Health Committee on Feb. 3rd, 2016

[The Chair, Liberal, Bill Casey]

All right. Are there any other motions?

[Don Davies, NDP, Vancouver Kingsway, BC]

That's it.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bill Casey]

Is there any other business that we should conduct today?

Actually, we need two more members for the steering committee. Should we identify the two members for the steering committee?

Mr. Oliver, I think you expressed an interest in it.

[John Oliver, Liberal, Oakville, ON]

Yes, I'm happy to volunteer.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bill Casey]

Mr. Eyolfson.

[Doug Eyolfson, Liberal, Charleswood—St. James—Assiniboia—Headingley, MB]

I'd like to volunteer for that.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bill Casey]

Okay. There's our steering committee.

Now, there are so many things we can discuss and so many directions we can go in. I've had a lot of people mention mental health—a lot—and I've had people mention catastrophic pharmaceuticals as a subject, and also the Zika virus. As well, there's a big role for the Government of Canada in aboriginal health, a big role, and certainly, there have been recent events that would justify a close, hard look at the role the Government of Canada plays in health for aboriginals.

There are just so many subjects. How are we going to go about this?

I guess that's the steering committee's decision. When does the steering committee meet? Whenever we want? All right, so how do we do this? Do we have a meeting after this meeting ends? Does the steering committee meet and agree...?

Mr. Davies.

[Don Davies, NDP, Vancouver Kingsway, BC]

I'd like to make a suggestion for the committee's consideration, Mr. Chairman.

You're absolutely right: I think the number of important pressing issues facing this committee is larger than most. There are a lot of important issues. We're facing a break week, so there's one thing I would suggest. Why don't all members take the time between now and the next meeting when we come back on the Monday after the break to think of issues that they would like to suggest for study?

Maybe at that first meeting when we come back, we can as a whole committee review the total list. Then the subcommittee can meet, perhaps the next day after that, and out of all those suggestions and having heard from all the committee members, try to whittle them down to two or three issues that we might want to set on the agenda for this spring.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bill Casey]

That's a great idea, because even last night I met with dairy farmers and they had an issue with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, which comes under the Department of Health. It's such a comprehensive department and it affects everybody so much.

All right. I agree with that. All in favour of Mr. Davies' suggestion that we think about this during the break?

The only problem is that we aren't coming back on the Monday after the break because that's a holiday, if I'm not mistaken, so it will be Wednesday. We'll meet on that Wednesday. Everybody bring their ideas to the table; we'll submit them to the steering committee, and then the steering committee will meet and decide in what order we're going to do them. Are we good?

Mr. Oliver.

[John Oliver, Liberal, Oakville, ON]

On the agenda, I also understand that we're at the leisure of the minister in regard to bills that are produced and topics that the minister would like to see discussed. If we're trying to set committee priorities and a committee agenda, would it also be worthwhile inquiring if there's anything emerging from the minister's office that we should be looking at as well? If we could have that in front of us, then we'd have a comprehensive list.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bill Casey]

Yes, that's a good idea.

Also, when the budget comes out, we will be required to go over the estimates for the department, which I think are in the area of $40 billion, so they're quite extensive.

That's good. Our direction comes from the committee, but we do have some obligations, and certainly we have to consider the minister's direction. She could ask us to do something and we'll decide whether that's what we'll do or not. In any case, if that's good with everybody; is it all good? Do I have a motion to adjourn?

So moved by Mr. Davies. Thank you very much.

Thank you very much, everybody. I hope this works out really well.

The meeting is adjourned.