Health Committee on April 18th, 2013

[Parm Gill, Conservative, Brampton—Springdale, ON]

Thank you.

I'd like to share the rest of my time with my colleague, Mr. Lobb, please.

[Ben Lobb, Conservative, Huron—Bruce, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Gill. That's very generous, if I might say.

Minister, you've been the minister now for four and a half years, and you've been through this main estimates process five times. What amazes me from the opposition—for the last five estimates, five years in a row, not only in this committee but also on my veterans affairs committee—is that they ask the very same question, every time, about main estimates. Then on supplemental estimates they ask the same question.

What can we do to help the opposition better understand the process of main estimates and supplemental estimates so that we can get beyond their questions and into more detail about the actual content of main estimates? Do you have any ideas on what we can do to help these people out?

[Leona Aglukkaq, Conservative, Nunavut, NU]

That's a challenge.

In terms of any new programming we have in the budgets, we're making a lot of great investments through Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada. In terms of the process of developing main estimates and whatnot, the members have been here for a long time, and I think they know that process, so I won't go into it.

We are making a lot of good investments, and we do try to highlight the great investments being made, whether they be in technology or the increased transfers or prevention initiatives that we're doing in responding to research, and what have you. We'll continue to do our part to respond to the needs of Canadians through the main estimates process.

Thank you.

[Ben Lobb, Conservative, Huron—Bruce, ON]

The other thing I'd like to add is with regard to a point that Ms. Outhwaite made and that I'd like to commend your department on, namely, the fact that you've been able to find savings inside your department and you've been able to find efficiencies while still maintaining and probably improving the services you provide to Canadians.

Business does this all the time. We're asking Canadians at home, and Canadians have taken it upon themselves, to find savings in their own household budgets. I'm impressed and happy that you've been able to do this. I think it's a healthy cycle to go through, to actually kick the tires and find improvements. So thank you for that.

Do I have any time left, Madam Chair?

[The Chair, Conservative, Joy Smith]

Actually, no—

[Ben Lobb, Conservative, Huron—Bruce, ON]

Am I over my time?

Well, I just wanted to let you know that, because I think what you're doing is important.

[The Chair, Conservative, Joy Smith]

Thank you.

Dr. Morin.

[Dany Morin, NDP, Chicoutimi—Le Fjord, QC]

Thank you very much.

All my questions are directed to the minister. Please keep your answers short and under one minute. Otherwise, I am going to interrupt you, and I don't want to do that.

Your ministry is participating in the road map for Canada's official languages. Although it was renewed this year, the financing has decreased by $16 million. Can you guarantee that the financing of the local organizations on the ground will not be affected?

[Glenda Yeates]

As was noted, the main estimates do not include the renewal of the official minority languages funding, but budget 2013, which came after these were put together, did announce that there would be a renewal. Health Canada, which has had a strong program of supporting official minority language communities, does have the same level of funding. We will be making announcements in the near future about how that will be supportive of official minority language communities, but it's the same level of funding.

[Dany Morin, NDP, Chicoutimi—Le Fjord, QC]

Okay. That is quite problematic, not in the fact that it's the same level of funding, but because you have missed the deadline for the next year and those local organizations on the ground will not have their money. Your ministry knew that the program ended at the end of March of this year, and because you did not renew it in time, those organizations on the ground will have to wait until January or February of next year. They will spend pretty much all year without any new funds to fund those minority language services. What do you have to say to that?

[Glenda Yeates]

We'll certainly be—

Oh, sorry, Minister.

[Leona Aglukkaq, Conservative, Nunavut, NU]

In terms of the budget cycles in the House of Commons, we can't change that. Budgets are announced and we go through the vote process and so on, so that's the process in itself. I encourage you to vote for the budget very quickly so that we can get the funding rolling.

