Evidence of meeting #5 for Health in the 45th Parliament, 1st session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was program.
A video is available from Parliament.
Liberal
Marjorie Michel Liberal Papineau, QC
I will confirm that my department will continue to work to protect the health of Canadians.
October 9th, 2025 / 11:15 a.m.
Conservative
Liberal
Sonia Sidhu Liberal Brampton South, ON
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister and all the officials, for being with us.
Tomorrow is World Mental Health Day. I would like to thank all of the professionals for what they do in providing mental health care. I also want to recognize the people in need.
Minister, thank you for recognizing the federal leadership and how it's a pressing issue. I really want to recognize the federal leadership in providing services and care to people in need. Thank you for recognizing that it is an essential issue. Mental health is health.
My questions are on AI adoption in the health system and increasing diagnostic efficiency within the primary care and emergency settings. Do you think it helps reduce costs and optimize the allocation of medical resources?
Liberal
Marjorie Michel Liberal Papineau, QC
There's no doubt that artificial intelligence is becoming an increasingly common tool in the health care industry. It not only reduces administrative work, but also allows for much more specialized care for patients, including those with mental health issues. As you know, there are more and more applications being developed.
Now we all need to work together to get better data. And the more accurate and consistent the data collected is across the country, the more artificial intelligence can be used to provide better health care services to Canadians.
Liberal
Sonia Sidhu Liberal Brampton South, ON
Minister, many talented Canadians are completing their medical training, including family medicine and residency programs, in the U.S., but they face barriers when returning home to practise.
Can you share what steps the federal government is taking in collaboration with the provinces and territories to make it easier for these physicians trained abroad to return and serve our communities? Canadians need more family doctors. What steps is the federal government taking?
Liberal
Marjorie Michel Liberal Papineau, QC
As I mentioned in my opening remarks, one of my priorities is to increase access to care, and that inevitably means increasing the number of health care professionals. People who have been trained abroad are also part of this number. In that respect, I am working closely with the provinces and territories, and they are being very open, given the needs.
That said, this issue does not fall directly under the jurisdiction of the federal government. What we can do is accelerate the process of recognizing credentials. As you know, Employment and Social Development Canada has a program for that. We are also working with the Federation of Medical Regulatory Authorities of Canada to develop a national license to address the issue of credential recognition.
We must remember that, on this issue, we always have to work with the provinces and territories. This will be one of the topics discussed at our meeting next week.
Liberal
Sonia Sidhu Liberal Brampton South, ON
Minister, you toured the new Toronto Metropolitan University school of medicine in Brampton. It is a major step forward in expanding training opportunities for future physicians. It is such an exciting opportunity and development for Brampton residents and all of us.
How is the federal government continuing to support new and existing medical schools, like TMU's, to ensure that we are increasing the number of Canadian medical graduates, particularly for family medicine in underserved areas?
Liberal
Marjorie Michel Liberal Papineau, QC
I did visit Toronto Metropolitan University and was very impressed with the entire infrastructure of its medical school.
As I said earlier, we are working with the provinces. We have programs specifically designed to work with them to increase the number of doctors in the field.
This medical school could therefore work with the province of Ontario and the federal government to move forward in this direction.
Liberal
Sonia Sidhu Liberal Brampton South, ON
Thank you.
Minister, you talked about how we can collect the data. We often hear about the pressures on health systems from staffing shortages or ER blockages. Could you talk about how Health Canada is working with the provinces and territories to align investments with shared priorities in order to help deliver measurable improvements for patients?
We talked about AI reducing wait times and lessening the burden in administrative work, but what else can we do to reduce the pressure on the health system?
Liberal
Marjorie Michel Liberal Papineau, QC
We will continue to work closely with the provinces and territories. They are the ones providing the services, so we need to streamline the way we receive data in order to use it in the best possible way.
Conservative
Bloc
Luc Thériault Bloc Montcalm, QC
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Before I ask my questions, I have a request. The minister mentioned the Canadian Dental Care Plan. I would like to remind you that in December 2024, I asked Health Canada to provide the committee with the Sun Life contract, but we still have not received anything. Last week, I asked Mr. Orencsak to do so, but we still have not received it. The minister said she has a lot of respect for the work we do, so it would be a sign of respect if this document were tabled this week. Thank you.
In November 2023, the Standing Committee on Health tabled a unanimous report entitled “Strengthening the Oversight of Breast Implants.” It is now 2025, Minister. One of the recommendations in that report was to recognize diseases caused by breast implants. Health Canada responded that, based on its research, there was no causal link.
Can you tell us what research Health Canada based this claim on? Will you provide this information to the committee?
Liberal
Liberal
Marjorie Michel Liberal Papineau, QC
If the research exists, I see no problem with sending it to you. Of course, if the people at Health Canada say so, it's because they're basing their findings on the data, so they'll send it to you.
I will ask the deputy minister to answer your question. He may have more information than I do on this subject.
Bloc
Luc Thériault Bloc Montcalm, QC
I apologize, Madam Minister, but I will likely have the opportunity to revisit this issue with him later. Unlike you, the deputy minister will still be here for the second hour, so he will have time to answer my question.
The report's first recommendation was to create a breast implant registry. First, this would allow information to be collected so that women, and others, could be better informed about the risks and make a free and informed decision. This registry would also make it possible to issue recalls in the event of a problem. In addition, this registry would make it possible to collect reliable data that could be used for research and to monitor the long-term safety of breast implants.
What are you waiting for to do this? Apart from a few small interprovincial meetings, nothing is being done. It's been two years already. Yet there are examples in the Netherlands and Australia. When will the registry be set up? When will you take real steps to make it happen?
Liberal
Marjorie Michel Liberal Papineau, QC
The file is progressing. The committee is in place and we are looking more and more at data from other countries to align ourselves with them and see how we are going to move forward. At the very least, we will certainly make sure that we provide information to Canadian women about the potential risks associated with breast implants.
Bloc
Luc Thériault Bloc Montcalm, QC
That's not very convincing.
You say that you respect the work of the committee, so will you commit to ensuring that this registry, which was unanimously recommended by the committee, is set up as soon as possible? Will you also set up the committee that was suggested by the Standing Committee on Health, instead of your committee of public servants? Our committee suggested a joint committee, but it still hasn't been created. It's important that it be established, because Health Canada is trying to lose us in the intricacies of federal-provincial relations and jurisdictions.
It's been two years since the report was released. If you have been unable to move forward in two years, perhaps setting up this committee, which we asked to be established as quickly as possible, would allow you to implement the registry immediately.
How soon will the joint committee and the registry be established?
Liberal
Marjorie Michel Liberal Papineau, QC
I can assure you that your committee's unanimous recommendations are being taken into consideration. I am committed to looking into this matter and providing you with much clearer answers next time.
You also mentioned provincial and territorial intricacies. On that subject, I would just like to say that we have to work with the provinces and territories, despite the complexity of the issue. I think you know that better than anyone.
Bloc
Luc Thériault Bloc Montcalm, QC
That's why I don't understand the delays involved.
How much time do I have left, Mr. Chair?
Bloc
Luc Thériault Bloc Montcalm, QC
Okay. I'll come back to that later because I'd like to address another issue.
You spoke about access to health care and the need for this access. But if health is really a priority, how come there's nothing specific about it in the Prime Minister's mandate letter, especially since we're just coming out of a pandemic?
Did you set your own mandate?
Liberal
Marjorie Michel Liberal Papineau, QC
The Prime Minister's letter was a mission statement. He asked all ministers to set their priorities in line with the government's mission, and that is what I have done.
Bloc
