Thanks, Chair.
I move to amend clause 2 in Bill C-277 by, (a), replacing lines 13 and 14 on page 2 with the following:
(g) foster collaboration with national, provincial and local brain injury
(b), replacing line 16 on page 2 with the following:
velop enhanced and integrated mental
and (c), replacing lines 30 to 34 on page 2 with the following:
(j) develop and publish online resources providing current facts, research and best practices related to brain injuries; and
There are three changes here that I'll speak to.
This amendment is being proposed to remove provisions that would encroach on provincial and territorial jurisdiction, or legislate specific financial support. Typically with bills like this, when you're creating guidelines, it is important to create the framework. When the framework is created, then you determine the needs of the funding, what kind of funding is needed in what amount. Then that funding, of course, through the usual process of approving funding through Treasury Board, etc., is approved.
There are a few examples. Most recently, that was the process that was followed with, for example, the firefighter health bill that MP Romanado brought forward. There was the framework on autism, I think brought forward by MP Lake, where a very similar process was followed. The diabetes strategy that MP Sidhu brought forward was done in a similar way. This is keeping it very much aligned with the practice that has been pursued in these types of bills.
The other change that's being proposed in paragraph 2(2)(g) is to remove the requirement, as I mentioned, around the financial support so that we can determine what's needed.
Additionally, we are proposing that we amend paragraph 2(2)(j) to remove reference to maintaining a national website in collaboration with Brain Injury Canada. The purpose behind this is that it's highly unusual to indicate or highlight one organization, as is the case here with Brain Injury Canada. It's simply from the perspective of what if, some years from now, Brain Injury Canada does not exist, or they change their name, or they amalgamate with another organization? It's probably more prudent to make reference to organizations that deal with brain injury in a more general way so that we don't run into a situation where the legislation feels obsolete, or does not speak to what the reality is, or highlights just one specific entity. The attempt in this amendment is to remove a specific reference to Brain Injury Canada and make the language more general in terms of organizations that work in that space.
Lastly, we're proposing that a national website be replaced with online resources. Again, it's to make the language more inclusive so that there could be flexibility on all kinds of resources, including a website, of course, that could provide the information that has been referenced to.
Once again, I want to say that I've spoken to Mr. MacGregor about these changes. We've had a discussion around that and around the reasons these amendments are being proposed.