House of Commons Hansard #10 of the 36th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was care.

Topics

Rcmp InvestigationsOral Question Period

11:20 a.m.

Bloc

Stéphane Bergeron Bloc Verchères, QC

Mr. Speaker, we now know that a close collaborator of the Liberal Party of Canada with responsibility for the Mauricie region in the last election may have had access to Department of Human Resources Development funding lists.

In this specific case, what has the government done to ensure that this collaborator will no longer use confidential government information for the purpose of influence peddling?

Rcmp InvestigationsOral Question Period

11:20 a.m.

Windsor West Ontario

Liberal

Herb Gray LiberalDeputy Prime Minister

Mr. Speaker, for the time being, allegations are all we have. No formal complaint has been filed.

At the same time, I am certain that the Minister of Human Resources Development will be reviewing procedures in his department.

Transition Job FundOral Question Period

11:20 a.m.

Bloc

Paul Crête Bloc Kamouraska—Rivière-Du-Loup—Témiscouata—Les Basques, QC

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Human Resources Development.

In his letter of March 5, 1997, the Minister of Human Resources Development informs us that at least six projects were in the analysis phase with a view to ministerial approval under the transition job fund.

Can the minister inform us as to whether these projects have been approved since then?

Transition Job FundOral Question Period

11:25 a.m.

Windsor West Ontario

Liberal

Herb Gray LiberalDeputy Prime Minister

Mr. Speaker, I do not have that information. I will do my best to obtain it for my hon. colleague. For the moment, I can only quote the letter from the minister. He says, in his letter to the RCMP:

“Allegations have come to my attention that at least five different proposers”, et cetera, et cetera.

We must make sure that we refer only to allegations at this time, but the entire situation is under RCMP investigation.

Transition Job FundOral Question Period

11:25 a.m.

Bloc

Paul Crête Bloc Kamouraska—Rivière-Du-Loup—Témiscouata—Les Basques, QC

Mr. Speaker, we are not talking about the current investigation. We just want to find out about the projects.

Can the minister clarify the situation and make things more transparent by tabling a list of these projects?

Transition Job FundOral Question Period

11:25 a.m.

Windsor West Ontario

Liberal

Herb Gray LiberalDeputy Prime Minister

Mr. Speaker, I will be pleased to bring the hon. member's question to the attention of my colleague, the Minister of Human Resources Development.

But I am again asking why the hon. member has not commended the minister for his promptness, integrity and good judgment in immediately bringing these allegations to the attention of the RCMP.

HealthOral Question Period

11:25 a.m.

NDP

Judy Wasylycia-Leis NDP Winnipeg North Centre, MB

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Health.

Four years ago his leader stood in the House and asked the Conservative government why it always sided with the multinationals instead of with the people who need drugs.

In the last election the government promised national pharmacare based on its own forum recommendations for a universal single payer drug plan. This is in question with the government once again cosying up to the big brand name drug companies, and I might add with a little pressure from the Reform Party.

Today I put the same question that his leader asked on April 1, 1993. Will the government commit today to a universal national drug—

HealthOral Question Period

11:25 a.m.

The Speaker

The hon. Minister of Health, if he likes, could answer the preamble.

HealthOral Question Period

11:25 a.m.

Etobicoke Centre Ontario

Liberal

Allan Rock LiberalMinister of Health

Mr. Speaker, the member is profoundly misinformed. We are complying with the commitment we made during the election campaign.

I know the hon. member would want us, before embarking on a national pharmacare program, to look into its design, its funding and its delivery. That is exactly what we are doing.

In the months ahead I will be meeting in a national conference with my provincial counterparts, with interested and knowledgeable people, to talk about how Canadians can be best served by a pharmacare program that will work.

HealthOral Question Period

11:25 a.m.

NDP

Judy Wasylycia-Leis NDP Winnipeg North Centre, MB

Mr. Speaker, that was an awfully vague answer about a specific question. Let me ask about a very specific concern.

We know that lobbyists for the Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association of Canada, which is fighting to scrap a national drug plan, are coming from former employees of the Patented Medicine Prices Review Board.

Given the revolving door between industry and government and real concerns about conflict of interest, we want to know if Canadians can be assured that the federal government and not the brand name industry is setting drug prices.

HealthOral Question Period

11:25 a.m.

Etobicoke Centre Ontario

Liberal

Allan Rock LiberalMinister of Health

Mr. Speaker, the member can be assured that when the government puts together its policy toward the creation of a pharmacare plan we will do what is in the best interests of Canadians.

We will look at ideas that come from all quarters. We will look at models in other countries. We will look at what Canada can afford and what will deliver the services best to Canadians. That is exactly what the government will do.

Rcmp InvestigationsOral Question Period

11:25 a.m.

Progressive Conservative

André Bachand Progressive Conservative Richmond—Arthabaska, QC

Mr. Speaker, I would like to put a question to the government.

Yesterday, we heard that the Minister of Human Resources Development, the President of the Treasury Board, the Minister of Public Works and even the Prime Minister knew on March 6, 1997 that the RCMP was aware of dubious fundraising practices.

