House of Commons Hansard #35 of the 37th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was fee.

Topics

TerrorismOral Question Period

11:30 a.m.

Waterloo—Wellington Ontario

Liberal

Lynn Myers LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Solicitor General of Canada

Mr. Speaker, first of all let me thank the B'nai Brith for the very good work it does not only in Canada but throughout the world.

I want to point out that the government of course does not respond to opposition allegations or newspaper reports, or groups for that matter. Rather, we work diligently to ensure the safety and security of all Canadians.

The Solicitor General this past week announced the listing of six additional groups and of course that is an important step. It is a work in progress in all cases. The listing of entities is a work that is done with great deliberate and thorough care.

TaxationOral Question Period

11:30 a.m.

Canadian Alliance

Brian Fitzpatrick Canadian Alliance Prince Albert, SK

Mr. Speaker, federal tax collectors continue to squeeze the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League for every dime, but these are non-profit teams. They do not pay salaries and they operate in the red.

Last week the minister said she had the responsibility to review this situation.

Why is the revenue minister bodychecking these teams into bankruptcy?

TaxationOral Question Period

11:30 a.m.

Thornhill Ontario

Liberal

Elinor Caplan LiberalMinister of National Revenue

Mr. Speaker, of course that is inaccurate. We have a responsibility at CCRA to help to determine the employee and employer status relationship. We often look at the results of court decisions in order to determine that. I have to tell the member opposite that while I cannot speak to individual cases, we do review not only court decisions but requests from all members of the House to ensure that what we are doing is fair and reasonable.

We recognize the importance of hockey and sports for our young people. We also recognize the need to support young people.

HealthOral Question Period

11:30 a.m.

Bloc

Monique Guay Bloc Laurentides, QC

Mr. Speaker, for years health care stakeholders have denounced the system's chronic underfunding. According to Andrée Gendron, director of the Association des CLSC, targeted funds will set off more discussions, which will delay the money. She says they cannot wait any longer.

Does the minister realize that any conditions linked to transfers will cause unacceptable delays and that this demonstrates that the political aspect is more important to her than the interests of patients?

HealthOral Question Period

11:30 a.m.

Edmonton West Alberta

Liberal

Anne McLellan LiberalMinister of Health

Mr. Speaker, in fact we have put considerable new dollars into the health care system on the basis of the September 2000 accord. As it relates to the province of Quebec specifically, that accord has provided an additional $5 billion in CHST transfers over five years, $239.3 million for medical equipment and $133 million for primary health care reform.

If the hon. member is suggesting that the system will require more new money, yes, the member will find no disagreement from our side and we will be there to do our part.

HealthOral Question Period

11:35 a.m.

Bloc

Monique Guay Bloc Laurentides, QC

Mr. Speaker, it would be interesting to hear from people involved in direct patient care.

What the Romanow report is promoting is a wall to wall system, managed by bureaucrats in Ottawa. The spokesperson for the Québec Federation of General Practitioners is asking whether or not putting a Canadian slant on everything is a wise idea.

Could the minister tell us how ignoring the specific needs of each province is going to serve the best interests of patients?

HealthOral Question Period

11:35 a.m.

Edmonton West Alberta

Liberal

Anne McLellan LiberalMinister of Health

Mr. Speaker, far from overlooking the individual needs of provinces, we draw strength from the flexibility that we see province by province, territory by territory.

The provinces are responsible for delivery of health care. The provinces are innovating. The provinces are meeting their local circumstances. Of course our health care system must have flexibility. Nothing else would make any sense.

Softwood LumberOral Question Period

November 29th, 2002 / 11:35 a.m.

Canadian Alliance

Val Meredith Canadian Alliance South Surrey—White Rock—Langley, BC

Mr. Speaker, for almost two years the government has been telling Canadians that it has the softwood lumber file under control.

Clearly it does not and because of the lack of leadership on this issue, the united Canadian front is starting to crumble. The only initiative the government has come up with recently has been to insult the President of the United States.

