HEAL Committee Meeting

STANDING COMMITTEE ON HEALTH

COMITÉ PERMANENT DE LA SANTÉ

EVIDENCE

[Recorded by Electronic Apparatus]

Tuesday, November 25, 1997

• 1106

[English]

The Chair (Ms. Beth Phinney (Hamilton Mountain, Lib.)): I call to order the sixth meeting of the Standing Committee on Health.

We have seen the agenda. We weren't able to get any of the witnesses to this meeting. We will pass out copies of this agenda. You all will have received it in your mail.

Some hon. members: No.

The Chair: No? I have it in my office. Would you like the agenda sent out ahead of time? We can do that, or at least we will give it out before the meeting starts.

We couldn't get any witnesses for today, but I think we saw from the last meeting that everybody feels we should be discussing the possibility of having some meetings on items other than what's on the agenda so far. I think we should be forming a steering committee. So we might do that first today, and then you may decide that the other things on here will be left for the steering committee to decide.

I don't know if you people have any suggestions of how many should be on the steering committee. You're all on other committees and it can be any numbers.

Ms. Elinor Caplan (Thornhill, Lib.): I think the important consideration, really, is the wishes of the opposition. My own view is that smaller steering committees work better, but it's a question of whether the opposition parties can agree that there will be two and that they will decide who the two are, or whether each one wants a member on the steering committee. I think we're prepared to accept whatever decision the opposition wish.

The Chair: Well, let's just quickly hear from each one.

Mr. Grant Hill (Macleod, Ref.): I presume that the Liberals would have one member on the committee, or you will try to balance—

The Chair: We will have a majority.

Mr. Grant Hill: I thought you would suggest that. In that instance, then, I think there should be one member from each of the parties on the steering committee. I agree with you in terms of being tiny and what not, but if you guys want to have....

Ms. Elinor Caplan: There is a majority government and the entitlement of the government is to have a majority on all committees.

Mr. Grant Hill: Oh yes, but the steering committee only steers. The voting is done here. There will be nothing done by the steering committee that cannot be vetoed here, and that's where I think the government majority should come in.

Ms. Elinor Caplan: My experience is that if you don't have a working committee that can work within the established parameters, what then tends to happen is game-playing at the steering committee, and then what happens is everything gets overruled and debated at the full committee. You're much better off, in my view, to have a steering committee that's going to be able to work within the parameters of the general committee and solve any problems.

I know that at some committees the opposition have agreed to team up on the numbers they want, or to rotate, or whatever, to keep the committee smaller. My own view—and I think I speak for the members of our caucus—is that whatever you wish as far as numbers are concerned is fine.

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The Chair: Let's find out first of all if each of the opposition parties wants to have somebody on the steering committee.

Madame.

[Translation]

Ms. Pauline Picard (Drummond, BQ): Madam Chair, I agree with my colleague from the Reform Party because it would be particularly awkward if only government members sat on the steering committee. There should be at least one representative of each party on the committee. You are nine members on your side. If two or three governments members were to sit on the committee, I do not think that...

My experience with the Standing Committee on Health is that we collectively wish to make progress. There is no room for political game-playing. I believe we are all conscientious enough to set such matters aside when we are discussing the health of Canadians and Quebeckers.

[English]

The Chair: Does that mean you do want one from your party on the committee?

[Translation]

Ms. Pauline Picard: Yes.

[English]

The Chair: Okay.

NDP? I'm doing parties now because I just want to know if you all want to be represented.

Ms. Judy Wasylycia-Leis (Winnipeg North Centre, NDP): I think, even as a steering committee, it would work if there was a will to have one member from each party, including the Liberals, and have a fairly small group, but if it's the will of the Liberal members on the committee to have a majority on that steering committee, then I would request that one member from each of the opposition parties be on.

Mr. Greg Thompson (Charlotte, PC): Madam Chair, I certainly want to be on the steering committee and support the idea that each party should have a representative on the steering committee. In terms of the government, Mr. Hill is absolutely correct: the committee itself can overrule the steering committee if our agenda doesn't match that of the government members. But from my position, I certainly want to be on the steering committee.

Thank you.

The Chair: Okay. Now we've decided there are going to be four in the opposition. We need to decide a number over here. Two people already have indicated they'd like to be on it. It normally consists of the chair and the parliamentary secretary on the steering committee.

As you know now, our parliamentary secretary has a reason, a very serious illness in the family, and can't be here for immediate meetings anyway, so my suggestion would be that we have Elinor replacing either the parliamentary secretary or me, if one of us can't be there. Then it's up to you if you want two other people on there. Claude and Lynn have already indicated they would like to.

Could I have some suggestions? Five?

Ms. Elinor Caplan: To have a majority.

The Chair: We don't need five. We could work quite easily with four; we could work quite easily with three. It's going to be a consensus, and if it doesn't get consensus, it comes back here for a vote anyway. We don't need a majority on the steering committee.

Mr. Lynn Myers (Waterloo—Wellington, Lib.): Why don't we go then with, as outlined, Ms. Caplan, Claude, and me?

The Chair: That's fine with me if that's fine with you people.

Mr. Lynn Myers: And one from each of the oppositions.

The Chair: So there would be normally four Liberals at the steering committee meeting. Is that okay with you people?

Ms. Elinor Caplan: Recognizing that I would be a sub for the parliamentary assistant or the chair, as opposed to a permanent member of the steering committee.

The Chair: Yes.

Ms. Elinor Caplan: That's fine.

The Chair: Okay? Well, if that's the case, I would suggest we adjourn the meeting and the steering committee stay.

I'm not sure whether that has to be a formal motion. Does anybody know?

Mr. Lynn Myers: I think it should be.

The Chair: All right. Could we just have consensus that this was agreed?

Some hon. members: Agreed.

The Chair: Okay, fine. Everybody else who isn't on the steering committee can go home or go back to your offices.

The meeting is adjourned.