THE STANDING SENATE COMMITTEE ON NATIONAL FINANCE

MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS

OTTAWA, Wednesday, October 25, 2023
(76)

[English]

The Standing Senate Committee on National Finance met this day at 6:45 p.m., in room W110, 1 Wellington St., the deputy chair, the Honourable Éric Forest, presiding.

Members of the committee present: The Honourable Senators Dagenais, Forest, Galvez, Gignac, Loffreda, Marshall, Pate, Smith and Woo (9).

Participating in the meeting: André Léonard and Shaowei Pu, analysts, Library of Parliament.

Pursuant to the order of reference adopted by the Senate on Tuesday, March 7, 2023, the committee continued its examination of expenditures set out in the Main Estimates for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2024.

The deputy chair informed the committee of the death of the Honourable Senator Shugart, P.C. The committee observed a moment of silence.

WITNESSES:

Health Canada:

Serena Francis, Chief Financial Officer;

Jocelyne Voisin, Assistant Deputy Minister, Strategic Policy Branch;

Jennifer Saxe, Associate Assistant Deputy Minister, Cannabis and Controlled Substances Branch;

Brigitte Lucke, Director General, Policy, Planning and Integration Directorate, Healthy Environments and Consumer Safety Branch;

Daniel MacDonald, Director General, Drugs for Rare Diseases, Strategic Policy Branch;

Lindy Van Amburg, Director General, Policy and Programs, Oral Health Branch;

Ed Morgan, Director General, Policy, Planning and International Affairs Directorate, Health Products and Food Branch.

Serena Francis made a statement and, together with Jocelyne Voisin, Lindy Van Amburg, Daniel MacDonald, Jennifer Saxe, and Brigitte Lucke, answered questions.

At 8:24 p.m., the committee adjourned to the call of the chair.

ATTEST:

Mireille K. Aubé

Clerk of the Committee