Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I want to welcome back all of my colleagues. We're in committee business. I have circulated for the committee's consideration some motions that I would like to move. I know my colleagues have some as well that look very interesting.
With the motions I'm going to move today, I have a few criteria that I want to alert my colleagues to. One is that I'm looking for issues on which I think there could be broad collaboration across party lines, where I think there's interest around all sides of the table, or issues that have been identified as important to the current government, either in budgets or throne speeches—so I know there is interest on the government side—as well as issues that I think present a pressing health issue of some type. I have seven motions I plan to move. Obviously, we'll have to decide which ones we want to proceed with, in what order, and for how long. I think some of the studies can be short, some can be of moderate length, and some can be more in depth. I want to put a sample of issues for the committee's consideration.
I'll start with my first motion, which is on universal dental care. I've had a discussion with my friend, Darren Fisher, and I'm going to ask for an amendment to my motion. I'll read it into the record and then I'll tell you what my amendment would be:
That, pursuant to Standing Order 108(2), the Committee undertake a study on the development of a national dental care program as an insured service for Canadians under the Canada Health Act; that the Committee report its findings and recommendations to the House; and that, pursuant to Standing Order 109, the Committee request that the Government table a comprehensive response to the report.
The amendment I propose is to strike the words “under the Canada Health Act”. I know that my colleagues in the Conservative Party often have a different view of whether something should be a universal, publicly delivered service or should be privately delivered. I think by removing those words it would leave it broader, as the committee would study a range of options, both public and otherwise.