Debates of Nov. 18th, 2002
House of Commons Hansard #26 of the 37th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was security.
Topics
- Solicitation Laws
- Public Safety Act, 2002
- The Environment
- Employment Insurance
- Religious Organizations
- The Environment
- Ken Marland
- Government Financial Management
- Sports
- Jocelyne Gervais
- Job Creation
- Agriculture
- Abba Eban
- Émile Ollivier
- Poverty
- Justice
- St. Francis Xavier University
- Osteoporosis
- Coast Guard
- Terrorism
- Kyoto Protocol
- Border Security
- National Defence
- Terrorism
- Health
- Kyoto Protocol
- Health
- Kyoto Protocol
- Justice
- Health
- Foreign Aid
- Terrorism
- Veterans Affairs
- Foreign Affairs
- Correctional Service Canada
- Employment Insurance
- Agriculture
- Lumber
- Employment Insurance
- Highway Program
- Agriculture
- Wind Energy
- Government of Canada
- Presence in Gallery
- Order in Council Appointments
- Government Response to Petitions
- Access to Information Act
- Income Tax Act
- Ukrainian Canadian Restitution Act
- National Agriculture Industry Relief Coordination Act
- Income Tax Act
- Petitions
- Questions on the Order Paper
- Question No. 4
- Question No. 7
- Question No. 10
- Question No. 12
- Question No. 13
- Question No. 16
- Question No. 22
- Question No. 23
- Questions Passed as Orders for Returns
- Question No. 6
- Question No. 8
- Question No. 11
- Question No. 14
- Question No. 15
- Question No. 21
Health
Oral Question Period
2:30 p.m.
Bloc
Richard Marceau Charlesbourg—Jacques-Cartier, QC
Mr. Speaker, the hon. minister claims that she does not understand the premise of my question, which is the following.
In the Queen's University report, Mr. Lazar noted that the federal government was not equipped to get directly involved in health care, saying:
It does not have the administrative or bureaucratic capacity to organize the system as well as the provinces, whose jurisdiction it is.
Following this strong endorsement of what the Bloc Quebecois has been saying, should the signal not be given right away that the federal government got the message and will honour its traditional responsibility of properly financing the health care system, period?
Health
Oral Question Period
2:35 p.m.
Edmonton West
Alberta
Liberal
Anne McLellan Minister of Health
Mr. Speaker, the hon. member fundamentally misunderstands the role of the Government of Canada if he thinks that it is only to provide funding. It is our responsibility to provide leadership in a number of roles, including the enforcement of the five principles of the Canada Health Act.
However, if the hon. member is suggesting that the provinces are the primary deliverers of health care and deal and struggle with the challenges of delivery on a day to day basis, they do and we are very respectful of that.
Kyoto Protocol
Oral Question Period
2:35 p.m.
Canadian Alliance
James Rajotte Edmonton Southwest, AB
Mr. Speaker, the Vienna convention and the standard practice of past Canadian governments requires that the government introduce and pass all implementation legislation before moving to formal ratification of an international treaty.
Will the government follow customary procedure and not ratify the Kyoto accord until all federal and provincial implementation legislation is passed?
Kyoto Protocol
Oral Question Period
2:35 p.m.
Victoria
B.C.
Liberal
David Anderson Minister of the Environment
Mr. Speaker, I think the hon. member's inexperience perhaps has led him to not understand exactly what takes place in the case ratification. He has wildly exaggerated the work that is done prior to ratification.
I can assure him that we fully intend to have details and give a very good picture of what the costs will be and what the impact will be for every sector of the economy and for every part of the country before ratification takes place.
Kyoto Protocol
Oral Question Period
2:35 p.m.
Canadian Alliance
James Rajotte Edmonton Southwest, AB
We would like to see that tabled, Mr. Speaker. Convention, from past Canadian governments and from the Vienna convention, is that ratification requires all implementation to be passed beforehand.
The government House leader confirmed last week the legislation to implement the Kyoto accord would not be tabled until next year.
Why is the government not following the standard practice of treaty ratification with respect to the Kyoto accord?
Kyoto Protocol
Oral Question Period
2:35 p.m.
Victoria
B.C.
Liberal
David Anderson Minister of the Environment
Once again, Mr. Speaker, the hon. member has mischaracterized the standard practice for treaty ratification.
I can assure him that we will follow the standard practice for treaty ratification. I can assure him also that I know of no country on earth which has done more to try to anticipate the cost to the economy, the cost to any sector of the economy and the cost to any region of the country of ratification of Kyoto than Canada.
