Health Committee on Dec. 7th, 2011

[The Chair, Conservative, Joy Smith]

Good afternoon, and welcome to the health committee. We're very pleased to have our witnesses here, but before I go to them, I would just like to pass the budget quickly for our witnesses. I'm going to put the motion forward.

[Libby Davies, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

Madam Chair, we also have a point of order.

[The Chair, Conservative, Joy Smith]

I know. We're going to deal with all of that in committee business, because I want to get the witnesses done. The motion reads: “That in relation to the study of health promotion and disease prevention, the proposed budget in the amount of $38,200 be adopted.”

Could I get a mover for that?

Thank you, Dr. Carrie.

(Motion agreed to)

I understand there's a point of order.

[Anne Minh-Thu Quach, NDP, Beauharnois—Salaberry, QC]

Thank you, Madam Chair.

I want to introduce the following motion:

That the committee immediately undertake a study of the impact of the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) between Canada ad the European Union on the Canadian health system and on the cost of drugs; [...]

[The Chair, Conservative, Joy Smith]

Excuse me. That's not a point of order.

[Anne Minh-Thu Quach, NDP, Beauharnois—Salaberry, QC]

I just wanted to finish reading it; I only have two lines left.

[The Chair, Conservative, Joy Smith]

No, we can't continue.

[Anne Minh-Thu Quach, NDP, Beauharnois—Salaberry, QC]

But I did submit the notice of motion 48 hours in advance.

[The Chair, Conservative, Joy Smith]

You're going to move the motion right now, then?

[Anne Minh-Thu Quach, NDP, Beauharnois—Salaberry, QC]

Yes, please, because I think that it....

[The Chair, Conservative, Joy Smith]

Okay. We'll vote on it right now quickly. Go ahead then. You should tell me ahead of time, so I can prepare for it.

[Anne Minh-Thu Quach, NDP, Beauharnois—Salaberry, QC]

We sent the notice of motion on Monday, so 48 hours in advance. I think that we followed the procedure.

[The Chair, Conservative, Joy Smith]

You did do that, but you should have told me that you wanted to do it today, because I assumed that you wanted to do it on a business day. That would just help me out so that we can hear the witnesses.

[Anne Minh-Thu Quach, NDP, Beauharnois—Salaberry, QC]

So I will continue reading the motion:

[...] that witnesses be heard before the committee for at least one meeting; and that the committee report its findings to the House of Commons.

I think it is important for us to talk about it now, since negotiations are in the ninth round, and we still have no information on the impact of that agreement on health care and the cost of drugs. Those negotiations will be completed very shortly.

[The Chair, Conservative, Joy Smith]

Ms. Davies, go ahead.

[Libby Davies, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

Thank you, Madam Chairperson.

I'd like to support my colleague in raising this matter.

First of all, to the witnesses, we certainly know and appreciate that you're waiting. We hope you have some patience as we just raise this matter.

I do feel a sense of frustration with this issue of the CETA agreement between Canada and the European Union. We've raised this before. We believe it's a very important issue that the committee should study. We're not wanting to debate the issue today, but we do want the committee to consider the merits and need to have a study and witnesses on this issue. We're calling for just one meeting—possibly two.

I would just ask the witnesses to bear with us, because we have been trying to get this motion before the committee. We have brought it forward--

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

On a point of order, Madam Chair, it is my understanding that we are now moving into a discussion of future business for this committee, in starting to discuss witnesses and the number of days that we might put towards a study. It is my understanding that we usually do this type of deliberation in camera.

[The Chair, Conservative, Joy Smith]

I will ask all committee members about this. We have a full business meeting on December 14, but today we have our guests in front of us ready to present. All of you know there will be bells ringing and that we want to make sure that we hear our witnesses. I know it's a very important issue. I can appreciate that, and I can't stop you from doing it, but if you insist on doing it, I would ask you to make your comments as concise as possible so we can hear our witnesses.

[Libby Davies, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

Madam Chair, I'll certainly do that, because we don't want to hold up the witnesses.

I do want to reiterate that it is our right to bring forward a motion to this committee and to have the committee consider whether or not we're going to look at the issue. That is entirely legitimate. This issue of the CETA agreement is something that we've brought up before—

[Mark Strahl, Conservative, Chilliwack—Fraser Canyon, BC]

A point of order, Madam Chair.

[The Chair, Conservative, Joy Smith]

Go ahead on a point of order, Mr. Strahl.

[Libby Davies, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

We want to have it before the committee, and so we're hoping that Conservative members will agree that this is something—

[Mark Strahl, Conservative, Chilliwack—Fraser Canyon, BC]

I would move that we go in camera.

[The Chair, Conservative, Joy Smith]

All right, then.

[Libby Davies, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

No, it's not legitimate to have something like this in camera. It's a regular motion of the committee. It happens all the time at committees, that you can bring forward a motion and have it debated in public.