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
Conservative
Bloc Québécois
NDP
The committee commenced its clause-by-clause study of the Bill.
Pursuant to Standing Order 75(1), consideration of Clause 1 (short title) and of the Preamble was postponed.
The Chair called Clause 2.
Todd Doherty moved, — That the committee resume consideration of the motion of Todd Doherty moved on Wednesday, October 18, 2023, which read as follows:
Given the recent letter, from 17 experienced Canadian Addiction Medicine physicians to the Minister of Addictions and Mental Health, calling on the government to cease funding of hydromorphone for people with addictions, that the committee recognize: (a) the substantial increase in opioid-related harms and deaths, (b) that the government’s current policies are not working, (c) that the so called “safer supply” strategy is a failure, making the opioid crisis worse; that the committee call for an immediate end to the government’s so called “safe supply” funding; and that the committee report this motion to the House.
The question was put on the motion and it was negatived, by a show of hands: YEAS: 4; NAYS: 7.
Stephen Ellis moved, — That, owing to the escalating opioid epidemic having had a devastating impact on the health of Canadians, especially during the pandemic, the committee conduct its upcoming studies on women’s health concurrently with its study on the opioid crisis.
A point of order was raised as to the procedural acceptability of the proposed motion.
RULING BY THE CHAIR
The Chair ruled the motion inadmissible as it did not relate to the study then before the committee and it did not respect the 48-hour notice period required for substantive motions.
Whereupon, Stephen Ellis appealed the decision of the Chair.
The question: “Shall the decision of the Chair be sustained?” was put and the decision was sustained on the following show of hands: YEAS: 7; NAYS: 4.
Accordingly, the Chair’s decision was sustained.
The committee resumed clause-by-clause consideration on Clause 2 of the Bill.
On Clause 2,
Stephen Ellis moved, — That Bill C-293, in Clause 2, be amended by replacing line 1 on page 2 with the following:“2 The purpose of this Act is to reduce as much as possible the risk of and”
After debate, the question was put on the amendment of Stephen Ellis and it was agreed to.
Clause 2 carried.
On Clause 3,
Don Davies moved, — That Bill C-293, in Clause 3, be amended(a) by replacing lines 5 to 18 on page 2 with the following:
“3 (1) Within 90 days after the day on which this Act comes into force, an inquiry under Part I of the Inquiries Act must be undertaken into the response to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in Canada.
(2) In conducting the inquiry, the commissioners are,”
(b) by adding after line 2 on page 3 the following:
“(3) The Minister of Health must cause a report of the inquiry undertaken under this section to be tabled in each House of Parliament as soon as possible after the completion of the inquiry.”
Debate arose thereon.
Luc Thériault moved, — That the amendment be amended by replacing the words “in Canada” with the words “measures taken by the federal government”.
After debate, the question was put on the subamendment of Luc Thériault and it was negatived on the following recorded division:
YEAS: Don Davies, Luc Thériault — 2;
NAYS: Darren Fisher, Brendan Hanley, Majid Jowhari, Sonia Sidhu — 4.
Stephen Ellis gave notice of the following motion:
That the committee undertake four meetings on the South Riverdale supervised injection site and safe injection programs and facilities across Canada and review the federal government's involvement in this program and the funding that has been allotted; and that the committee hear from the Minister of Mental Health and Addictions, the Minister of Health, Department of Health officials and any other witnesses deemed relevant to the study.
The committee resumed its clause-by-clause study of the Bill.
The committee resumed clause-by-clause consideration on Clause 3 of the Bill.
(a) by replacing lines 5 to 18 on page 2 with the following:
“3 (1) Within 90 days after the day on which this Act comes into force, an inquiry under Part I of the Inquiries Act must be undertaken into the response to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in Canada.
(2) In conducting the inquiry, the commissioners are,”
(b) by adding after line 2 on page 3 the following:
“(3) The Minister of Health must cause a report of the inquiry undertaken under this section to be tabled in each House of Parliament as soon as possible after the completion of the inquiry.”
The question was put on the amendment of Don Davies and it was negatived on the following recorded division:
YEAS: Don Davies, Luc Thériault — 2;
NAYS: Darren Fisher, Brendan Hanley, Majid Jowhari, Marcus Powlowski, Sonia Sidhu — 5.
“Canada and within federal jurisdiction, of preparedness efforts and response capabilities”
After debate, the question was put on the amendment of Stephen Ellis and it was negatived on the following recorded division:
YEAS: Todd Doherty, Stephen Ellis, Matt Jeneroux, Shuvaloy Majumdar, Luc Thériault — 5;
NAYS: Don Davies, Darren Fisher, Brendan Hanley, Majid Jowhari, Marcus Powlowski, Sonia Sidhu — 6.
Shuvaloy Majumdar moved, — That the committee do now adjourn.
The question was put on the motion and it was negatived, by a show of hands: YEAS: 4; NAYS: 7.
The committee resumed clause-by-clause consideration on Clause 3 of the Bill.
“backgrounds and disciplines, including persons who hold, at a minimum, a doctorate degree in a scientific field, such as in health sciences.”
The question was put on the amendment of Stephen Ellis and it was negatived, by a show of hands: YEAS: 4; NAYS: 6.
After debate, the question was put on the amendment of Luc Thériault and it was negatived on the following recorded division:
YEAS: Todd Doherty, Stephen Ellis, Matt Jeneroux, Shuvaloy Majumdar, Luc Thériault — 5;
NAYS: Don Davies, Darren Fisher, Brendan Hanley, Majid Jowhari, Marcus Powlowski, Sonia Sidhu — 6.
“governments, assess pandemic response capabilities;”
After debate, the question was put on the amendment of Luc Thériault and it was negatived on the following recorded division:
YEAS: Todd Doherty, Stephen Ellis, Matt Jeneroux, Shuvaloy Majumdar, Luc Thériault — 5;
NAYS: Don Davies, Darren Fisher, Brendan Hanley, Majid Jowhari, Marcus Powlowski, Sonia Sidhu — 6.
“evant to the impact of the pandemic in Canada, with a special focus on children, seniors and essential workers.”
Debate arose thereon.
On motion of Todd Doherty, it was agreed, — That the committee do now adjourn.
At 1:53 p.m., the committee adjourned to the call of the Chair.