Health Committee on Feb. 24th, 2020

[The Chair, Liberal, Ron McKinnon]

Is there any more discussion on the amendment? I see none.

(Amendment agreed to)

Now the discussion is on the motion as amended. Is there any further discussion on the motion as amended?

(Motion as amended agreed to [See Minutes of Proceedings])

Thank you all.

I had discussions with all of you during the suspension regarding what we're going to do in the subcommittee. There is concern about giving the subcommittee a huge mandate to pick the subjects we're going to consider.

What we'll do now is refer these four topics that we have passed to the subcommittee, if everyone agrees, and let them prioritize those. Once we have chosen a topic for our first study, then we can get the witnesses organized and a work plan.

Is that acceptable to everyone?

Mr. Fisher.

[Darren Fisher, Liberal, Dartmouth—Cole Harbour, NS]

Will the subcommittee come back to the full committee for confirmation on that priority?

[The Chair, Liberal, Ron McKinnon]

Yes.

Dr. Kitchen.

[Robert Gordon Kitchen, Conservative, Souris—Moose Mountain, SK]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I'd like just one clarification.

I think this is great. We have four reports. We need to get one out there.

My ask would be that they choose one that we start with, but that if there are other committee members who have other motions that they could put forward that might be addressed such that they could be added, and if there's one that's more urgent than the other three that we have, they might be pushed forward.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ron McKinnon]

I think the committee's always free to take that kind of action if it wishes.

That reminds me. You submitted notice of two motions. Do you intend to move them or withdraw them?

[Robert Gordon Kitchen, Conservative, Souris—Moose Mountain, SK]

Not at this time.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ron McKinnon]

Not at this time? Very well.

Is there any other business here?

Mr. Jeneroux.

[Matt Jeneroux, Conservative, Edmonton Riverbend, AB]

Just with regard to our March 11 meeting, I know that Mr. Davies moved a motion that we'd make all efforts to make sure that it is televised. We would certainly, again, encourage the chair and the clerk to make sure that we can get that March 11 meeting televised.

I would like clarification on whether her appearance here is specific to the main estimates, supplementary estimates (B), her mandate letter and the coronavirus, I guess, in general.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ron McKinnon]

At this time we've only been referred the supplementary estimates (B). It's really up to the committee what we want to invite her to speak to. I think if we invite her to discuss the estimates, we can speak about other things as well.

If we want to clarify that, for the minister, you want to talk about the mandate letter and the supplementary estimates (B), or whatever....

[Matt Jeneroux, Conservative, Edmonton Riverbend, AB]

Certainly, the minister is allowed opening remarks, and if that's the case, we want those opening remarks to focus on a certain area that we agree upon as a committee. I would encourage the opening remarks to be on the mandate letter as well.

If she's coming here to simply talk about the supplementary estimates (B), then I think that would mean we would want her back again to talk about her mandate letter. If you haven't seen the mandate letter, it's quite substantive, and we want to make sure that there's opportunity for her to address some of the things in the mandate letter as well.

Also, you mentioned one hour. We certainly would appreciate it if you went back to the minister and requested that she be available for the full two hours of the committee, knowing full well that she's obviously busy, but we want to make sure that we extend the invitation for the full two hours, if she is to address the larger scope of her mandate and the estimates.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ron McKinnon]

All right, the suggestion, I believe, is that we send the minister an invitation for two hours and ask her to speak on the supplementary estimates (B)—

[Matt Jeneroux, Conservative, Edmonton Riverbend, AB]

Yes.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ron McKinnon]

—as well as her mandate letter.

[Darren Fisher, Liberal, Dartmouth—Cole Harbour, NS]

Well, I don't know if we can say, if she's the minister, what she's going to be here to talk about.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ron McKinnon]

We can't dictate to the minister, but we can invite her to do whatever—

[Darren Fisher, Liberal, Dartmouth—Cole Harbour, NS]

Yes, we've invited her and she's agreed to come on the 11th to talk about the supplementary estimates (B).

[Matt Jeneroux, Conservative, Edmonton Riverbend, AB]

That's not what I'm asking. I'm asking to extend the scope of the meeting from the supplementary estimates (B) to the mandate letter and to be able to discuss those for the full two hours.

[Darren Fisher, Liberal, Dartmouth—Cole Harbour, NS]

We already moved last week, or the week before, to invite her here for the supplementary estimates (B).

I guess we could reach out, but my understanding was that she was invited to come here to speak to the supplementary estimates (B).

[The Chair, Liberal, Ron McKinnon]

My own feeling is that we can invite here to do this....

[Darren Fisher, Liberal, Dartmouth—Cole Harbour, NS]

We can always invite her again another time as well.

[Matt Jeneroux, Conservative, Edmonton Riverbend, AB]

I just feel that we would then continually invite her. We do want her to talk about her mandate letter. At least, those of us on this side of the table do want to make sure we discuss that. If it's for two hours, I would think that that would be more pertinent to the minister's time than to continually invite here back for everything that we want to talk to her about.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ron McKinnon]

We didn't actually pass a motion to this effect at the last meeting, so it's still kind of....

[Darren Fisher, Liberal, Dartmouth—Cole Harbour, NS]

Personally, I'm happy to have her here for an hour to talk about the supplementary estimates (B) and then to have the department members here for an hour as well to flesh out some more in-depth questions. That's my take on it.

[Matt Jeneroux, Conservative, Edmonton Riverbend, AB]

Can we move the motion, then, to invite the minister?

[The Chair, Liberal, Ron McKinnon]

Maybe clarify the full motion.