Evidence of meeting #18 for Subcommittee on Neurological Disease in the 40th Parliament, 3rd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was report.
A recording is available from Parliament.
The Clerk of the Committee Ms. Christine Holke David
Honourable members of the subcommittee, I see we have a quorum. We can now proceed with the election of the subcommittee chair.
I must inform members that the clerk of the subcommittee can only receive motions for the election of the chair. The clerk cannot receive other types of motions, entertain points of order, or participate in debate.
I am now ready to receive motions for the position of chair of the subcommittee.
Conservative
The Clerk
It has been moved by Mr. Patrick Brown that Mr. Tim Uppal be elected chair of the subcommittee.
Are there any further motions?
Is it the pleasure of the subcommittee to adopt the motion?
(Motion agreed to)
I declare the motion carried, and Mr. Tim Uppal duly elected chair of the subcommittee.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Tim Uppal
Thank you, subcommittee members.
We will actually now need consent to proceed to other business. Is there consent around the table?
Go ahead, Ms. Hughes.
NDP
Carol Hughes NDP Algoma—Manitoulin—Kapuskasing, ON
I have one point of clarification. Does that include a vice-chair? Do we do the election for vice-chair or do we not do one?
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Tim Uppal
Only the position of chair was vacant.
Do we have agreement to move on to other business?
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Tim Uppal
It looks like we do.
Since this is a business meeting, we will begin with the analyst.
Do you have suggestions or some comments you'd like to start off with?
Karin Phillips Committee Researcher
From what I remember from the previous session, there were two meetings that we wanted to have. One was a final follow-up on MS and access to CCSVI, and then I believe there was a desire to have an overarching meeting focusing on research and, in particular, barriers in the process for accessing research funds, where we would have CIHR--
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Tim Uppal
Sorry; the meeting, right now, is still public. Would you like to go in camera for this business portion? Is it the committee's will?
Committee Researcher
I think those are the two items that need to be scheduled, and after that we would look at when you would like to see a draft report.
NDP
Carol Hughes NDP Algoma—Manitoulin—Kapuskasing, ON
At one committee meeting, I had requested that two days be allotted for a discussion of multiple sclerosis. For some reason, I now see that we're down to one day. Since our meetings only last one hour right now, I think we need to extend them. That's the first step. Again, I'm asking that two days be allotted to the issue of multiple sclerosis and its treatment. I am also asking that a day be set aside to examine autism. Let me explain why. We've had panel discussions on autism, but we have never had an autistic person testify. I would like to invite one such person to testify and also, to ask that person's mother to take part in the proceedings. This autistic person is an adult and is now attending university. I think it's important to hear from someone who has firsthand experience with this illness. Perhaps she can give us a better idea of the direction we should go in.
Conservative
Conservative
Patrick Brown Conservative Barrie, ON
I think we have the discretion. There's no set deadline for when we have to complete this, so if we extend it a little, it doesn't hurt.
There are three things for which I want to suggest one-day additions as well.
One is that a common theme in all of this has been caregiving help. It would be interesting to have a session just on what suggestions the charities and associations for the major five neurological disorders want to put forward, specifically on caregivers, to this committee. I realize it's a little tricky, because it's not traditionally a federal role, but we could hear from them about what type of federal interventions they'd like to see specifically on caregivers. That would be a one-day session that I'd recommend.
The other two things I was interested in are these.
First, we had the funding that was announced two years ago now, I believe, for Neurological Health Charities Canada doing that enumeration. It would be interesting to see whether they have any interim findings they could share with us in terms of prevalence of neurological disorders in Canada, because that's obviously a helpful argument for us if we're trying to explain why this needs to have a light shone on it. If we can highlight how many Canadians this affects and back it up with some stats they've discovered, I think it would be helpful.
That would be a one-day session with Neurological Health Charities Canada on any interim findings they have from their population study. I remember that when we spoke to the neurological charities before, they said they would have some interim data at some point soon, so I hope there's something they could share with us.
The last one-day session would deal with a topic that I would like to delve into a little bit more, if there's agreement. There has been reference made to international partnerships with France and the U.K. and Germany. I'd like to hear what that discussion has produced, if we could ask for a one-day session specifically on what the results of those international partnerships are. It's great to hear about them, but I want to know what work is being done because of them in terms of what we are learning, how we are progressing, and what we should be recommending in our final report to grow those partnerships. If they are resulting in success, then obviously they are something we might want to point more towards.
Liberal
Kirsty Duncan Liberal Etobicoke North, ON
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I'd like to pick up on what my colleagues have said.
I would support absolutely having two more hearings on MS. Something you should be aware of is that in the first week of March you have two major international conferences happening; one is in Italy and one is in Poland. I will not be here that week. I will be away, but we need to hear the latest data out of that fourth set of conferences.
We need to hear from people who have autism, and I'll support Patrick concerning the international strategies. What is going on overseas, and how can we blend with that, for example? I'm going to bring it back to the Year of the Brain, and there are other partnerships being built that we should be building on. Canada is going to play a major role in the next year.
On caregivers, I don't know whether we want to bring this piece in. I think we should talk about what our plans are going forward with this. Are we just going to write a report and say this is finished, or how do we keep the momentum up on this issue? Are we going to take a look at neurological conditions and the tie-in with mental health? They've been kept separate.
Bloc
Luc Malo Bloc Verchères—Les Patriotes, QC
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Regarding Ms. Duncan's last point, I think we should draft a report, forward it to the health committee. It could then consider it and decide on an appropriate course of action. Once the subcommittee has drafted its report, its work is over.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Tim Uppal
Thank you.
We don't have any speakers on the list. Is there any other discussion?
Conservative
Patrick Brown Conservative Barrie, ON
I have one final comment.
The only concern I have is that there is always election speculation. Maybe there is no election this spring—it seems as though the noise is dampening a little bit—but what if there is an election? What if it occurs after a budget? Should we file an interim report before a potential budget?
I think everything we do would get lost. We'd have to have those hearings.... We can't take notice of what has been said if we reconstitute in a new Parliament, can we? So if, say, they announce the budget is going to be April 6 or March 29—whenever it is—maybe the week before, we can all agree to meet to make sure that we table something in the Commons. At least we would have some record of what we've done over the last six months.
Liberal
Kirsty Duncan Liberal Etobicoke North, ON
I'd absolutely support that. I would hate to see this work lost. I'm wondering whether we could ask the analysts, our wonderful colleagues, if it's possible to start drafting something that we can take a look at. After all the witnesses who have come forward and all the time and effort, it would be awful to lose any of it.