Why is the government insulting the United States rather than saving Christmas for thousands of Canadian softwood families?

Softwood LumberOral Question Period

11:35 a.m.

Papineau—Saint-Denis Québec

Liberal

Pierre Pettigrew LiberalMinister for International Trade

Mr. Speaker, I will not go into everything the member said because she is just trying to pour oil on the fire and is really trying to make a picture that we do not get along well with the United States. That is absolutely wrong.

We work very well with the United States. We have 85% of our international trade with the United States, almost $2 billion of trade every day with the United States. This is an extraordinarily successful relationship. I appreciate the collaboration I get from Don Evans, the secretary of commerce and Bob Zoellick, the United States trade representative.

Softwood LumberOral Question Period

11:35 a.m.

Canadian Alliance

Jay Hill Canadian Alliance Prince George—Peace River, BC

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Natural Resources has turned his back on the softwood lumber workers and their families.

With Christmas fast approaching and negotiations at a standstill, laid-off softwood lumber employees need to know how they will pay for the Christmas turkey.

The Canadian Alliance has a plan to help these workers. Rather than talking about doing more, why does the minister of natural disasters not just get his SUV in gear and actually do more?

Softwood LumberOral Question Period

11:35 a.m.

Prince Edward—Hastings Ontario

Liberal

Lyle Vanclief LiberalMinister of Agriculture and Agri-Food

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member should know that the government has already come forward to assist the softwood lumber industry, the families, the plants and the workers to the tune of $340 million.

As the Minister of Natural Resources has said, if more needs to be done, the government will look at doing more.

HealthOral Question Period

11:35 a.m.

Bloc

Yvan Loubier Bloc Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot, QC

Mr. Speaker, the government must realize that there will be no positive outcome whatsoever in Quebec for patients who have been waiting years for funding to be restored, if it decides to set conditions. As Jennie Skeene of the Fédération des infirmières et infirmiers du Québec pointed out “—one of the problems we foresee involves the targeted funds, which are liable to cause petty squabbles and delay payment”.

If the minister has the patient's best interests at heart, as she claims, why does she not try to convince the Prime Minister to set aside the conditions on the transfer payments and pay the money directly to the provinces?

HealthOral Question Period

11:35 a.m.

Edmonton West Alberta

Liberal

Anne McLellan LiberalMinister of Health

Mr. Speaker, I think the Prime Minister has been clear and others have been clear. We do not anticipate any delay in implementing this report.

Health ministers will be meeting next week. Finance ministers are meeting in the middle of December. A first ministers meeting will be held toward the end of January. We are going to be working very quickly and one hopes in effective partnership with the provinces. I see no delay necessary in this area.

HealthOral Question Period

11:35 a.m.

Bloc

Yvan Loubier Bloc Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot, QC

Mr. Speaker, all observers question the government's true intentions and fear potential squabbles. The minister knows this, because she also stirred things up over the young offender issue. This is the concern of Louise Chabot of the Central des syndicats du Québec. She asks “Why stir up squabbles by dictating to the provinces the priorities and conditions tied to federal funding?”

Could the minister tell us just how the patient's best interests can be served if there is one squabble after another between the provinces and the federal government, when it would be so much simpler to hand the money over to the provinces, period?

Does she have a fondness for squabbles?

HealthOral Question Period

11:40 a.m.

Edmonton West Alberta

Liberal

Anne McLellan LiberalMinister of Health

Mr. Speaker, if there is one thing Canadians regardless of where they live have made absolutely plain, it is that they want the bickering between federal, provincial and territorial governments to stop. They want us to work together to ensure that they have accessible, timely, high quality health care within the framework of a publicly financed system.

I have every reason to believe that my counterpart from the province of Quebec will be at the table next week when federal, provincial and territorial ministers sit down to begin discussions around a plan for the renewal of our health care system. I see no reason for delay. I think those discussions should go very well.

Age of ConsentOral Question Period

11:40 a.m.

