Okay.

[Colin Carrie, Conservative, Oshawa, ON]

And that all documents that are to be distributed amongst the committee members must be in both official languages. Also, the clerk shall advise all witnesses appearing before committee of this requirement.

[Libby Davies, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

Could you read the part again about motions? Are you putting that in?

[Colin Carrie, Conservative, Oshawa, ON]

Yes. It's that only the clerk of the committee be authorized to distribute to the members of the committee any documents--and, for clarification, to state, “including motions”--and that all documents that are to be distributed amongst the committee members must be in both official languages. The clerk shall advise all witnesses appearing before committee of this requirement.

[The Chair, Conservative, Joy Smith]

In other words, all motions and all documents would be distributed by the clerk and that the witnesses who are coming to the committee would be advised of that practice.

Dr. Fry.

[Hedy Fry, Liberal, Vancouver Centre, BC]

All documents would include journal articles, etc. If, for example, those articles are not in French, will we have to get them translated into French? Is that what I'm to understand?

[The Chair, Conservative, Joy Smith]

Yes. That's what you're to understand.

[Hedy Fry, Liberal, Vancouver Centre, BC]

Is that not going to hold up the production of those documents? I'm thinking about the timing issue. Is that going to stall things a lot?

[John Williamson, Conservative, New Brunswick Southwest, NB]

It's not traditionally up to this committee to translate documents or for the witnesses to translate documents.

[Hedy Fry, Liberal, Vancouver Centre, BC]

No. We're talking about journal articles, etc. If there was a journal article that somebody felt should be brought to the attention of the committee and it came out of, say, JAMA, The Journal of the American Medical Association, it would be written in English. Somebody would have to translate it, not the AMA. It would come from the Library of Parliament as a supporting document and not a witness document. I'm just trying to clarify, that's all.

[The Chair, Conservative, Joy Smith]

That's a very good question, Dr. Fry.

Would you be amenable to making that decision on a case-by-case basis? There are some important journals, and I think you make a very good point that it might hold things up.

Dr. Carrie.