Mr. Speaker, I would appreciate it if the hon. member opposite would let me make my speech. When she makes her own, I will listen.
While we agree with the intent of the bill, we do not accept everything in it. The Bloc will put forward amendments to make the bill more acceptable.
For example, just to give members a general idea, in its preamble, the bill does not recognize the provincial governments' exclusive jurisdiction in the area of health but presents them as mere collaborators with the federal government. Here they go again with their mania in the area of health.
It should have been stated in the preamble that it is the provinces' responsibility to manage health services within their territory and that their agreement is needed in order to encroach upon areas under their jurisdiction. We will ask that this be specified.
Clause 14 of the bill provides that the governing council is responsible for the management of the Canadian institutes of halth research as a whole, unless it decides to delegate some of its powers, duties and functions.
In the bill as it currently stands, provincial governments do not have the authority to choose the research institutes and they do not have their say in the strategic direction, objectives and policies of the institutes.
Furthermore, even though clause 5(c) says that the institutes of health research are to consult other stakeholders, including the provinces, to collaborate and form partnerships with them, the wording of the clause is very vague et clearly dilutes the importance of the provinces by putting them on the same footing as other stakeholders.
So, effectively, nothing will allow the Quebec government to ensure that the institutes of health research will respect its health priorities.
Moreover, it is important to point out that, throughout the bill, reference is not made simply to health research, but the more general phrase “issues pertaining to health” is used, opening the door to an involvement that goes beyond the simple research realm.
I will say once again that it is not the establishment of institutes as such that is a problem for the Bloc Quebecois, but the fact that there is a possibility of direct encroachment on provincial jurisdictions in the field of health services to the public, without serious consultation with the provinces.
It would seem that the federal government wants to put in place parallel structures instead of supporting approaches taken by the provinces. If this is not its intention, the federal government should take advantage of the hearings on this bill and co-operate with the Bloc Quebecois to make it clearer, to the satisfaction of the provinces.
Through the Canadian institutes of health research, the federal government must not try to get involved in areas that come under provincial jurisdiction while forgetting that it is in large part responsible for the indecent cuts and the dire straits faced by the provinces in health care.
It is important that the legislative framework be properly developed, because it must not infringe on provincial jurisdictions, but rather complement these.
For instance, in Quebec, there is a science and technology ministry that is currently finalizing a new scientific policy and which identified its strategic areas in health research, namely mental health, cancer, genome and biotechnology.
During the committee hearings, we are determined to ask the federal government to respect the particularities and the strengths specific to researchers in Quebec regions, in order to build upon their success and their skills in areas where they excel. The federal government should not designate any institute of health research in Quebec without the consent of the Government of Quebec.
Improving the network for researchers in order to facilitate information transfer is desirable. However, this should not lead to federal criteria being applied or provincial areas of jurisdiction being infringed upon. This is why it is crucial that the Quebec government, which has jurisdiction over health issues, take part in selection and management, in these institutes.
I will attend the hearings of the Standing Committee on Health concerning this bill and ensure that representatives of the provincial governments and the researchers in outlying areas like the Saguenay—Lac-Saint-Jean are heard, so that this bill can serve the interests of science and reflect Quebec's priorities before serving the federal government's political goals.
In the Saguenay—Lac-Saint-Jean area where I live, we already have prominent scientists who, these last few years, have been carrying out research in genetics and the human genome. We also have researchers like Michel Perron, who is part of Groupe ÉCOBES. Mr. Perron studies populations. As the hon. member for Hochelaga—Maisonneuve said this morning, I think that the expertise of the researchers from the Saguenay—Lac-Saint-Jean region has reached quite a high level. Their expertise should be recognized through a health research institute. I will do what is humanly possible to see that they get recognition for their work.
The Bloc Quebecois is offering its support to the federal government so this bill will really promote health research while respecting federal and provincial jurisdictions and improve the health of all Quebecers and Canadians.
