Mr. Speaker, I am rising on a point of order today with respect to Standing Order 108(2).
Today at the health committee, I attempted to move a motion that was tabled with the committee's clerk in June. The motion stated “That, pursuant to Standing Order 108(2), the Committee immediately undertake a study into the government’s rejection of an expert-panel’s decision to locate the future Ottawa Hospital Civic Campus on federal land across the street from the existing Hospital; and that the Committee call the Ministers of Environment, Heritage, and Agriculture and Dr. Mark Kristmanson, CEO of the National Capital Commission (NCC), to discuss the matter.”
Normally, a local hospital issue would not be in federal jurisdiction, but this arises because the government has now inserted a federal agency into the decision of where to locate the hospital and the federal Minister of Environment has interfered and blocked the hospital's construction in her own riding. Thus, there is a federal connection to the future construction of this hospital location. However, the chair of the committee ruled that the subject material was outside the jurisdiction of the committee, meaning that a hospital is out of the jurisdiction of the health committee. The chair then ruled the debate out of order and prevented even a vote on the motion, which was moved before the committee.
In accordance with Standing Orders 108(1) and 108(2), committees are masters of their own domain, and they can study any topics they choose and that are referred to them by the House. As well, the health committee's own website states that it may also study matters the committee itself chooses to examine. Therefore, there is no legitimate reason for the motion to have been ruled out of order. The committee, being master of its domain, ought to have been allowed to debate and then vote on the substance of the motion itself rather than having the chair arbitrarily shut down the debate before it even occurred.
This matter is of immense importance to the people of the national capital region. The existing Civic campus, which represents the amalgamation of three hospital sites, is now almost 100 years old. It is falling apart. It is desperately in need of replacement. After a nine-year process, a site for its future construction was selected immediately across the street on federal land. There was a broad consensus among hospital board and management members that this was the right place to put the hospital. It was a decision accepted by the previous government. There were no objections made to that site by the now-governing party during the last election; yet suddenly and arbitrarily the member of Parliament for the riding in question and minister for the region slammed on the brakes and blocked the hospital's construction.
Now I am asking for that member to come before a parliamentary committee and be accountable for her decision to delay the provision of health care in her own riding. Unfortunately, the Liberal majority is shutting down the debate and preventing any transparency in regard to that decision-making, by banning this motion from even being voted upon.
Mr. Speaker, I believe this is a violation of Standing Orders 108(1) and 108(2). It falls to the Speaker to intervene when Standing Orders of the House are violated by chairs of committees, which are of course creatures of Parliament. This city needs a new hospital, and it is not the role of the federal government to stop the construction of that hospital. That is precisely what is happening and it is time that the Liberal Minister of Environment came before a committee and explained why she has done this to her community.
Every day that goes by, Ottawa moves further down the list of priority sites for a future hospital. With dwindling provincial health care resources available for the construction of hospitals, we in Ottawa are losing our place on that list and putting the health care of our people in some jeopardy. All I am asking for is that there be a debate and a vote on the motion and that the Minister of Environment come before the committee to explain her decision to block the hospital and that we have clear answers so that the residents of Ottawa can have accountability for the decisions that affect the health of the next generation of local residents.