Health Committee on Oct. 28th, 2025

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

Are we amending the original motion?

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

He's not amending the motion.

What he is saying is that, since the ministers were asked to come to one meeting each and they're coming together—

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

I just want to make sure the officials will still be there.

[Luc Thériault, Bloc, Montcalm, QC]

A point of order, Madam Chair.

When everyone is talking at the same time, the interpreters can't do their job.

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

I know this happens a lot. Just continue to talk over the Chair.

[Luc Thériault, Bloc, Montcalm, QC]

Excuse me, Madam Chair.

When everyone is talking at the same time, the interpreters can't do their job well. I'd like to see a bit of decorum.

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

Thank you, Mr. Thériault.

Mr. Mazier, you are suggesting, I understand, that because the ministers are coming together in one meeting, the second meeting, which was set aside for one of the ministers to come with the officials, that officials come instead at one meeting of two hours.

Is that what you're suggesting? I want to make sure that the committee knows what is being suggested before we answer yes or no.

[Dan Mazier, Conservative, Riding Mountain, MB]

What it does, Chair, is it cleans it up. The ministers, they're out.... That's the original, I guess, ask....

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

We understand the reason.

Can I get a sense of consensus from everyone that they agree to this?

Those opposed to this, raise your hands.

Mr. Thériault, would you like to speak to that?

[Luc Thériault, Bloc, Montcalm, QC]

I'm quite formal, Madam Chair. I like to be told before things are changed. We had agreed on different hours. We were supposed to have two ministers for one hour each, not two ministers at the same time.

What might end up happening, depending on what my colleagues are interested in talking about, is that one minister might get more questions than the other, so one would talk a lot more than the other. I would rather we have at least an hour to ask each minister questions to ensure we clearly understand the problem. That's the first point I wanted to make.

The second is this: My experience as a member of the Standing Committee on Health taught me that we waste a lot of time when we have departmental officials as witnesses because they've mastered the art of not answering our questions. If we have two ministers testifying alongside their officials, the meeting will be incredibly unproductive. That's why I would rather have a two-hour block. We want to talk to the elected officials. Talking to departmental officials is a waste of time. I'm sorry to say it, but that's what I think.

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

I do not have unanimous consent to change what is an already agreed-on motion.

Without any further ado, I will adjourn the meeting.

[An hon. member]

Hang on. Take a vote.

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

I think we have one person saying no. I was asking for unanimous consent to change this, and I didn't get it.

Thank you.

The meeting is adjourned.