Veterans Affairs Committee on Feb. 20th, 2019

Evidence of meeting #108 for Veterans Affairs in the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was cannabis.

A recording is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

Medical Cannabis and Veterans’ Well-Being

Committee Business

MPs speaking

Robert Gordon Kitchen

Doug Eyolfson

Darrell Samson

Also speaking

Karen Ludwig New Brunswick Southwest, Lib.

Shaun Chen Scarborough North, Lib.

James MacKillop Peter Boris Chair in Addictions Research, St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton, McMaster University, As an Individual

Kyle Atkinson As an Individual

Andrew Freedman Director, Freedman and Koski Inc.

3:55 p.m.

A voice

There was no consent.

3:55 p.m.

Conservative

Phil McColeman Conservative Brantford—Brant, ON

You weren't going to vote for it anyway.

3:55 p.m.

Liberal

Darrell Samson Liberal Sackville—Preston—Chezzetcook, NS

Oh, you can't be sure of that.

3:55 p.m.

Conservative

Phil McColeman Conservative Brantford—Brant, ON

Yes; you just said to your colleague that you weren't going to vote for it.

3:55 p.m.

Liberal

Darrell Samson Liberal Sackville—Preston—Chezzetcook, NS

I did not.

3:55 p.m.

Conservative

Phil McColeman Conservative Brantford—Brant, ON

Yes, you did. I heard you.

3:55 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Neil Ellis

Mr. Chen.

3:55 p.m.

Shaun Chen Scarborough North, Lib.

On a point of order, Mr. Chair, can we get some order in the room, please?

3:55 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Neil Ellis

Yes.

We'll start the meeting and start our witness testimony now.

3:55 p.m.

Conservative

Phil McColeman Conservative Brantford—Brant, ON

Excuse me; did we call the vote?

3:55 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Neil Ellis

There wasn't unanimous consent for the motion.

4 p.m.

Conservative

Phil McColeman Conservative Brantford—Brant, ON

Just one second, please. On a point of order, Mr. Chair, I would like a recorded vote on the unanimous consent.

4 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Neil Ellis

We don't have to.

4 p.m.

Conservative

Phil McColeman Conservative Brantford—Brant, ON

You don't have to. Okay.

On another matter, then, I would like to introduce another motion: That this committee call on the Prime Minister to appoint a full-time Minister of Veterans Affairs.

4 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Neil Ellis

Do we have unanimous consent for this?

4 p.m.

Some hon. members

No.

4 p.m.

NDP

Gord Johns NDP Courtenay—Alberni, BC

Are we going to have a discussion?

4 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Neil Ellis

The motion has to come before the committee. He didn't bring it before the committee until today, so there's not unanimous consent to discuss it.

4 p.m.

Liberal

Darrell Samson Liberal Sackville—Preston—Chezzetcook, NS

So we can't discuss it?

4 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Neil Ellis

He has to give notice of it today.

4 p.m.

Liberal

Darrell Samson Liberal Sackville—Preston—Chezzetcook, NS

We have witnesses waiting. He doesn't have my consent.

4 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Neil Ellis

Mr. McColeman.

4 p.m.

Conservative

Phil McColeman Conservative Brantford—Brant, ON

On another issue, then, I would like to put forward another motion: That the committee invite the interim Minister of Veterans Affairs to appear before this committee so that he can understand the topic areas that we are discussing and how important they are to veterans.

4 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Neil Ellis

Do we have unanimous consent for that one?

4 p.m.

Liberal

Darrell Samson Liberal Sackville—Preston—Chezzetcook, NS

No. He's a veteran and he understands very well. He's done lots of reading on it.

No, you don't have my consent.