Would the government confirm information to the effect that ministers of the Crown, despite the RCMP investigation, continued to accompany the person or persons being investigated, in the course of fundraising activities and visits to businesses in Quebec?

Rcmp InvestigationsOral Question Period

11:25 a.m.

Windsor West Ontario

Liberal

Herb Gray LiberalDeputy Prime Minister

Mr. Speaker, I can neither confirm nor deny the allegations in the hon. member's question.

For the time being, we are talking about an investigation, not about charges made before the courts. If an investigation is underway, which was confirmed yesterday by the RCMP, we must do everything we can to avoid obstructing the investigation in any way.

I hope that was the purpose of the hon. member's questions.

Rcmp InvestigationsOral Question Period

11:30 a.m.

Progressive Conservative

André Bachand Progressive Conservative Richmond—Arthabaska, QC

Mr. Speaker, I can assure the Deputy Prime Minister that the role of the Conservative opposition members is to help provide Canadians with good government.

I am pleased to hear from the Deputy Prime Minister that the Minister of Human Resources Development has changed the procedures in his department with respect to documents.

That being said, I would like to ask the government how it intends to give Canadian businesses the assurance that their requests for assistance from the government will nevertheless be confidential, considering what we heard this week.

Rcmp InvestigationsOral Question Period

11:30 a.m.

Windsor West Ontario

Liberal

Herb Gray LiberalDeputy Prime Minister

Mr. Speaker, as the hon. Minister for International Cooperation said, the government's bidding is an open bidding system. There are public tenders. The results are published. I think this is in part an answer to my hon. friend's question. In any event I am sure the hon. Minister for Human Resources Development would want to review the procedures in his department and take any necessary action.

I might add, if the Speaker says I have a couple of seconds, that in the last sentence—

Rcmp InvestigationsOral Question Period

11:30 a.m.

The Speaker

The hon. member for West Vancouver—Sunshine Coast.

ImmigrationOral Question Period

11:30 a.m.

Reform

John Reynolds Reform West Vancouver—Sunshine Coast, BC

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration.

Three hundred modern-day war criminals are reported to have gained entry and are living in Canada. The government has already proven that we cannot get rid of Nazi war criminals in this country.

How will the minister rid Canada of the 300 modern-day war criminals and the 38,000 illegal refugees harboured in this country?

ImmigrationOral Question Period

11:30 a.m.

Westmount—Ville-Marie Québec

Liberal

Lucienne Robillard LiberalMinister of Citizenship and Immigration

Mr. Speaker, first I would like to correct the facts and figures provided by the opposition critic. First, when we are talking about 38,000 individuals, these are not illegal immigrants but people who are seeking refugee status.

Second, the 300 people who are suspected of committing war crimes or crimes against humanity are only suspects; they have not been convicted by the system.

When reports are made by my department, this proves there is a strong interest in these questions and that in the department—

ImmigrationOral Question Period

11:30 a.m.

The Speaker

I am sorry to interrupt the minister, but the hon. member for West Vancouver—Sunshine Coast has the floor.

ImmigrationOral Question Period

11:30 a.m.

The Speaker

The hon. member for West Vancouver—Sunshine Coast.

ImmigrationOral Question Period

11:30 a.m.

Reform

John Reynolds Reform West Vancouver—Sunshine Coast, BC

Mr. Speaker, in 1994 there were 50 to 100 war criminals in Canada and 17,000 illegal refugees. Now there are 300 war criminals in this country and 38,000 refugees who came to our borders and entered this country illegally. In the government's own report it has predicted it is going to double very shortly.

Can the minister advise the House what the government is going to do to stop this flow into Canada and to protect Canadians?

ImmigrationOral Question Period

11:30 a.m.

Westmount—Ville-Marie Québec

Liberal

Lucienne Robillard LiberalMinister of Citizenship and Immigration

Mr. Speaker, the Reform Party critic should not perpetuate myths in this country. We are not talking about illegal immigrants, but about refugee claimants.

That being said, we take very seriously all cases of persons suspected of contemporary war crimes who try to enter this country. I can say that Canada is one of the leaders on the international scene for its success in preventing these people from getting access to the system that confers refugee status, and in deporting them.

When we compare our system with those in the United States, France or Great Britain—

ImmigrationOral Question Period

11:30 a.m.

The Speaker

I am sorry but the hon. member for Charlesbourg has the floor.

Rcmp InvestigationsOral Question Period

October 3rd, 1997 / 11:30 a.m.

Bloc

Richard Marceau Bloc Charlesbourg, QC

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Deputy Prime Minister.

Still on the subject of influence peddling, we have the impression that all the federal Liberal ministers from Quebec were aware of what was happening. The Prime Minister knew, the Minister of Public Works knew, the Minister of Human Resources Development knew and the President of the Treasury Board knew.

Which other ministers of this government were aware of the events?

Rcmp InvestigationsOral Question Period

11:30 a.m.

Windsor West Ontario

Liberal

Herb Gray LiberalDeputy Prime Minister

Mr. Speaker, I have no information to indicate that other ministers were informed, not of the investigation, but of the very general allegations.

If I do receive other information, I will advise my hon. colleague as soon as possible.