Appearing before the Standing Committee on Health regarding Supplementary Estimates "B"

Speech for the Honourable Leona Aglukkaq

Minister of Health

Appearing before the Standing Committee on Health regarding Supplementary Estimates "B"

February 10, 2009

Ottawa, Ontario

Check against delivery.

Members of the Committee, bonjour, good afternoon.

I'm here today with Morris Rosenberg, Deputy Minister of Health Canada and Chief Financial Officer Alfed Tsang.

And, from the Public Health Agency of Canada, Chief Public Health Officer David Butler-Jones and Chief Financial Officer James Libbey.

Please let me begin by congratulating Madame Chair on her re-election.

Being elected Chair means being honoured by your peers; and, in my opinion, among this group of dedicated Members, that's a high honour indeed.

While I've been meeting one-on-one with opposition health critics, today marks my first time at this table.

Let me say what a pleasure it is to be together with you around this table instead of being seated across, and divided by, an aisle.

In times like today, Canadians need cooperation among their elected representatives, rather than division, more than ever.

And, let me tell you, as Health Minister, it's my intention to be open and to listen, to build effective relationships with stakeholders and colleagues, as well as with critics.

While I may be new in this role at the federal level, I come to this table as an experienced health minister from my time in the Government of Nunavut.

As Minister responsible for the North, I bring to this table and this House a unique perspective.

I believe that national strategies need to be truly national in scope. Our vision needs to extend North of 60 if we want it to be truly national.

In my time as Nunavut's Health Minister, I was proud to work toward:

• Establishing community-based health programs;
• Advancing a Territorial public health strategy;
• Developing a long-term health human resources strategy;

and

• expanding culturally-relevant training programs for traditional midwifery, social work and nursing.

Having worked on these issues, I know that working for a healthier population means a combined effort - between governments at all levels, with First Nations and Inuit, with the medical and research communities.

Of course, I'm proud to be here before you today, just weeks after our Government made important investments in Budget 2009.

As Health Minister, I'm enthused about new investments in health care across Canada.

For example, an additional $1.4 billion dollars is being invested in the Canada Health Transfer for a total of $24 billion dollars. This meets our Commitment to increasing the Transfer, by 6 per cent annually until 2013-2014;

In addition, $440 million dollars were announced to improve health care delivery and infrastructure for First Nations and Inuit.

And $500 million dollars was announced to make greater progress toward a future where healthcare for all will become safer, more effective and affordable thanks to greater use of electronic health and medical records.

In both of these cases, I know that investments serves are only part of what's needed, - and that partnerships with stakeholders are ultimately what will drive us to the health care success we wish to achieve.

But of course, as a former and current health Minister, I know full well that health means far more than health care.

For too long, the focus has been on treating illness, and constantly increasing health care spending.

Rather than focussing so much on treating the sick, we need to focus more on keeping people well.

Without question, treatment can, must and will always be there for people who are sick.

But imagine our country if people worked more to keep well.

That means people maintaining their personal health by living healthier lifestyles and health professionals being better educated on how to help people do it.

While we can't make choices for Canadians, it's our role as Government to inform their choices and encourage conditions that lead to healthy choices.

That's why our Government has renewed Canada's Food Guide to Healthy Eating.

It's why we publish the Physical Activity Guide for Canadians, fund the Child Fitness Tax Credit and work with partners to eliminate barriers to healthy choices.

And it's why we remain dedicated to restricting tobacco marketing, and other inducements aimed at youth, to continue driving down smoking rates even lower than where they sit today.

As Health Minister and as a parent, I sincerely commit to working with you, with other governments, First Nations and Inuit, and all stakeholders so the next generation of Canadians grow to be healthier than their parents, not less.

For Canadians who want to live healthier, let it be clear that our Government is here to help.

And for Canadians who have concerns about the safety of products on store shelves, in their medicine cabinets or in their kitchens, our Government is here to protect.

We remain committed to an approach where we make legislative changes based on active prevention, targeted oversight and rapid response.

For example, on January 29, I tabled Bill C-6, the proposed Canada Consumer Product Safety Act.

With this legislation, we're proposing change to an existing law that is outdated and out of step with modern times.

We want to provide for better oversight of consumer products in Canada, including toys and cribs.

We want to be able to act sooner and order recalls when necessary to protect Canadians from potentially harmful products that could cause injuries.

We want to encourage compliance with higher fines and penalties for violators. For example, the Bill proposes increasing the maximum fine from $1 million dollars to $5 million dollars.

And to make it work, we're committed to doubling the number of our consumer product inspectors.

In proposing these improvements, we're listening to the views of stakeholders to ensure our approach is clear, balanced, effective and fair.

In addition to taking action for safer products, our Government is also committed to ensuring the safety of our food supply.

That's why, alongside the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, the Health Portfolio stands ready to support the independent investigator into last summer's Listeriosis outbreak.

We are eager to receive her report, to increasing our knowledge and putting it into action as needed, for the benefit of Canadians.

Making good on our commitment to translating knowledge into action is also exemplified by the progress we're making through the Chemicals Management Plan.

So far, our researchers have examined 70 chemical substances, which were in use long before the dawn of our modern regulations.

Industries have been challenged to show that the chemicals they use do not pose health concerns and are being managed appropriately.

And, as a result of our reviews, several new actions have been proposed to better protect the health of our families and our environment.

I want to take the time right now to thank my predecessor, the Honourable Tony Clement, for the leadership he brought to this Plan.

This, of course, included moving forward to ban the sale, importing, and advertising of polycarbonate baby bottles containing Bisphenol-A.

Through this regulatory decision, our Government put families first - it represented a world-first - and it clearly showed how the Chemicals Management Plan has made Canada a world leader in the safe management of chemical substances.

Through our action, we're protecting the health of Canadians.

And this is the same goal we're seeking from the Drug Safety and Effectiveness Network, funded by $32 million dollars, as I announced in January.

Thanks to this Network, Canadian researchers will be supported in working together to examine the safety and effectiveness of drugs being used by Canadians.

The Network's coordinating office will be housed at the Canadian Institutes for Health Research.

Through CIHR, the Health Portfoilo is making strong contributions to the Governement-wide committment to science.

Science helps inform policy and establish priorities for our future.

And to make sure we train the next generation of health researchers, I'm happy to note that Budget 2009 provides an additional $35 million dollars for the CIHR for the Canada Graduate Scholarships Program.

This comes in addition to new support from these Estimates for leading-edge research into Hepatitis-C and preventing childhood obesity - which I know is a subject many members of this Committee have worked hard on in the recent past.

Indeed, these Estimates reflect what our Government is seeking to achieve through the actions of the Health Portfolio.

Safer products for Canadians; stronger research for more effective policy; stronger support for improved health care and healthier choices.

All for a healthier population today - in communities across Canada, including First Nations and Inuit - and an even healthier generation tomorrow.

Toward this goal, as Health Minister, along with you, I commit to strive.

Thank you all for the time to speak - and now, I look forward to your questions.