Evidence of meeting #35 for Health in the 41st Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was amendments.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Liberal
Hedy Fry Liberal Vancouver Centre, BC
This one may require royal assent. I would like to ask for the comment of the legislative clerk on it.
Liberal
Hedy Fry Liberal Vancouver Centre, BC
All right.
As we heard very strongly, one of the most important things we need is to have everyone talk about what they do that works, so that we don't have to reinvent the wheel and we don't spend a lot of time, money, and resources looking at whether or not everybody is doing the same thing over and over, costing a lot of time and resources.
By disseminating best practices, which in fact the federal government could easily do as the coordinating body.... If we read the beginning of this bill, it says that the Government of Canada must establish a federal framework, so within that framework disseminating best practices could be done on a website. It doesn't require any extra resources to do it, and I would hope that it would help everyone to at least be able to get on the same page and look at practice standards.
Conservative
Colin Carrie Conservative Oshawa, ON
Thank you very much.
I want to thank my colleague for putting forth this amendment. I do want to let her know, though, that the development of the best practice registry would be duplicative. The Public Health Agency of Canada already manages the Canadian best practices portal, which could be used to place information on suicide prevention. In addition, the Mental Health Commission of Canada is also developing its own knowledge exchange centre, which could potentially be used as a vehicle for information on its initiatives.
Liberal
Hedy Fry Liberal Vancouver Centre, BC
Based on what I just heard from Mr. Carrie, I would like to amend this amendment by suggesting “defining best practices through the registry of the Public Health Agency”, which obviously exists. I'd just like to add that instead for suicide prevention, “defining best practices through the registry at the Public Health Agency for suicide prevention”, so that we go straight through.... All they have to do is add it to the list if they already have a registry, and that's their job. Let's just make sure that somebody types in the “best practices” at some point in time.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Joy Smith
You can't modify your own amendment, but what you could do is withdraw your previous amendment and make a new motion.
Conservative
Liberal
Hedy Fry Liberal Vancouver Centre, BC
Yes, I would. Sure. I'll send it to you in a few minutes.
Thank you.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Joy Smith
Okay, we will just leave that one for a moment. Amendment Lib-4 is withdrawn for the moment, and Ms. Fry will work on that.
We'll go to amendment NDP-4
NDP
Dany Morin NDP Chicoutimi—Le Fjord, QC
I move that Bill C-300, in clause 2, be amended by adding after line 30 on page 2 the following:
(vii) establishing national standards for the training of persons engaged in suicide prevention, so that, in their interaction with potentially vulnerable populations, they may better identify individuals who are at risk and direct them to the appropriate assessment and treatment services.
My colleague Colin Carrie mentioned a bit earlier that personnel training was a provincial jurisdiction. That is indeed so. When speaking of training itself. That is why I am happy that this amendment calls for the establishment of national standards. We are not telling the provinces how to do their work, but we are making recommendations that all provinces can use to provide better training for their workers in suicide prevention.
This issue is very complex. These are people who are playing with people's lives. One wrong answer or a wrong word from them might be enough for someone to carry out their idea. People must thus have as many skills as possible.
I think that we could establish national standards for the training of persons engaged in suicide prevention. That is what I had to say on this amendment.
Conservative
Colin Carrie Conservative Oshawa, ON
Again, I want to thank my colleague for the recommendation, but it is clear that those standards are provincial jurisdiction. Whether you're a medical doctor, a chiropractor, all these different professions, the federal government can't enforce national standards in an area of provincial jurisdiction. So I don't think this would be necessary, and it could cause a conflict.
NDP
Dany Morin NDP Chicoutimi—Le Fjord, QC
Would it be possible to amend the amendment slightly by writing "recommend national standards" instead of "establishing national standards?"
This change meets the concerns of my Conservative colleague. I think that "recommend national standards" is very reasonable. This would not force the provinces to follow a federal guideline.
Conservative
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Joy Smith
Okay, just one moment.
Dr. Morin, Ms. Davies is going to amend your subamendment.
