Health Committee on Nov. 1st, 2016

[John Oliver, Liberal, Oakville, ON]

Should we also be making plans to extend the Tuesday meeting as well?

[The Chair, Liberal, Bill Casey]

I'd like to keep that option open.

For the Tuesday meeting, I would be prepared to stay longer for Tuesday as well.

All right. That's done.

[Darshan Singh Kang, Liberal, Calgary Skyview, AB]

Do we vote or...?

[The Chair, Liberal, Bill Casey]

I think I can make that decision, can't I?

[Inaudible—Editor] consensus on that, so it's at 10 o'clock on Monday morning and be prepared to extend the meeting on Tuesday as well.

Mr. Oliver.

[John Oliver, Liberal, Oakville, ON]

We had consensus last time and it changed after the meeting when people looked at schedules. I'm wondering if we should formalize it with a motion—

[The Chair, Liberal, Bill Casey]

It's not a problem. Move the motion.

[John Oliver, Liberal, Oakville, ON]

—because we did have consensus on the 14th and then we lost it over the weekend.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bill Casey]

Do you have a motion?

[John Oliver, Liberal, Oakville, ON]

I would move that we meet Monday morning at 10 a.m.

[Don Davies, NDP, Vancouver Kingsway, BC]

I want to speak to that.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bill Casey]

Mr. Davies.

[Don Davies, NDP, Vancouver Kingsway, BC]

Sorry, Mr. Chair, but I do think you need to have the length of the meeting specified. We have Standing Orders on quorum and things. If the Conservatives and the NDP were to leave the meeting, you would lose quorum, so we have to actually specify how long the meeting is going to last and whether it's 10 to 12 or 10 to 1.

[John Oliver, Liberal, Oakville, ON]

I would move that we meet from 10 to 1 on Monday morning to discuss the opioid crisis report.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bill Casey]

All in favour of meeting from 10 to 1 on Monday, November 14.

(Motion agreed to)

[Don Davies, NDP, Vancouver Kingsway, BC]

Mr. Chairman, to the clerk, do we need to have a motion to potentially extend the meeting on the Tuesday, or can we make that decision at the meeting?

[The Chair, Liberal, Bill Casey]

We can make that decision at the meeting.

[Don Davies, NDP, Vancouver Kingsway, BC]

Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bill Casey]

Now, moving right along, we're going to talk about finalizing the work plan on the study of national pharmacare. I'm not clear on whether we finished at the last meeting with all the questions that the PBO wants answered, so I'm going to ask our analyst, Ms. Phillips, to tell us.

[Karin Phillips, Committee Researcher]

I guess it was just a bit unclear in the blues. I think I understood.

For the last part, in terms of the federal role, my understanding was that you wanted both options looked at, a separate federal stand-alone program as well as the maintenance of existing provincial and territorial programs.

The other thing is that I think the committee agreed we would include all the exemptions from the U.K. as well on the copayment question, zero for generics, $5 for brand name, and then exemptions for seniors, students, pregnant women, etc.

At the beginning the final decision was discussed, but I don't know whether the committee agreed to it.

In terms of procedure, the next steps would be as follows: The chair will send, on behalf of the committee, a letter that I would draft reflecting the decisions made. Once we receive the terms of reference from the PBO, if there were any questions, the PBO could come in and answer them directly.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bill Casey]

Do we have a motion, then, to authorize us to send a letter based on the decisions we've made here?

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

Yes. I'd like to make said motion.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bill Casey]

I'd like to add a little something to it, too.

If they come back with little technical questions, are the chair, the clerk, and the analysts authorized to answer those questions, or does every question need to come back to the committee? Would you put in your motion to authorize the chair to answer any small technical questions rather than coming back to committee?

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

Indeed.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bill Casey]

Mr. Oliver.

[John Oliver, Liberal, Oakville, ON]

On that question, I think we have a subgroup, a steering group. I don't want to tie things up, but it is a very complex study. What might seem like small and technical questions might have significant ramifications when it gets costed and rolled out.

I'm wondering if we could use the subgroup or steering committee to handle that.