Justice
Oral Question Period
2:35 p.m.
Liberal
Sarkis Assadourian Brampton Centre, ON
Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Solicitor General. Following the recent meeting of federal and provincial justice ministers, could the minister tell the House what the proposals for a national sex offender registry will do in terms of increasing public safety in Canada?
Justice
Oral Question Period
2:35 p.m.
Malpeque
P.E.I.
Liberal
Wayne Easter Solicitor General of Canada
Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for Brampton Centre for his question and his concern about public safety.
We got good representation from the ministers at the meeting we held with federal-provincial-territorial ministers in Calgary. We presented to them our proposals for sexual offender registration. I am pleased to report that we had a very good consensus from the ministers. We look forward in the coming weeks to bringing the legislation forward to the House.
Health
Oral Question Period
November 18th, 2002 / 2:35 p.m.
NDP
Libby Davies Vancouver East, BC
Mr. Speaker, in the resounding municipal election result in Vancouver on Saturday the voters made it crystal clear that they support Larry Campbell's straightforward and compassionate approach to saving lives and dealing with the drug crisis.
If the Minister of Health needed any more evidence that the public is solidly behind safe injection sites, she only has to look at the landslide victory COPE candidates.
Will the Minister of Health act now to be part of the solution, to ensure that safe injection sites are set up in the new year? Treatment does not begin with dead bodies.
Health
Oral Question Period
2:35 p.m.
Edmonton West
Alberta
Liberal
Anne McLellan Minister of Health
Mr. Speaker, as the hon. member is probably aware, the federal government has been working with provincial and territorial colleagues for some time in relation to the possible development of safe injection sites. My department is in the process of finalizing draft guidelines which will be discussed by stakeholders in the coming were weeks. These guidelines will form the basis for a local community if it so chooses to make an application for a safe injection site.
It is not for me to presume, but in light of the election results in Vancouver I take it that the new mayor and his council might be interested in pursuing it.
Foreign Aid
Oral Question Period
2:35 p.m.
NDP
Svend Robinson Burnaby—Douglas, BC
Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Secretary of State for Latin America and Africa. When the Prime Minister announced a special $500 million fund for Africa at the G-8, he told Canadians it would lift Africa out of poverty. He did not say the money would line the pockets of Canadian businesses.
Earlier this month though the Treasury Board approved the PM's plan to allocate 20% of the fund to support Canadian businesses instead of Africans.
Given the performance of some Canadian businesses in Africa, including Talisman Energy, Acres International and the five mining companies in Congo recently found in violation of international UN regulations, will the minister agree to independent monitoring of their performance and an assessment of the development impact of this money?
Foreign Aid
Oral Question Period
2:40 p.m.
Brome—Missisquoi
Québec
Liberal
Denis Paradis Secretary of State (Latin America and Africa) (Francophonie)
Mr. Speaker, the plan for NEPAD, the new partnership for the development of Africa that is being proposed by Africans for Africa, provides first of all that, to get investments in Africa—and this is the only way out for Africans, they say—there has to be progress in democracy, human rights and good governance.
This is the blueprint for Africa. For this purpose, last year, in Canada, as the hon. member indicated, we in this House voted $500 million in special funding to help Africa.
Terrorism
Oral Question Period
2:40 p.m.
Progressive Conservative
Greg Thompson New Brunswick Southwest, NB
Mr. Speaker, to protect itself from a possible bioterrorist attack, the United Kingdom has already vaccinated health care workers against smallpox. In an emergency, the United States is prepared to vaccinate 280 million people within a week. It has also secured 100,000 doses of the vaccine antidote DIG produced by a Canadian company.
Can the Deputy Prime Minister tell us why Canada has not yet secured access to a single dose of this antidote? What is the plan to protect Canadians against smallpox?
Terrorism
Oral Question Period
2:40 p.m.
Edmonton West
Alberta
Liberal
Anne McLellan Minister of Health
Mr. Speaker, as the hon. member may be aware, we are working with the provinces and territories on the updating of our national smallpox strategy.
I can reassure the hon. member and all members of the House that the Government of Canada has approved the purchase of additional vaccine as well as antidote. We are moving forward with that procurement strategy right now.
Terrorism
Oral Question Period
2:40 p.m.
Progressive Conservative
Greg Thompson New Brunswick Southwest, NB
Mr. Speaker, the minister is rambling simply because the government does not have a plan.
As a reminder, following September 11 the government announced the creation of a committee of experts to deal with bioterrorism. However that committee has not yet met.
Can the Deputy Prime Minister explain why the committee of experts to deal with bioterrorism has not met?