Evidence of meeting #32 for Health in the 45th Parliament, 1st session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was cfia.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Conservative
Liberal
The Clerk of the Committee Catherine Ngando Edimo
It reads:
That the committee summon the CEO, president and chair of Canada Health Infoway, in addition to Telus Health, to appear for a total of two hours together prior to May 6, 2026, to testify on PrescribeIT.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Sukh Dhaliwal
It's very clear to the honourable member that it was the position that was summoned, not the name.
Now I will go to the speaking list.
Ms. Konanz, are you done?
Conservative
Helena Konanz Conservative Similkameen—South Okanagan—West Kootenay, BC
I just want to repeat that that was the intent of the motion. I think that's the most important part of what's happening.
Conservative
Dan Mazier Conservative Riding Mountain, MB
The reason we invited the people who were in those positions is that those positions have gone through $300 million in the last 10 years.
Mr. Green is exactly the person we need to get in here. He was the person responsible for spending that amount of money with a program that was not working. To have anybody else but Mr. Green in here is absolutely ridiculous.
Conservative
Dan Mazier Conservative Riding Mountain, MB
That was the will of the committee: that we wanted to get to the bottom of this scandal.
Conservative
Matt Strauss Conservative Kitchener South—Hespeler, ON
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I would say that something bad has definitely happened at Canada Health Infoway over the last 10 years, and we want to know what it was so that it doesn't happen over the next 10 years. We need to talk to the person who oversaw whatever that was for the last 10 years, just as the basics of an investigation. Perhaps Mr. Green will be called to court one day, but he will not benefit from parliamentary privilege on that day.
I think this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to get to the bottom of this and for Mr. Green to benefit from parliamentary privilege and speak freely about what actually happened.
Thanks.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Sukh Dhaliwal
Thank you.
In the speaking order, I have Dr. Eyolfson and then Dr. Jaczek.
Liberal
Doug Eyolfson Liberal Winnipeg West, MB
Thank you.
The intent is not spelled out in the motion. We are bound by our procedures to follow the motion as stated, and the motion stated that the president or the CEO of this organization should be here. Mr. Green is not named in this. He is no longer serving and is therefore not the person to come to committee. It says “the CEO”, and this person is no longer the CEO.
Liberal
Helena Jaczek Liberal Markham—Stouffville, ON
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I think we can get the information we need from the board chair. The board obviously fired Mr. Green and no doubt can explain to us the issues as it saw them. The board is ultimately responsible for the actions of Canada Health Infoway, so with the board chair present, we will get the kind of information we want in terms of the expenditure, who the funds were given to, etc. I feel that's quite sufficient, and of course, as has been pointed out, he was not named in the motion.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Sukh Dhaliwal
Thank you, Dr. Jaczek.
I'm not going to limit the debate, but Dr. Kochhar is here if we want to hear from him.
I do have a speakers list.
Mr. Mazier, please go ahead.
Conservative
Dan Mazier Conservative Riding Mountain, MB
Thank you, Chair.
Just so we all understand, we were all here on the days when Canada Health Infoway, Mr. Green and Telus Health were here. We all know the intent. Let's not try to fool with all this and cover it all up. We were all equally frustrated with the information that was coming out of those gentlemen, those people, that day.
Don't give me that you were unclear with the intent and all that stuff. I understand that maybe you weren't clear, but it was $300 million, and we all discovered that day that it was gone and Mr. Green was totally responsible for it. He couldn't even answer the question on what his salary was. As we found out, it was over $600,000. He was paid the maximum bonus for that deplorable program, which was just a train wreck.
We all know the intent. We're all very clear on that one. Since he has resigned, I guess, or stepped down or whatever he's done, he's obviously been trying to hide. I don't know why he would try to hide. As my colleague here said, this is the only chance he'll get, under parliamentary privilege, to clear the record.
I move that we summon Michael Green, former CEO of Canada Health Infoway.
Conservative
Conservative
Dan Mazier Conservative Riding Mountain, MB
Check with the clerk. It's on the matter at hand. It's absolutely in order.
Conservative
Dan Mazier Conservative Riding Mountain, MB
It's on the topic of the matter at hand. We are talking about this. You brought it up.