Health Committee on Nov. 18th, 2025

[Marjorie Michel, Liberal, Papineau, QC]

Are you are talking about the foreign recognition and the $97 million that we invested?

[Sonia Sidhu, Liberal, Brampton South, ON]

Yes.

[Marjorie Michel, Liberal, Papineau, QC]

Again, we have to work with provinces and territories to make it happen, and we also have to work with other ministries like ESDC, so it's collaborative work, and this is what we all need to understand. We are facing, of course, a lot of challenges in the health system, but the delivery services are under the jurisdiction of the provinces and territories, and we need to partner with them if we want to move things forward. That's the reality.

I have to say that a lot of provinces and territories are right now doing a big push on their own systems for accreditation to accelerate everything because they see it's a crisis; of course it's a crisis. Ontario is pushing the colleges to accelerate the accreditation. Alberta is doing the same. In the Atlantic provinces, you know, mobility is already in play.

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

You have one minute.

[Marjorie Michel, Liberal, Papineau, QC]

Now that we are in a crisis—and we are very good in a crisis—people are taking action and we, as the federal government, don't have the tools but we have the leadership to put people together and to push them and help them to make the right decisions for the benefit of Canadians, and this is what I'm doing as the Minister of Health.

[Sonia Sidhu, Liberal, Brampton South, ON]

Quickly, I'd like to ask Minister Diab a question.

For long-term care, are there any fast-track applications for individuals who are already working in LTC?

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

You have 30 seconds.

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

That's an excellent question. I'm going to have to get back to you on the specific NOC code. I don't have that information in my head.

Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

I now go to Madame Larouche for two and a half minutes, please.

[Andréanne Larouche, Bloc, Shefford, QC]

Thank you very much, Madam Chair.

Madam Minister of Health, during the previous round of questions, you talked about the budget and the announcement regarding health care infrastructure.

I recently attended an event that was also attended by health professionals, including doctors and nurses. It was said that, while investments were being made in health infrastructure, health transfers were not being properly handled. As I mentioned earlier, the Bloc Québécois's request to increase the health transfer by $11.5 billion over five years was denied.

In the recent budget, there were infrastructure announcements. We invest in infrastructure, but people also have to be able to work in hospitals; we must have access to human resources. What do you have to say to health professionals who seem to have doubts that these investments are actually going to help people?

[Marjorie Michel, Liberal, Papineau, QC]

I'll start by saying that the needs in health care are significant, whether in terms of health professionals or infrastructure.

As for the health transfer, we signed an accord with Quebec, and we respect it. I am having discussions with my Quebec counterpart, and we are working together. He's aware of the transfer that's planned for Quebec.

As far as infrastructure is concerned, I must say that it was Mr. Legault, the Premier of Quebec, who himself asked the federal government for help with infrastructure, including infrastructure in the health care sector. So we are responding to Quebec's request.

[Andréanne Larouche, Bloc, Shefford, QC]

Ms. Michel, if we want to take care of people, have enough human resources and take care of health workers, the health transfer will also need to be increased.

Your response does not meet the expectations or needs on the ground.

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

Thank you very much, Ms. Larouche.

I now go to the Conservatives and Mr. Bailey for five minutes, please.

[Burton Bailey, Conservative, Red Deer, AB]

Minister Diab, while there are roughly 80,000 foreign-trained medical professionals in this country not working in health care, a recent news article confirmed that there are licensed, practising doctors in Canada today who have various suspensions or outright bans in other jurisdictions due to misconduct or malpractice.

When someone lies on their immigration form or during the process to be accepted into Canada, is that considered immigration fraud?

Answer yes or no, please.

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

If somebody lies on their immigration papers to come into Canada—obviously there are security processes—and if it's a fraudulent claim and there is misrepresentation, they're definitely dealt with by CBSA. Absolutely.

[Burton Bailey, Conservative, Red Deer, AB]

A recent news article pointed to an investigation that uncovered that doctors in Canada were practising with reprimands, suspensions or outright revocations of their licences in other countries.

In the past 10 years, how many people have been admitted into Canada by the federal immigration department with suspensions or revoked medical licences in other countries?

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

Suspensions, revocations of medical licences and all of that are handled by licensing bodies and Health.

[Burton Bailey, Conservative, Red Deer, AB]

It's okay. You don't know.

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

I meant the provinces.

[Burton Bailey, Conservative, Red Deer, AB]

If you don't know the number, why would you authorize the continuation of a system that you admit is kind of fraudulent, when these people are entering our country and not being truthful?

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

I don't know what specific people you're talking about.

We're here to talk about our immigration system, but also our foreign—

[Burton Bailey, Conservative, Red Deer, AB]

One of the examples is an article involving a doctor who was publicly reprimanded and fined in Florida for potentially lethally over-prescribing in 2018. It's a public record that takes 30 seconds to find on Google.

Why did your immigration department wave him through without catching the fraud that a journalist found—and that's without government resources?

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

Again, cases are dealt with appropriately by IRCC, CBSA, CSIS, screening departments and officers. If it has to do with Health and licensing bodies, then we obviously defer to licensing bodies within provincial and territorial jurisdiction. This includes policing, which is also governed by provinces and territories.

[Burton Bailey, Conservative, Red Deer, AB]

Minister, yes or no, does the immigration department currently require a simple, basic search of the U.S. National Practitioner Data Bank or the U.K. GMC sanctions list, for example, before granting entry or permanent residency to an individual with reprimands or licence suspensions?

If the answer is no, how is that not deliberate negligence?

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

If you're asking about a person who is coming to practise medicine, that is the role of the licensing bodies and the employers, which are the hospitals or the institutions, in terms of verifying all of these before the individual is able to practise in Canada.