44th Parl. 1st Sess.
October 30, 2023
- 11:02:16 a.m.
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I call this meeting to order.
Welcome to meeting number 85 of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Health.
Today's meeting is taking place in a hybrid format, pursuant to the Standing Orders.
For those participating via Zoom, click on the microphone icon to activate your mike, and please mute your mike when you're not speaking. Interpretation is also available to you. You have the choice at the bottom of your screen of floor, English or French. Screenshots or taking photos of your screen is not permitted.
In accordance with our routine motion, I'm informing the committee that all remote participants have completed the required connection tests in advance of the meeting.
Pursuant to Standing Order 108(2) and the motion adopted on October 4, 2023, the committee is beginning its study of the Department of Health's regulatory changes for natural health products.
We have two panels of witnesses. I'd like to welcome our first panel.
We welcome today Ms. Mackie Vadacchino, who will be speaking as an individual.
Representing the Institute for Safe Medication Practices Canada are Sylvia Hyland, vice-president, operations and privacy officer; and Dr. Melissa Sheldrick, patient and family adviser.
Thank you all for taking the time to appear today. You have up to five minutes for an opening statement.
Welcome, Ms. Vadacchino. You have the floor.
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- 11:09:09 a.m.
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Thank you, Ms. Vadacchino.
Next, from the Institute for Safe Medication Practices Canada, we have Sylvia Hyland or Dr. Sheldrick. Maybe you are going to share it, but you have five minutes and you have the floor.
Welcome.
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- 11:14:45 a.m.
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Thank you, both.
We're now going to move on to rounds of questions, beginning with the Conservatives.
We'll go to Dr. Ellis, please, for six minutes.
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- 11:23:56 a.m.
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Excuse me, Dr. Ellis.
We have a point of order from Mr. Davies, please.
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- 11:24:41 a.m.
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I'm not sure it's a point of order.
Dr. Ellis, if you want to address it, feel free. If you don't, you have the floor again.
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- 11:33:18 a.m.
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Thank you, Dr. Ellis.
The motion is in order. The debate is on the motion.
Next up is Mr. Doherty, please.
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- 11:40:59 a.m.
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Thank you, Ms. Sidhu. Although those were all valid points, they were not points of order.
The motion is in order. The motion is allowed. It may not be something that everyone likes, but members are acting entirely within their rights.
Go ahead, Mr. Doherty.
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- 11:48:06 a.m.
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Dr. Kitchen, go ahead, please.
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- 11:52:59 a.m.
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Thank you.
That's debate. Its not a point of order.
Dr. Kitchen, go ahead.
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- 11:57:00 a.m.
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Thank you, Dr. Kitchen.
Before I recognize Dr. Hanley, I just want to say something to the witnesses.
You committed to be here for one hour. We are now approaching the end of that hour. The first thing I want to say to you is thank you. However, the second thing is that, if we are able to dispense with this motion, I will be asking the committee to allow you to stay until the end of the meeting in case there are questions for you. That may be a decision that we will take.
I understand that you committed to be here for an hour, so if you wish to leave, you're free to do so. If you are able to stay, there's a chance that you may be able to further contribute if we can deal with the motion and if the committee agrees to include you in the rounds of questions after the next panel has a chance to present their opening statements.
With that, next on the speakers list with regard to the motion is Dr. Hanley.
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- 11:58:13 a.m.
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We have a point of order from Mr. Thériault.
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- 11:58:23 a.m.
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Thank you, Mr. Thériault. We'll do that right now.
Could you hold off for a second, Dr. Hanley? We want to make sure it's not dangerous for those listening in terms of the sound levels.
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- 11:58:47 a.m.
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Yes. The sound in the room seems fine.
Go ahead.
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- 11:59:28 a.m.
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Dr. Kitchen, on a point of order.
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- 11:59:48 a.m.
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That was a point of debate, not a point of order.
Go ahead, Dr. Hanley.
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- 12:02:34 p.m.
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We have a motion to adjourn debate. That motion is not debatable. We must proceed directly to a vote.
The question for the committee is whether the debate now be adjourned.
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- 12:02:54 p.m.
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Debate on the motion is, therefore, adjourned.
We've reached the end of the first hour. I would now invite our panel for the second hour to come forward.
Colleagues, do we have consensus to allow the witnesses who haven't had a chance to take questions to remain in the event that some of the time allotted for questions in the second hour could be used to pose questions to all four witnesses? Are we okay to proceed in that fashion? I see heads nodding around the table.
Some hon. members: Agreed.
The Chair: To those who are here, you are more than welcome and in fact are encouraged to stay. We're going to hear opening statements from the next panel. Then there will be an opportunity for members of Parliament to question anyone they wish to from either of the panels. If you could do that, we would greatly appreciate it. Thank you for your patience.
We will allow for the next panel to get themselves set up. I would ask them to go ahead and do that now.
Colleagues, I don't actually want to suspend the meeting. I think we can use the time productively. There is a housekeeping matter that I want to bring to your attention. That is simply on the matter of study budgets. You would have received from the clerk two study budgets for upcoming studies. I'm hoping we can dispense with them rather quickly.
One is in connection with the very study we're looking at now. The amount requested for witness expenses, working meals and headsets is $8,250. That's been circulated.
As you know, colleagues, this is essentially a pro forma amount that probably will not reflect what will actually be spent. It is simply to allot those funds so that whatever expenses are incurred in the conduct of this study will be available to us. The first is in connection with this particular study on the Department of Health's regulatory changes on natural health products.
Is there any discussion on that proposed budget?
Dr. Ellis, go ahead.
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- 12:06:54 p.m.
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That's the maximum it can be. That allows for an envelope of four witnesses to travel from Toronto and one to travel from Quebec, with one headset and one working meal for each of the witnesses. That's the total amount we're allotting. It will almost certainly be less.
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