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.
Bloc
Luc Thériault Bloc Montcalm, QC
Quebec is already into its sixth reform on this issue. As a Quebecker, you know what I'm talking about.
What I am asking you is how the provinces, coming out of the pandemic, can hire more people when the indexation of system costs, which are used amongst other things to pay employees, will decrease over the next 10 years. How can we hire more people who will have their credentials recognized if your share decreases and, in 10 years, 19¢ of every dollar will come from the federal government?
Liberal
Marjorie Michel Liberal Papineau, QC
The provinces have signed the agreements that we have reached with them, and we will continue to work with them in the coming years.
Thank you.
October 9th, 2025 / 12:10 p.m.
Conservative
Bloc
Luc Thériault Bloc Montcalm, QC
So I'm going to add a comment.
The provinces may have signed the agreements, but what they were asking for was 35¢ per dollar. They also asked for $28 billion in new funding a year, or $280 billion over 10 years, and the federal government gave them $4.6 billion a year, or $46 billion over 10 years.
How do you expect us to be able to provide early prevention in critical areas such as cancer and cardiology in the wake of the pandemic? Currently, because of this federal decision—
Bloc
Liberal
Marjorie Michel Liberal Papineau, QC
As I said, the provinces have signed the agreements. I am working closely with them. The provinces know that the federal government is there for them. Whatever the case, I am here to work with all the provinces as best I can, given the limits of the fiscal envelope available.
Bloc
Luc Thériault Bloc Montcalm, QC
So there is no additional money. That's why it wasn't in Mr. Carney's speech.
Conservative
The Vice-Chair Conservative Dan Mazier
Come on, Mr. Thériault, we have more questions here.
Thank you very much, Minister.
Conservative
The Vice-Chair Conservative Dan Mazier
Thanks for extending too.
We'll take a break for a couple of minutes to let the minister leave the room, and then we'll move to the officials.
I'm up next for five minutes.
Conservative
The Vice-Chair Conservative Dan Mazier
We start the next round with the officials.
Ms. Weber, do the supervised consumption sites that Health Canada approves distribute needles and pipes, yes or no?
Kendal Weber Assistant Deputy Minister, Controlled Substances and Cannabis Branch, Department of Health
Health Canada does approve the exemption request that comes in from the community, and some of the sites—
Conservative
The Vice-Chair Conservative Dan Mazier
I asked about needles. I asked, specifically. It's just a yes or no answer.
Assistant Deputy Minister, Controlled Substances and Cannabis Branch, Department of Health
We don't approve the needle distribution. Some of the sites that come forward to seek an exemption offer programming in which they have harm reduction tools, which would include clean needles and syringes for the individuals who come in, bring their own substances to the site and are overseen by health practitioners to avoid overdose.
Conservative
The Vice-Chair Conservative Dan Mazier
I'll ask the question again because I'm confused here. Do the supervised consumption sites that Health Canada approves distribute needles and pipes, yes or no?
Assistant Deputy Minister, Controlled Substances and Cannabis Branch, Department of Health
Some sites will offer harm reduction tools for the individuals—
Assistant Deputy Minister, Controlled Substances and Cannabis Branch, Department of Health
There are sites that do provide harm reduction tools, including—
Assistant Deputy Minister, Controlled Substances and Cannabis Branch, Department of Health
They do include needles.