Human Resources Committee on Dec. 13th, 2022

[Louise Chabot, Bloc, Thérèse-De Blainville, QC]

There's something I'd like you to clarify right away, Mr. Chair.

Are we meeting tomorrow? I'm sure you can tell us. We don't know if there's going to be a meeting tomorrow because we don't have the calendar.

The proposal is for us to meet tomorrow. Last week, we weren't able to do the CMHC work. Whether we adopt the report on the labour shortage tomorrow or in January will not change the situation.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bobby Morrissey]

Currently, we have a meeting as scheduled on the regular calendar, unless something occurs in the House that changes that.

Mr. Kusmierczyk

[Irek Kusmierczyk, Liberal, Windsor—Tecumseh, ON]

Thank you, Chair.

I just wanted to take a second to speak to this motion. The study that MP Zarrillo has brought forward to this committee is an important study. It's an incredibly timely study. Anything that we can do to accelerate our tabling that in the House of Commons we would absolutely support.

It's not only a timely study, but I would even venture to say that when MP Zarrillo brought it forward back in March of this year, it was very prophetic—not only timely, but prophetic—in terms of the situation that we're facing right now in our health care system.

Wholeheartedly, without any reservation, I will be and we will be supporting this motion to make sure that we report this back to the House as quickly as possible. Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bobby Morrissey]

Go ahead, Madame Chabot.

[Louise Chabot, Bloc, Thérèse-De Blainville, QC]

I'm not opposed.

Whether we adopt the report on the labour shortage now or when we come back in January, the world will keep on turning. This report won't solve any health care issues.

The Minister of Families, Children and Social Development was scheduled to appear before the committee tomorrow. Yesterday, work was cancelled. The schedule had already been changed, and we were supposed to move on to Bill C‑22. What we did today was on the agenda for yesterday's meeting.

I want to make sure that what we have scheduled for tomorrow, the appearance of the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, is still a go.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bobby Morrissey]

Yes, Madame Chabot.

The committee's calendar for tomorrow has the Minister of Employment and the Minister of Families scheduled, but the adoption of this motion would not interfere with that because it's....

I'll just clarify that, Madame Chabot. If this motion was adopted by the committee, it would have to fit within the timeline of tomorrow's calendar. One would have to take precedence over the other. As we're currently scheduled, two ministers are to appear before the committee tomorrow, should the committee meet. I have no direction on what's going to take place in the House tomorrow.

If the motion of Madam Zarrillo is adopted by the committee, then it would have to fit in the calendar.

Go ahead, Madam Gray.

[Tracy Gray, Conservative, Kelowna—Lake Country, BC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

We had met as a committee to look at what our priorities were. We should also respect the ministers' schedules, if those are confirmed for Wednesday, and continue with the meeting that is scheduled, unless our member here is asking for an additional meeting on Wednesday or a lengthier meeting. Perhaps she can clarify that. As it is, it sounds as though we already have a meeting scheduled on Wednesday.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bobby Morrissey]

We do.

Is any clarification required? We currently have before....

Madame Chabot.

[Louise Chabot, Bloc, Thérèse-De Blainville, QC]

If I understand correctly, if we adopt Ms. Zarrillo's motion, it will be added to our agenda and we'll have to extend our calendar and add a meeting. However, I just want to make sure this motion will not take precedence over what we're working on now and that we will have each minister for an hour. If I understand correctly, if we adopt it, tomorrow's meeting will be extended.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bobby Morrissey]

If the motion by Madam Zarrillo is adopted by the committee, then it will have to be added to tomorrow's meeting. That means we'll have to either shorten the timeline for the ministers or add additional time to the meeting. It will not take precedence. It will add to the meeting if the committee agrees to it, or it will shorten the timeline of the ministers' appearances.

Mrs. Falk, you have your hand up.

[Rosemarie Falk, Conservative, Battlefords—Lloydminster, SK]

Thank you, Chair.

