Mr. Speaker, I am certainly pleased today to join the debate on Bill C-13, the Canadian institutes of health research bill.
At this time of an overall failing health care system in Canada, I am pleased to see some encouraging news contained in this bill. I also wish to offer a critique of Bill C-13 and to offer some points on what I believe are the bill's shortcomings. I raise the points of concern only in an effort to improve the bill. Overall I believe that the bill is worthy of further support and my colleagues in the Reform Party would want to give that support at least up to committee level.
As I understand the bill, it is intended to take the place of the Medical Research Council and provide a more direct and systematic approach to research in Canada. Furthermore, the primary objective of the Canadian institutes of health research is to excel and build upon internationally accepted standards of scientific excellence and research through the creation of new knowledge and its translation into improved health for all Canadians.
One of the primary methods that will be used is that of virtual institutes through the Internet and other high tech communications. The institutes will be made up of experts in their selected fields.
The promise of addressing a portion of the Canadian brain drain is a worthwhile discussion. I would agree that one of the reasons we are losing our best and brightest from Canada to the United States is the research dollars that are available. To lose our best means that while they may have been educated in Canada, we are losing them to a foreign country. The consequences of this failing is like a row of dominoes. As the first person leaves, the process becomes easier for the next person, and so on and so on. Before we know it there is a flood of people leaving Canada which is virtually impossible to stem, unless there is a major change in the reasons that people are leaving.
Why are people leaving? May I suggest that it is the lack of incentive to contribute to our own medical and health research, a lack of financial support for the employees and institutes that they work at, and higher taxes.
We need to take corrective action. With some constructive fixing I believe that the bill could be one small piece of the solution to the brain drain, particularly in the medical professions in Canada today. I believe there are a number of concerns and ways that the bill can and should be improved.
I note that by the end of the second year the CIHR will have a proposed budget of $500 million. This is up from the current budget of $300 million. The addition of $200 million is a substantial amount of money. However, I believe it to be prudent to put some reasonable restrictions on the use of this money.
I fail to believe that without legislative regulations the intent of today's debate will carry over to reality tomorrow.
It is imperative that we set out a framework for the governor in council to work under. Therefore, I believe the administration costs arising out of the CIHR need to have a cap. Currently the Medical Research Council administration portion of its $300 million budget is 4.5%. May I suggest that this level could be maintained and perhaps even capped at 5%. To allow otherwise often leaves open the door for future abuse of taxpayers' dollars.
Under Bill C-13, clause 26(2), the CIHR “may borrow money, issue debt obligations or grant or receive a security interest only with the approval of the Treasury Board”. I fail to see why the CIHR needs to have this capability. With an annual budget approved by parliament, it is imperative that all ministries, departments and crown corporations live within their allocated budget needs. The future for any organization is built upon the available resources. I can see no benefit in allowing the CIHR the ability to borrow money even with the approval of Treasury Board.
Remaining on the issue of finances, I would draw attention to clause 26(1)(f), whereby the CIHR may for the purpose of achieving its objective, license, assign, sell or otherwise make available any patent, copyright, industrial design, trademark, trade secret or other like property right held, controlled or administered by the CIHR. While I do not disagree with the premise of this clause, I would like to see the financial benefits accrue back to the Canadian taxpayer. In other words, when the above types of licensing agreements are granted, the revenues revert to the CIHR and this lowers the financial burden on the Canadian taxpayer.
I agree that individual Canadians do not need to take a back seat to anyone or any other country when it comes to research and development. They simply need the chance and the environment to continue and complete their work. While I believe that Canadians are willing to fairly contribute and ensure that innovative medical research is undertaken in Canada, it is fair to say that those same Canadian taxpayers want to see a return on their tax dollar investment.
I am also interested in the individual projects themselves. It appears there are two distinct and different ways of selecting the projects. One approach is for the governing council to ask for proposals on a given area of research. The governing council would then review the submitted proposals and select them according to peer review.
The advantage of this approach is that the issues of the day will be sure to receive a given amount of research resources. The disadvantage however, is that without strict guidelines, the governing council runs the risk of being swayed by the political agenda of the day. We must remain vigilant on this and ensure that politics do not interfere and compromise our medical research.
In consultation with health officials, it was confirmed that there is an alternate route for those who wish to submit proposals. Anyone may draft a proposal and submit it to the governing council for peer review and selection. The advantage of this process is that new cutting edge medical research will find a forum for peer presentation. Individuals without connections to major universities and other research centres need to have an opportunity to present projects for research funding.
While meeting with the minister's staff regarding the selection of the individual projects themselves, it was indicated that there would be a balance between these two alternatives. I am pleased to support this aspect of the bill, but believe that the advantages and disadvantages need to be accounted for in the regulations. This could easily be included within the operating guidelines and subject to review by the Standing Committee on Health.
Most recently, the present government has been in the debacle of definitions concerning pay equity. The issue of scientific merit enters into this debate. It is important that the preamble also include a statement that indicates “Whereas parliament believes that health research should provide support for research on the basis of scientific merit”. This should be interpreted as research funding based upon the validity of the project, not on the basis of employment equity groups.
One aspect of this bill that requires strengthening is the matter of ethics. We all recognize today that technology has made great leaps forward. The minister has stated that this is an important part of the bill. I believe it can be further strengthened.
