Health Committee on Nov. 18th, 2025

[Helena Konanz, Conservative, Similkameen—South Okanagan—West Kootenay, BC]

—to the backlog going to help?

[Lena Metlege Diab, Liberal, Halifax West, NS]

Again, as I said, we've strengthened our pre-arrival services. We also work with our settlement partners here in order to help them recognize their credentials faster. We're working with provinces and territories, streamlining how they do it—

[Helena Konanz, Conservative, Similkameen—South Okanagan—West Kootenay, BC]

Thank you, Minister.

[Lena Metlege Diab, Liberal, Halifax West, NS]

—and with the licensing bodies, of course.

[Helena Konanz, Conservative, Similkameen—South Okanagan—West Kootenay, BC]

Thank you.

Minister Michel—

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

You have 30 seconds.

[Helena Konanz, Conservative, Similkameen—South Okanagan—West Kootenay, BC]

—on the foreign credential recognition action fund, the budget says it will run with a focus on health, and it will cost taxpayers $97 million over five years. What's the per year target of medical credentials you intend this fund to recognize? Just the number. How many will this $97 million recognize?

[Marjorie Michel, Liberal, Papineau, QC]

We work with provinces and territories to deliver that program.

[Helena Konanz, Conservative, Similkameen—South Okanagan—West Kootenay, BC]

You must know how many.

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

Thank you, Ms. Konanz. Your time is up.

[Helena Konanz, Conservative, Similkameen—South Okanagan—West Kootenay, BC]

You must know how many.

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

The minister can answer that another time. Your time is up.

[Helena Konanz, Conservative, Similkameen—South Okanagan—West Kootenay, BC]

Just the number.

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

Thank you. Your time is up.

We go now to Ms. Sidhu for the Liberals.

You have five minutes, please.

[Sonia Sidhu, Liberal, Brampton South, ON]

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you to the minister and team for joining us today.

My first question is to Minister Michel.

Minister Michel, you were in Brampton a couple of months ago. We went from Brampton caucus and went to TMU together. I am so delighted to see $25 million for TMU, which is a medical school. It's coming after a century. Definitely, it helped to train new physicians and, of course, the workload is going to be reduced. How do you see this investment in the budget? Of course, I'm from Brampton. I'm very delighted to see that. How would you see this investment?

[Marjorie Michel, Liberal, Papineau, QC]

Thank you.

It's great news, of course. The budget 2025 announced a $5-billion investment for the health infrastructure. People need to understand that this comes from provinces and territories that requested it to help them enhance their health system or to build new facilities. TMU is an example because the province was already in. We need to understand that this $5 billion, in fact, is $10 billion because the provinces have to match every dollar we are putting in. It will help our system. It will increase the infrastructure because most of it will help also in rural and northern communities. This is great news.

[Dan Mazier, Conservative, Riding Mountain, MB]

Chair, or member, what does TMU stand for?

[Sonia Sidhu, Liberal, Brampton South, ON]

It's a medical school.

[Marjorie Michel, Liberal, Papineau, QC]

Toronto Medical—

[Sonia Sidhu, Liberal, Brampton South, ON]

It's a medical university.

[Dan Mazier, Conservative, Riding Mountain, MB]

Toronto Medical University?

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

Excuse me. Order, please.

This is a question that Minister Michel is answering. If the two members wish to discuss this, you could ask for a suspension and discuss this off the grid because you cannot ask questions of each other.

You know that, Mr. Mazier.

Thank you.

Go ahead, Minister.

[Marjorie Michel, Liberal, Papineau, QC]

I was done, Mrs. Chair. I think I answered the question.

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

Thank you. That's good.

Go ahead, Ms. Sidhu.

[Sonia Sidhu, Liberal, Brampton South, ON]

I have a follow-up question for Minister Michel.

Federal investments only succeed when they align with the provincial licensing system. How does budget 2025 strengthen collaboration with the provinces and territories so that these new federal resources translate into actual frontline improvement, particularly in rural and underserved areas?