Just for clarification, does the clerk know that resources are available tomorrow to extend the meeting?

[The Chair, Liberal, Bobby Morrissey]

No.

[Rosemarie Falk, Conservative, Battlefords—Lloydminster, SK]

Then how do we know that our meeting would be extended?

[The Chair, Liberal, Bobby Morrissey]

We would check on that if the committee voted on that. It doesn't mean we would carry on with it, Mrs. Falk. We'd have to check on that. If resources were available, as they are today, then we could extend. The committee controls its own destiny by majority.

Is there any further discussion on the motion by Madam Zarrillo?

Mrs. Gray.

[Tracy Gray, Conservative, Kelowna—Lake Country, BC]

Mr. Chair, thank you very much.

Just going back to the fact that we agreed we would have the ministers here for a certain amount of time. That was agreed to, so we wouldn't want to go back on what we had all agreed to in terms of how long the ministers would be here when they come to speak to us about the supplementary estimates.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bobby Morrissey]

Committee members, it's your decision. I'm in the hands of the committee as to how it wants to proceed. You have a motion by Madam Zarrillo. If it is adopted, then it will have to fit into the schedule tomorrow evening, into a schedule we're not sure about because I do not know what's on the calendar of the House for tomorrow. As we're currently scheduled, the committee will meet tomorrow for two hours and two ministers will appear.

I see Mr. Van Bynen.

[Tony Van Bynen, Liberal, Newmarket—Aurora, ON]

How many estimates are there? Are they time-sensitive? Is there a timeline against which we're required to deal with those?

[The Chair, Liberal, Bobby Morrissey]

Do you mean for the estimates? No, the timeline has gone by.

The timeline was December 8. The committee can still request that the ministers appear to speak to them, but there's no vote required on them since the timeline has gone by.

Mr. Kusmierczyk.

[Irek Kusmierczyk, Liberal, Windsor—Tecumseh, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Just as a question, are we able to begin tomorrow with the report so that we're able to get that taken care of fairly quickly? We have the report, as I understand it, the second draft, and we've pretty much agreed on the substance of it in the last couple of meetings we've had. This is something that we could take care of fairly quickly.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bobby Morrissey]

The committee can choose to do as the committee chooses to do by majority. You have the motion on the floor from Madam Zarrillo. If you adopt it and you want to adopt it by giving it precedence for tomorrow's meeting, it will be the first agenda item of the committee, should the committee sit.

I'm in the hands of the committee. By majority, the committee makes that decision.

I have Madame Chabot and then Madam Zarrillo.

[Louise Chabot, Bloc, Thérèse-De Blainville, QC]

I expect you'll be proceeding to the vote soon. I'll vote against the motion. You did say that, if there is a meeting tomorrow to hear from both ministers, that should take precedence. That's what I disagree with.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bobby Morrissey]

Okay.

We have Madam Zarrillo, and then we're going to proceed to a vote because we are running out of time.

[Bonita Zarrillo, NDP, Port Moody—Coquitlam, BC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

When we agreed that the ministers were coming, it was for the estimates. What we've heard now is that we've missed the window for the estimates, so now we're just having ministers here, which I agree with. In fact, we invited the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion to come here last Monday, I think, and the minister didn't come, so I definitely want to see the minister.

At the same time, the committee has been working on this for a long time, and I think there's an opportunity. We said that we were going for three hours today, and we're going for an hour less, so I think maybe there is an opportunity for us to find some additional resources to get that work out of this committee and also to see the ministers at the same time.

Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bobby Morrissey]

Before I go to Mrs. Gray, the ministers are appearing on the supplementaries. There's just no requirement for a vote because of the timeline. Those are the rules of the House.

I have Mrs. Gray.

[Tracy Gray, Conservative, Kelowna—Lake Country, BC]

Mr. Chair, that is exactly what I was going to say.

Thank you.