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Adjournment Proceedings

An adjournment debate about the Canada Health Infoway executive who received over $1 million in severance after being dismissed, and the government’s review of the agency. Dan Mazier (Conservative) asked how much public money is being spent on the executive’s lawsuit and whether the government had actually hired the outside auditor it announced months ago. Ryan Turnbull (Liberal) replied that the government has ordered an independent audit and a review of the agency, that the Auditor General considers this sufficient, and that the review should be allowed to finish.Written by AI from the debate. Updated .

Official text

4 statements

Dan Mazier

Conservative

Linked statement

“A fired health executive got over $1 million in severance and is now suing for more. How much public money is the government letting the agency spend on this lawsuit?”

  • A repeated line

    “The former CEO of Canada Health Infoway.”

    Said 3 times by 2 members since May 1.

    Every time it was said
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, Michael Green, the former CEO of Canada Health Infoway, was fired after overseeing the $300-million PrescribeIT scandal. Despite his massive failure, he was awarded over $1 million in severance benefits, including another performance bonus after he was fired. Apparently, that was not enough for this failed PrescribeIT CEO. Court documents reveal that Mr. Green is now suing Canada Health Infoway for even more money, claiming that his massive payday was not enough. How many taxpayer dollars are the Liberals allowing Canada Health Infoway to spend on this legal battle with its former CEO?

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Ryan Turnbull

Liberal
“I gave the same answer to this question a month ago. The government has already ordered an independent audit and a review of Canada Health Infoway to make sure tax dollars are spent well. The Auditor General said these reviews are enough and doing more would repeat the same work. We should let this review finish.”

  • Reply to a debate question

    Relevance 43 of 100

    None of this reply addressed the specific point raised or the topic under debate.

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Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, just over a month ago, the member opposite posed a nearly identical question during Adjournment Proceedings. I will respond by giving him a nearly identical answer. As the Minister of Health announced in June, our government believes that Canadians deserve transparency and openness when it comes to how taxpayer dollars are spent. That is to be expected. There were obviously concerns with whether Canadians had received value for money when it comes to Canada Health Infoway, which is why the Minister of Health announced a multiphase review that included both an independent audit and a third party review of the organization’s governance and structure. The member opposite was a member of the health committee when Liberal, Bloc and Conservative MPs unanimously called for the Auditor General to look at the organization in question. What was the Auditor General’s response? She said that the reviews announced by the minister are enough for her and that any other work by her would be duplicative and of limited value. Let us allow that work to take place and make sure that the review and the audit show what is working and what is not so that we can be sure that we have modernized health data infrastructure that works best for Canadians.

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Dan Mazier

Conservative
“The government promised months ago to hire an outside auditor to look into Canada Health Infoway. Did they actually hire one, and who did they hire?”
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, I am really glad the member mentioned the June story, because in June, the Liberals told The Globe and Mail that they were launching an independent third party audit of Canada Health Infoway after Conservatives exposed the $300-million PrescribeIT scandal. That was over 130 days ago. Has the government actually hired a third party auditor, and if so, who did it hire?

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Ryan Turnbull

Liberal
“The Auditor General checked our work and found that taxpayers are getting good value for their money. I trust her findings, and the member opposite should too.”

  • Reply to a debate question

    Relevance 47 of 100

    None of this reply addressed the specific point raised or the topic under debate.

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Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, again, let us review the facts. The member opposite was on HESA when that committee asked for the Auditor General to do an audit. The Auditor General said the work being done by the government to ensure that taxpayers are getting value for their money is enough for her. I trust that the Auditor General knows what she is talking about. It is too bad the member opposite does not have the same level of trust in her.

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