It was not that many years ago that some of the routine procedures used today would have seemed like science fiction: organ transplants, fetal surgery, gene therapy and open heart surgery, to mention only a few. Much can still be learned in these matters. They routinely occur in many parts of the world today.
I do not wish to use scare tactics and I certainly cannot predict the future, however I believe it would be in everyone's best interests to strengthen the ethical portions of the bill. Let us have a process whereby when new issues arise which have not yet been contemplated that researchers do not find themselves lost in a morass of bureaucracy. Let us ensure that the future is safe from deviation and questionable ethical decisions. Let us ensure that these decisions are not left in the hands of any one person or indeed in the hands of the bureaucracy.
One other aspect of the bill which I feel is important to draw further attention to is clause 21. It states:
The Governing Council shall review the mandate and performance of each Health Research Institute at least every five years after it is established and determine whether its mandate or the policies respecting its role and functioning should be amended or whether it should be merged with another Health Research Institute or terminated.
The importance of this particular clause lies in the history of other government programs. All too often a valid government program has been initiated with no end in sight. It just goes on and on.
It is imperative that when this bill is enacted that clause 21 remain or even be strengthened. When a program has outlived its usefulness, then it is time to eliminate it. The program may act as a catalyst, however the program should not be an industry in and of itself. Where a government program is not worthy of further funding, then we simply must end the program and move on to something else that is bigger and better.
The CIHR information states that there will be 12 to 15 institutes. I would ask that the future governing council and Minister of Health bring this matter before the Standing Committee on Health for input and development. If the CIHR is to work effectively, it must not only have the support of the government, but the support of the taxpayers as well. In order to accomplish this the research must be seen to be without political interference, without the view by the public regarding validity and necessity and with the broad based support of Canadian medical researchers.
While I favour the concept of private-public relationships, stringent regulations must be built into this legislation. We must be certain that such a partnership does not become an opportunity for the government of the day to have the private sector do its bidding. For any such program to work, there must be a transparent, accountable process. Clause 4 states:
The objective of the CIHR is to excel, according to internationally accepted standards of scientific excellence, in the creation of new knowledge and its translation into improved health for Canadians, more effective health services and products and a strengthened Canadian health care system, by—
One manner in which the bill sets this out is in subclause 4(l):
(l) ensuring transparency and accountability to Canadians for the investment of the Government of Canada in health research.
Let us remember that the Government of Canada represents the taxpayers of the country. As such, the taxpayers will not accept any more Shawinigan shenanigans. I want to stress to the government that it should get it right this time. When the bill states “transparency and accountability”, let us have clear regulations set out for the research institutes involved. Let the bill and regulation adhere to standard acceptable accounting procedures. Let the recommendations of the auditor general be attended to immediately and not on a never-never plan.
While I believe that the intent of the bill heads us in the right direction, I want to stress that since its introduction and the subsequent briefing, there has not been sufficient time to draw together an independent body of medical researchers to vet the promises and premise of the bill.
I realize that the Medical Research Council has played a large role in this development. However, I feel it is imperative that those outside the system also be given an opportunity to review the bill and to give their input.
If the CIHR is intended to promote health and medical research across the country then let us take sufficient time now to ask researchers if it is in their best interest. If the researchers who will be involved find that the proposed system will not work or will work better in some other way, let us find out now and change the system at its inception, not partway through the process. Hopefully we can do this at the committee stage when the bill comes to committee.
One aspect of the bill I have not yet addressed is the high level of taxation that exists in Canada today. While the bill addresses one part of the brain drain, even though the Prime Minister refuses to take his head out of the sand and acknowledge the serious problem, it is clear that high taxation is a problem for medical research in the country.
As we go through this debate I would call upon the finance minister to take direct action on the high rate of taxation rampant in Canada today. Enough of the smoke and mirror shows with promises one day, only to be reneged on the next. We need lower taxes so more Canadians will stay in Canada to begin with and those in the medical profession can do the research we so urgently need.
No less of a body than the International Monetary Fund has stated that Canada needs to devote the majority of the surplus to lower our debt and taxes. I ask that the finance minister heed these words and assist in the elimination of Canada's brain drain, particularly in the medical professions.
Over the last 20 years our health system in Canada has been failing Canadians. It is common knowledge that the government has torn $21 billion out of the Canadian health care system in the last six years. It is only prepared to put back a small portion of that $21 billion into it. Canadians are paying a very real price for this failing. The failing rests squarely on the shoulders of the health minister, the finance minister and members of the Liberal government.
Now is the time to fix it. Now is not the time to lay blame where blame does not deserve to be laid. Premier Klein is not the problem. He is attempting to solve a problem in his province that has its root cause in Ottawa. By finding innovative solutions the failing of the Canadian health care system can be reversed and better health for Canadians will come about. The status quo is not acceptable. We must move forward and seek out real, new and innovative solutions. This bill may be a part of that but we know that we can all do better.
In conclusion, I reiterate that at this time the Reform Party will support the bill up to committee level. I believe that I have enumerated ways in which the bill could be improved and strengthened. Let us work together collectively to build a better health care system, seeking ways to improve it and certainly seeking ways to improve medical research that is so important to the health of Canadians.