But in the interim, I'll get Glenda to—

[Glenda Yeates]

Yes, and we will continue to work with our partner organizations and remount the program. As these sunsetting programs are reviewed periodically, go through an evaluation and a review, and are renewed, there is sometimes this process, but we'll work with the communities and the....

[Dany Morin, NDP, Chicoutimi—Le Fjord, QC]

Okay. I'm going to change topics, but I just want to say that you have known for a couple of years that this would end at the end of March of this year, so you cannot just pretend that you have to follow the normal cycles in the House of Commons. You knew before, and you could have prevented it and renewed it in time for those local organizations to have the money. They will not have the money for the next year, and that is unfortunate.

My next question is in regard to the sweeping changes proposed in the marijuana for medical purposes regulations. Through these new regulations, medical marijuana users will be forced to access medical marijuana through expensive commercial growers. Your own department has submitted that a new cost will be $8.80 per gram, up from its current rate of $1.80 per gram.

Many medical marijuana patients grow their own supplies or buy medical marijuana from the local compassion clubs because they are on a limited income due to their illness, or because they have a disability that prevents them from having a higher income. Why are medical marijuana patients being forced to buy their own supplies from expensive commercial growers? How are they expected to afford this medical treatment?

[Leona Aglukkaq, Conservative, Nunavut, NU]

Thank you.

I don't think many Canadians know that they're heavily subsidizing people who are on medical marijuana. Canadians do pay for the current program on behalf of the users. While the courts have said that there must be reasonable access, we also have heard a lot of concerns from law enforcement officials, the fire departments, and the mayors. This is why—

[Dany Morin, NDP, Chicoutimi—Le Fjord, QC]

I'm cutting you off. I have only a few seconds.

[Leona Aglukkaq, Conservative, Nunavut, NU]

—the changes are going forward. This is why we're going forward with the Gazette. It is because of the—

[Dany Morin, NDP, Chicoutimi—Le Fjord, QC]

Are you honestly telling us that the price will increase because you are appalled that taxpayers are paying for patients who have terminal cancer and the price right now is too low so you want to increase it and make it less affordable for those cancer patients to have their medical marijuana?

[Leona Aglukkaq, Conservative, Nunavut, NU]

That's not what I said at all. That's what you said.

[Dany Morin, NDP, Chicoutimi—Le Fjord, QC]

You started by saying you heard from taxpayers who were thinking that—

[Leona Aglukkaq, Conservative, Nunavut, NU]

Canadians pay right now over $15 million to subsidize medical marijuana for patients.

[The Chair, Conservative, Joy Smith]

Doctor, you're finished.

[Leona Aglukkaq, Conservative, Nunavut, NU]

That's a fact, so in terms of going forward to reform this program, there was widespread abuse and a lot of concerns from fire departments, police enforcement officers, neighbourhoods, mayors, and what not. We've been consulting for the last two years, and we are moving forward and making changes to reform the program to mitigate the abuse we see on our streets.

The revised changes will be that individuals will not be able to grow their own marijuana, and they will be able to purchase their marijuana from a warehouse. The dispensing of that product will be from the warehouse to the patient. But we are removing personal grow ops for marijuana because there is widespread criminal activity related to them.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

[The Chair, Conservative, Joy Smith]

Thank you, Minister.

That brings us to an end. We don't have time to go into anything else. We have only two minutes left, and I need to suspend to bring the officials on.

Minister, I'd like to thank you very much for coming. I think the questions and answers moved along very quickly, and we got the majority of questions and answers in for the time allotted. So thank you so much for coming out today.

Thank you, committee, for your insightful questions.

We will suspend for two minutes. The officials can come forward.

[The Chair, Conservative, Joy Smith]

Can we continue, please, committee? Thank you so much.

Just keep in mind that we have to have our votes, so at maybe 5:13 we will stop and thank our officials, and then we will go into the votes and get that done.

We're going to start again. I think we'll continue on from where we were.

Mr. Lizon, we're going to finish our five-minute round so I'll begin with you. You may begin now.