Health

The committee devoted its meeting to electing its two vice-chairs. The clerk proceeded under Standing Order 106(2), which requires the first vice-chair to come from the official opposition and the second from another opposition party. Maggie Chi nominated Raquel Dancho as first vice-chair, and Sonia Sidhu nominated Marie-Hélène Gaudreau as second vice-chair. Both motions carried without further nominations, and the clerk declared Dancho and Gaudreau duly elected.

The two new vice-chairs and Chi then made brief remarks. Dancho said she was honoured to serve and that the Conservatives would hold the government accountable while collaborating where possible, pointing to long wait times, low diagnostic imaging capacity, and fewer doctors, acute care beds, and long-term care beds relative to OECD peers, and noting roughly $400 billion in annual health care spending. Gaudreau thanked members for the welcome, said she sensed openness to discussion, and stressed that health matters greatly to constituents. Chi welcomed both members on behalf of the Liberal members and echoed the commitment to collaborate on improving health care and outcomes.

No substantive business beyond the elections was dealt with, and no witnesses appeared. The committee took no decisions on other matters and left no items unresolved on the record; the meeting ended with members expressing agreement and looking ahead to the remainder of the session.