HESA Committee Meeting
Notices of Meeting include information about the subject matter to be examined by the committee and date, time and place of the meeting, as well as a list of any witnesses scheduled to appear. The Evidence is the edited and revised transcript of what is said before a committee. The Minutes of Proceedings are the official record of the business conducted by the committee at a sitting.
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Minutes of Proceedings
The witnesses made statements and answered questions.
At 12:28 p.m., the sitting was suspended.
At 12:32 p.m., the sitting resumed.
Don Davies moved, — That, pursuant to Standing Order 108(2), the committee conduct a study to investigate reports that the Minister of Health personally intervened with the independent and arms-length Patented Medicine Prices Review Board (PMPRB) to indefinitely suspend reform that would have saved Canadians billions on drug costs; that the committee invite the following witnesses, in addition to any further witnesses the committee may consider relevant:
- Hon. Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Health;
- Matthew Herder, former member, PMPRB;
- Mélanie Bourassa Forcier, former acting chair, PMPRB; and
- Douglas Clark, former executive director, PMPRB;
that the committee report its findings and recommendations to the House; and that, pursuant to Standing Order 109, the committee request that the government table a comprehensive response to the report.
Debate arose thereon.
Adam van Koeverden moved, — That the motion be amended by adding the words “of the” after the word “study”; and by deleting the words “to investigate reports that the Minister of Health personally intervened with the independent and arms-length” and “to indefinitely suspend reform that would have saved Canadians billions on drug costs;”.
After debate, the question was put on the amendment of Adam van Koeverden and it was agreed to, by a show of hands: YEAS: 11; NAYS: 0.
Luc Thériault moved, — That the motion be amended by deleting the words “and Douglas Clark, former executive director, PMPRB;”.
A point of order was raised as to the procedural acceptability of the proposed amendment.
RULING BY THE CHAIR
The chair ruled that the amendment was admissible because a problem with interpretation affected the mover’s ability to participate.
Whereupon, Stephen Ellis appealed the decision of the Chair.
The question: "Shall the decision of the Chair be sustained?" was put and was agreed to by show of hands: YEAS: 6; NAYS: 5.
Accordingly, the Chair’s decision was sustained.
The debate on the amendment continued.
The question was put on the amendment of Luc Thériault and it was negatived, by a show of hands: YEAS: 1; NAYS: 10.
The question was put on the motion, as amended, and it was agreed to, by a show of hands: YEAS: 11; NAYS: 0.
The motion, as amended, read as follows:
That pursuant to Standing Order 108(2), the committee conduct a study of the Patented Medicine Prices Review Board (PMPRB), and that the committee invite the following witnesses in addition to any further witnesses the committee may consider relevant:
- Hon. Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Health;
- Matthew Herder, former member, PMPRB;
- Mélanie Bourassa Forcier, former acting chair, PMPRB; and
- Douglas Clark, former executive director, PMPRB;
that the committee report its findings and recommendations to the House; and that, pursuant to Standing Order 109, the committee request that the government table a comprehensive response to the report.
At 1:06 p.m., the committee adjourned to the call of the Chair.