Health Committee on Nov. 1st, 2023

[Stephen Ellis, Conservative, Cumberland—Colchester, NS]

Don't you know?

[Mark Holland, Liberal, Ajax, ON]

I'm not saying I don't know. I'm saying —

[Stephen Ellis, Conservative, Cumberland—Colchester, NS]

Do you come to the House of Commons?

[Mark Holland, Liberal, Ajax, ON]

Look, am I allowed to answer, Mr. Chair? I don't know.

If the point is to badger the witness, you're succeeding.

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

Mr. Chair, I have a point of order.

[Sonia Sidhu, Liberal, Brampton South, ON]

I have a point of order, Mr. Chair.

[Mark Holland, Liberal, Ajax, ON]

If your point is to badger me, attack me and not give an opportunity to provide context, then you're succeeding.

[Stephen Ellis, Conservative, Cumberland—Colchester, NS]

I just want an answer. That's it.

[Mark Holland, Liberal, Ajax, ON]

Then if I get the opportunity, Mr. Chair, the answer—

[The Chair, Liberal, Sean Casey]

I have a couple of points of order. I have one from Ms. Sidhu and one from Mr. Fisher.

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

I'm sure Ms. Sidhu's is the same point of order.

[The Chair, Liberal, Sean Casey]

Go ahead, Ms. Sidhu.

[Sonia Sidhu, Liberal, Brampton South, ON]

We all want to listen to the minister's answer. I ask my colleague to let the minister give the answer, please.

Thank you.

[Stephen Ellis, Conservative, Cumberland—Colchester, NS]

Thanks very much, Chair.

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

Mr. Chair, I still had a point of order.

[The Chair, Liberal, Sean Casey]

Go ahead, Mr. Fisher.

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

He's the Minister of Health and we're very fortunate to have him here today. He's not the minister of housing, so Mr. Chair, if you could just push relevance a little bit, that would be great.

Thank you.

[Mark Holland, Liberal, Ajax, ON]

Mr. Chair, if the point is to create a sound bite, I think he's got it. If he's interested in an answer, if I could be afforded 60 seconds to provide an answer....

Is that a reasonable request?

[The Chair, Liberal, Sean Casey]

It's not, unless you get a 60-second question.

Okay, I'm going to rule on the two points of order.

There are two points of order here. One is that a you're being incessantly interrupted without being afforded the chance to answer, and the other is that you're being asked questions that would very clearly not be in your mandate letter.

With regard to the first one, Dr. Ellis may not like your answers, but you are giving an answer. If he doesn't like the answers, then that's fine. I can't compel you to give a different answer, nor will I, nor should I, nor could I.

With respect to questions outside your mandate letter, I think that's entirely fair. I would encourage Dr. Ellis to bring it back around to something that would be within your mandate letter.

You didn't lose any time with those points of order, Dr. Ellis. You have the floor again.

[Stephen Ellis, Conservative, Cumberland—Colchester, NS]

Thank you very much, Chair.

Certainly I believe that housing would be an important part of people's overall health.

How much has the average rental apartment increased in cost in the last eight years?

[Mark Holland, Liberal, Ajax, ON]

One thing I will say about political discourse in this country is that not having a real discussion about the issues that are in front of us does them an incredible injustice. Asking for one-word answers presumes that the problems and the complexity that's in front of us deserve those one-word answers—

[Stephen Ellis, Conservative, Cumberland—Colchester, NS]

Thank you very much, Mr. Minister. I appreciate that.

[Mark Holland, Liberal, Ajax, ON]

If there's an interest in a dialogue, I understand—

[Stephen Ellis, Conservative, Cumberland—Colchester, NS]

How many new houses need to be built by 2030 to satisfy the demand in this country?

[Mark Holland, Liberal, Ajax, ON]

Personally, I believe the purpose of discourse is to understand one another and listen to one another.

In the questions you're asking me and the staccato nature of them, it's clear that you have a partisan interest. There is an opportunity on Twitter, Reddit or wherever you make these points to do that.