Evidence of meeting #5 for Health in the 43rd Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was chair.
A video is available from Parliament.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Ron McKinnon
We're voting on the subamendment. Mr. Van Bynen has moved that we add the availability of other members of the committee.
The Clerk
I have it: “taking into consideration the minister's availability, except for the time allotted to the justice committee, as well as other committee members' availability.”
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Ron McKinnon
Is everyone clear on the subamendment?
Mr. Clerk, please conduct the vote on Mr. Van Bynen's subamendment.
(Subamendment negatived: nays 6; yeas 5)
Thank you, Mr. Clerk. The subamendment is defeated. We go back to Mr. Thériault's amendment.
Is there further discussion on Mr. Thériault's amendment regarding the justice committee?
Seeing none, I will ask the clerk to conduct the vote on the amendment by Mr. Thériault.
(Amendment agreed to: yeas 11; nays 0 [See Minutes of Proceedings])
Thank you.
The discussion now is on Ms. Rempel Garner's motion as amended.
I see Mr. Fisher. Please go ahead.
Liberal
Darren Fisher Liberal Dartmouth—Cole Harbour, NS
Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.
I understand that the minister is not available next week, but she is available the week of the 16th to the 20th. I wonder if that would be something that we could amend to ensure that we are able to get the minister back here again for two hours.
Liberal
Darren Fisher Liberal Dartmouth—Cole Harbour, NS
Yes, she is unavailable next week, so I would move that the minister come back for two hours during the week of November 16-20.
The motion does speak to the availability of the minister, and the minister is not available next week.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Ron McKinnon
Thank you, Mr Fisher.
The amendment on the floor at this time is to modify the time, as Mr. Fisher has proposed.
Is there any discussion on that?
Ms. Rempel Garner, go ahead.
Conservative
Michelle Rempel Conservative Calgary Nose Hill, AB
I find it a little strange that the minister couldn't find two hours in the entire week. We could meet in the evening. We could meet in the early morning. I am just wondering how the minister can't be available for an entire week to come in front of a parliamentary committee for the supplementary estimates when she is asking Parliament to spend billions of dollars.
It seems a little ridiculous to me. In fact, it seems a little contemptuous. How can you not, as the minister—
Liberal
Darren Fisher Liberal Dartmouth—Cole Harbour, NS
On a point of order, Mr. Chair, “contemptuous?” Really, Mr. Chair?
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Ron McKinnon
Thank you, Mr. Fisher.
I draw the member's attention. We need to treat our witnesses with courtesy and respect. Thank you.
Are you finished with your comment?
Conservative
Michelle Rempel Conservative Calgary Nose Hill, AB
I am not, and the minister also needs to treat this committee with respect, so I allow my comment to stand. To summarily say that there is no availability next week.... Look, I have a lot of questions. This committee has not met for months. Honestly, we need her here for two hours and we need her here next week, not the week after.
She could be sitting here. What could she possibly be doing, Chair, that she can't answer questions?
Liberal
Conservative
Michelle Rempel Conservative Calgary Nose Hill, AB
I still have the floor, Chair. Thank you.
For the record, we could have passed this motion, and the minister could have availed herself of two hours next week. This is billions of dollars of taxpayer spending. Besides that, it's public policy decisions on restaurant closures and vaccination timetables.
When we lose a week on this, we could have more closures across the country, so honestly, I don't understand why the minister can't make herself available for two hours—
Liberal
Darren Fisher Liberal Dartmouth—Cole Harbour, NS
As a point of order, the minister is making herself available for two hours and we have just wasted—
Conservative
Liberal
Liberal
Sonia Sidhu Liberal Brampton South, ON
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
We all know that the minister said she was happy to stay until 4, and I'm very disappointed. I have some questions about long-term care. I have some questions—
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Ron McKinnon
I'm sorry, Ms. Sidhu. This is not a point of order.
Let's go back to the motion.
Conservative
Michelle Rempel Conservative Calgary Nose Hill, AB
I still have the floor.
I know there is a lot of high tension here, but we need two hours with the minister, Chair, and I would respectfully ask the minister, given the amount of money she is asking this committee to approve through the supplementary estimates, that she would avail herself of two hours next week, given the urgency of the situation and given that one of her primary roles in her mandate letter from the Prime Minister is to be accountable to Parliament.
She has not been in front of this committee for some time. Surely she can find two hours to do that in the next week, which is a break week from Parliament so she does not have the typical timetable of question period and other things. Surely she can find two hours in her time next week to appear on this.
Liberal