Health Committee on April 15th, 2026

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

It doesn't matter what I said; I was wrong about the order of speakers.

[Maggie Chi, Liberal, Don Valley North, ON]

I have a point of order.

[Maxime Blanchette-Joncas, Bloc, Rimouski—La Matapédia, QC]

If I understand correctly, Madam Chair, the clerk and you do not see the same hands being raised. Is that what you just said to me?

[Maggie Chi, Liberal, Don Valley North, ON]

I have a point of order.

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

I'm telling you that we both try to see the hands in order, and we work together to make a list that's fair and reasonable based on when we saw the hands. She saw Ms. Sidhu's hand and I didn't.

[Maxime Blanchette-Joncas, Bloc, Rimouski—La Matapédia, QC]

I just want to make sure I understand—

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

Thank you.

That's what I've been trying to explain all along.

[Maggie Chi, Liberal, Don Valley North, ON]

I have a point of order, Madam Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

I don't know if I am speaking a language that nobody understands. All I'm saying is that the clerk had seen Ms. Sidhu and I had not. I called the names of the people I saw, and I was wrong. That was not the order given by the clerk that she saw. We both cannot look at the whole table at the same time. We try to get both sides in our view. That's what I saw, and that was what the clerk saw.

You can play what you want to in terms of your video or whatever, but I'm accepting that I was wrong about that. I don't know how many times you wish me to say that, Mr. Blanchette-Joncas, but I have said it many times already.

We're going to Ms. Sidhu.

[Maggie Chi, Liberal, Don Valley North, ON]

I have a point of order.

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

Ms. Chi, do you have something to say on this issue?

[Maggie Chi, Liberal, Don Valley North, ON]

I just wanted to mention that Mr. Blanchette-Joncas was playing a video into the microphone, and I don't believe that's very good for the translators. I just want us to be mindful of that.

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

Thank you.

Sonia, go ahead.

[Sonia Sidhu, Liberal, Brampton South, ON]

Thank you, Madam Chair.

I do want to go again from the top.

I want to spend some time on this new motion that was moved by Dan Mazier.

I think paragraph i) of the motion carries more weight than it might initially appear to. The more closely I see that, the more concern I have.

I just want to be clear on this. Our government supports transparency, Madam Chair. That has been consistent, that it guides the work of Health Canada and organizations like Canada Health Infoway.

Transparency needs to be approached carefully. It must be balanced with the privacy consideration, the legal responsibilities and the integrity of the systems Canadians depend on every day. In my view, the motion does not have that balance.

I'll start with paragraph i) on PrescribeIT. PrescribeIT is an initiative that we should recognize as progress. It is a national e-prescribing service that improves communication between doctors and pharmacists, reduces errors and strengthens patient safety. It is part of a broader effort to modernize Canada's health care system.

However, the scope of what's being requested here goes well beyond typical oversight. It includes contracts, amendments and renewals dating back to 2017; intellectual property agreements; termination details; payment records and even internal advice to the minister's office.

This is not a narrow or targeted request. It is very extensive. We need to consider what fulfilling a request of this magnitude would entail. There are clear issues around commercial sensitivity, especially with partners like Telus Health. These agreements often include property.... Releasing that information without proper safeguards could compromise future negotiations and partnership.

There are also security considerations. We are talking about digital health infrastructure systems that Canadians rely on. Making detailed internal information about these systems public could create vulnerabilities. Another major concern is the inclusion of internal recommendation documents. Public servants need to be able to provide candid, unfiltered advice that depends on a level of confidentiality. If that is removed, it risks affecting how decisions are made, and not in a positive way.

With regard to the agreement between Canadian Blood Services and Grifols, it is important to remember that Canadian Blood Services operates independently. It is a not-for-profit organization working with the provinces and territories to manage Canada's blood and plasma supply. This system is essential. It supports patients across the country who depend on plasma and plasma-derived therapies for serious and often lifelong conditions. These partnerships, including those with companies like Grifols, are key to maintaining a stable and reliable supply.

A request for all agreements and related documents raises legitimate concerns. These agreements can involve sensitive commercial information and international supply chains. In some cases, they may not fall entirely within the federal jurisdiction, so we must be cautious not to undermine confidence in a system that Canadians trust to be managed safely and professionally.

Finally, paragraph k) deals with data shared with Health Canada in urgent public health contexts, including all the...managed safely and professionally. We all recognize the severity of that crisis. The data referenced here goes beyond summary reports and includes underlying datasets. That also raises serious concerns about patient privacy, data protection and how that information is handled. It also touches on—

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

Order. Order, please.

There is a member speaking. I would like it if people would actually listen to the member speaking. There has to be some order, decorum and respect in this place.

I'm just speaking to that at the moment.

Thank you.

[Sonia Sidhu, Liberal, Brampton South, ON]

It also touches on relationships with the provinces and territories, which share this data with the expectation that it will be safeguarded properly. It could impact future co-operation, something we cannot afford in the midst of ongoing public health challenges.

When I look at these sections together, what I see is a very broad request for large volumes of sensitive information to be provided unredacted and within a short time frame. I do not believe this is a prudent approach. We have a responsibility to ensure that oversight is conducted in a way that protects the system. We are responsible for that.

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

Order.

I cannot hear Ms. Sidhu. People are speaking in the room. I would like to call order to this meeting, please. That applies on both sides of this room. I would like some order.

Thank you.

[Sonia Sidhu, Liberal, Brampton South, ON]

Madam Chair, I do not believe this is a prudent approach. We have a responsibility to ensure that oversight is conducted in a way that protects the system we are responsible for and that avoids unintended consequences.

For these reasons, I have a significant concern with the motion as it stands. I am unable to support it in its present form.

That is why I move to amend the motion by deleting the following text:

i) all documents related to PrescribeIT, including: the 2017 contract between Canada Health Infoway and TELUS Health; all amendments, renewals, and change orders since 2017; all intellectual property ownership agreements, the 2026 termination notice and all clauses, provisions, or records relating to terminations and penalties; a list of all payments made by Canada Health Infoway to TELUS Health since 2017; and all recommendation documents provided to the Minister's Office regarding PrescribeIT funding, operations and termination;

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

Is this your amendment, Ms. Sidhu?

[Sonia Sidhu, Liberal, Brampton South, ON]

Yes, Madam Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

You want the whole of paragraph i) to be deleted.

[Sonia Sidhu, Liberal, Brampton South, ON]

Yes, Madam Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

All right.

We have an amendment on the floor.

[Dan Mazier, Conservative, Riding Mountain, MB]

Before we—

[Sonia Sidhu, Liberal, Brampton South, ON]

Madam Chair, I'd like to say something else.