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Health

During question period, Bloc Québécois members questioned the government about PrescribeIT, a federal e-prescribing software that cost far more than planned and is now being cancelled. Sébastien Lemire asked why roughly $300 million was spent on software that few use, and Maxime Blanchette-Joncas asked that the health minister appear before the health committee to answer questions, saying Liberal members had blocked a vote on that. Health Minister Marjorie Michel responded that the program did work well in Quebec even though it did not work across the country, that the new government ended it because it was not working, and that she has appeared before the health committee five times and is happy to work with members.Written by AI from the debate. Updated .

Official text

5 statements

Sébastien Lemire

Bloc Québécois

Linked statement

“The government spent $300 million on a health care software that cost eight times more than planned. Nobody uses it, and now the government is canceling it. I want to know why this money was wasted.”
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, cost overruns are a Liberal hallmark. First there was Cúram, which is now costing taxpayers $7 billion following yet another cost overrun according the economic update. Everyone has heard about ArriveCAN and Phoenix, and now there is PrescribeIT, a software designed by the federal government to meddle in health care and prescribe medication. It cost $300 million, almost eight times more than expected, and that $300 million is a complete waste because nobody is using this software and the Liberals are pulling the plug. Why is our money going up in smoke yet again?

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Marjorie Michel

Liberal
“The digital prescription program did not work across the whole country, but it did work well in Quebec.”

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Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, I want to set the record straight for my colleague. To start, the first piece of good news, I would say, is that while it is true that the PrescribeIT program did not work across the country, it did work well in Quebec. That is the first point. What you need to know is that this program was introduced—

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Marjorie Michel

Liberal
“When our government took office, we saw this program was not working and ended it. That is how we protect taxpayers' money.”
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, when the new government came to power, we looked at the program and saw that it was not working. We decided to put a stop to it. That is how we make good use of taxpayers’ money.

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Maxime Blanchette-Joncas

Bloc Québécois
“The government spent $300 million on a medical software that nobody uses, and now they are dropping it. Liberal members blocked a vote to have the health minister explain this to our committee. I want the minister to come answer our questions.”
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals are again taking advantage of their new majority, which they engineered by enticing floor crossers. This time, they are silencing the opposition with respect to PrescribeIT, a software designed to interfere with health care and prescribe medication. After wasting $300 million on it, the Liberals are abandoning it because nobody is using it. Yesterday, in committee, I moved a motion calling on the Minister of Health to appear and explain this fiasco. The Liberals used their majority to prevent us from putting it to a vote. Will the minister explain herself before the committee and denounce the censorship—

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Marjorie Michel

Liberal
“Since becoming health minister, I have met with the health committee five times. I am happy to work with other members of Parliament.”
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, since I have been Minister of Health for the new government, I believe I have appeared five times before the Standing Committee on Health. I have no problem sitting down and working with my colleagues.

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