Health Committee on May 11th, 2017

[Len Webber, Conservative, Calgary Confederation, AB]

On this point, though, Mr. Chair, Mr. Oliver's point about—

[The Chair, Liberal, Bill Casey]

We have a list.

[Len Webber, Conservative, Calgary Confederation, AB]

Even though it's on this point? Okay.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bill Casey]

Mr. Davies.

[Don Davies, NDP, Vancouver Kingsway, BC]

Thanks, Mr. Chair.

If I understand your ruling correctly, Mr. Chair, the problematic part of the motion is that we can't prevent the final framework on Lyme disease from being tabled until we do something, because the House of Commons has ruled that it be tabled. I'm wondering if we can amend the motion to simply say “that the Standing Committee on Health review the framework on Lyme disease”. That would certainly be in order. We can study whatever we want. That way, we're not holding up the framework. The framework will be tabled.

Mr. Webber, if the purpose of it is to get the framework before this committee and let the Lyme disease community come to have their say, it would at least be instructive for our committee. Then, of course, at our convenience, we can forward that report to the minister, and the minister could potentially make changes to the framework thereafter as she sees fit.

Am I right? Is that the problem with the motion as it stands?

[The Chair, Liberal, Bill Casey]

That is the problem. We can't overrule the House of Commons.

[Don Davies, NDP, Vancouver Kingsway, BC]

We can't hold them up.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bill Casey]

We all voted for this, and the House of Commons voted in favour of the framework. We can't say no.

[Don Davies, NDP, Vancouver Kingsway, BC]

I will move, then, Mr. Chair, that—

[The Chair, Liberal, Bill Casey]

The only way we can continue with this or amend it is if you overrule my decision, but that's not to say that we can't come up with a new—

[Don Davies, NDP, Vancouver Kingsway, BC]

Then I'll move a new motion. It will be exactly the words that are in the present motion, except for the words “not be tabled until the”, which are to be replaced with “be referred”, so that in the first sentence, taking out the words “has had the opportunity”, it would say: “That the final framework on Lyme disease be referred to the Standing Committee on Health to review the draft framework”, and then the rest follows.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bill Casey]

You're proposing that we have it come to the committee at some time in the future—

[Don Davies, NDP, Vancouver Kingsway, BC]

Yes, exactly.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bill Casey]

—as opposed to a briefing now.

[Don Davies, NDP, Vancouver Kingsway, BC]

Yes. If we can't hold it up—I respect your ruling, and I think you're right—then I think the purpose of Mr. Webber is to get the framework before this committee, albeit that it may happen after.

That's my motion.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bill Casey]

Mr. Davies, you're talking about this coming to the committee when we can put it in our schedule, not necessarily before it's tabled?

[Don Davies, NDP, Vancouver Kingsway, BC]

I think it's impractical before it's tabled, because I think it's going to be tabled next week. Isn't there a one-year deadline on it? Maybe the analysts or the clerk can help us. I think it has to be tabled next week.

[A voice]

It's by the end of the month, yes.

[Don Davies, NDP, Vancouver Kingsway, BC]

Do we have a month?

[A voice]

Well, it's the end of May....

[Don Davies, NDP, Vancouver Kingsway, BC]

I'm in my colleagues' hands on that.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bill Casey]

We have two proposals. I didn't allow Mr. Oliver to make it a motion because I thought I would want to hear from everybody.

You're getting your motion kind of unofficially, and I didn't give Mr. Oliver the chance to make a motion, so could we just hold that up?

[Don Davies, NDP, Vancouver Kingsway, BC]

I would be happy to stand down my motion until we hear from Mr. Oliver.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bill Casey]

Also, let's hear from Dr. Carrie and Mr. Webber. Then we'll decide what we want to do.

[John Oliver, Liberal, Oakville, ON]

I think we're all chasing the same thing. We're just trying to figure out the best way to facilitate it.

I'm not sure that getting the framework and us doing a study on the framework would be as helpful as having Health Canada come in, present the framework to us once it's it been submitted, and talk about the evidence they reviewed and the work they did with the people who are suffering from Lyme disease, and why in that community, in their view, there is such a disconnect. We've all heard very clearly from people suffering from Lyme disease that they weren't happy with the framework.

I don't think we can stop it. I think that if we had Health Canada come in to talk to us right now, they probably couldn't say much, because it's in a confidential space right now. Once it's been tabled, I think it would be good to get them in and have a meeting with them. We've only heard one side of the story. I do think we should hear the Health Canada perspective and then make some decisions on whether we want to open up the whole framework as a committee.