I call this meeting to order.
Welcome to meeting number 88 of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Health.
Today's meeting is taking place in a hybrid format, but as of yet, we don't have any hybrid participants.
As agreed on Monday, we are resuming debate on the motion by Dr. Ellis. You will recall that the motion was the subject of an amendment put forward by Dr. Hanley and then a subamendment by Dr. Ellis. Technically, the debate right now is on the subamendment by Dr. Ellis.
This is the motion by Dr. Ellis:
That given recent media reports that the Public Health Agency of Canada lost over $300 million on an unfulfilled contract, the committee undertake a study of the Public Health Agency of Canada losing over $300 million in taxpayers' money for an unfulfilled contract, the committee hold 6 hours of meetings on this matter and that each current meeting of the Health Committee is expanded by one hour, to address this matter and that the committee hear from the Minister of Health, the Parliamentary Budget Officer, the President of the Public Health Agency of Canada, the President of the Treasury Board, and officials from the health ministry, and other witnesses deemed relevant by the committee, and that hearings begin at the next available meeting, and the committee produce a report on its findings and report it to the House.
There was then an amendment put forward by Dr. Hanley:
That the motion be amended by replacing the words after the words “unfulfilled contract, the committee” with the following: “hold four hours of meetings on the government's advanced purchase agreement for vaccines with Medicago and invite officials from the Public Health Agency of Canada, Public Services and Procurement Canada, the Auditor General and Medicago.”
There was then a subamendment, which is the subject of our debate this evening. The subamendment is as follows:
That the amendment be amended by adding after the word “hold” the words “up to”, and by adding after the word “invite” the words “the Minister of Health and”.
At the end of the last meeting, Mr. Thériault had the floor, so I now give him the floor.