Canadian Alliance

Vic Toews Canadian Alliance Provencher, MB

Mr. Speaker, children must be protected from sexual abuse by adults, regardless of the relationship between them. Now the justice minister says that protection is only needed for so-called trust relationships.

Selective protection is not good enough for Canadian children. When will the minister commit to protect all of our children by raising the age of sexual consent for all adult sexual relationships to at least age 16?

Age of ConsentOral Question Period

11:40 a.m.

Northumberland Ontario

Liberal

Paul MacKlin LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada

Mr. Speaker, we are very interested in looking at the entire area of sexual exploitation of children and vulnerable people. We are not simply going to zero in on that particular aspect. We are going to look at the broader aspect. We do have some ideas and we do have some legislation. We are going to bring those forward to the House. We are going to solve that problem.

Young OffendersOral Question Period

11:40 a.m.

Canadian Alliance

Grant McNally Canadian Alliance Dewdney—Alouette, BC

Mr. Speaker, two weeks ago in my riding, Colleen Findlay, a 39 year old mother of three, was tragically murdered in her home. Her car was stolen and her house was set on fire. A 15 year old has been charged with first degree murder. Crown prosecutors and community members are calling for him to be raised to adult court.

Will the justice minister change the law to ensure that all 15 year olds charged with murder are tried in adult court?

Young OffendersOral Question Period

11:40 a.m.

Northumberland Ontario

Liberal

Paul MacKlin LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada

Mr. Speaker, this matter has been reviewed in the House at length in looking at the youth justice act. The fact is that although there are examples of this nature, we do leave them to the courts to make that decision. The court is the appropriate place for the decision to be made as to whether they should be raised to adult court.

AgricultureOral Question Period

11:40 a.m.

Liberal

Mac Harb Liberal Ottawa Centre, ON

Mr. Speaker, Canadian producers are currently receiving only 70% of their share of the federal program for income that helps Canadian farmers. Could the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food tell the House when those farmers could expect the balance of the funds to come to them so they can feed their families turkeys like my other colleagues were asking?

AgricultureOral Question Period

11:40 a.m.

Prince Edward—Hastings Ontario

Liberal

Lyle Vanclief LiberalMinister of Agriculture and Agri-Food

Mr. Speaker, as the House knows, the Canadian farm income program is an ad hoc program that continues to be in place to assist farmers when their incomes drop precipitously. Each year we start out so that we can ensure that all farmers receive equal percentages of it.

We started out this year at 70% and I am pleased to announce that we are raising that as of today to 100%. Those who have received cheques will get the top-up. Those payments from here on out will receive firsthand 100% of the federal share.

HealthOral Question Period

11:40 a.m.

NDP

Bev Desjarlais NDP Churchill, MB

Mr. Speaker, yesterday and today the health minister refused to give a clear response to how health services should be delivered in Canada. Romanow was clear. A publicly funded, publicly delivered health system is the way to protect medicare.

The minister did acknowledge that public financing is essential, but why would she not clearly state as Romanow has that private, for profit delivery must be rejected? What will it be, public delivery or private, for profit delivery?

HealthOral Question Period

11:40 a.m.

Edmonton West Alberta

Liberal

Anne McLellan LiberalMinister of Health

Mr. Speaker, I do not believe that Commissioner Romanow has called for the outlawing of private, for profit delivery in this country. He obviously expressed some concerns about that, as have I, in calling for evidence based decision making in relation to that which works best for Canadians around the delivery of health care.

I have made it absolutely plain in the past that there is a mix of delivery modes in this country today. I presume that will continue. My obligation is to ensure that the five principles of the Canada Health Act are respected.

Canada Customs and Revenue AgencyOral Question Period

11:40 a.m.

NDP

Libby Davies NDP Vancouver East, BC

Mr. Speaker, the CCRA is at it again. First it was going after people with disabilities and now it is targeting low income parents who get the child tax benefit.

The questionnaire sent out to thousands of parents is an invasion of privacy and is insulting. The CCRA has no right to ask how a parent has “provided guidance and companionship” or “have you regularly encouraged good health habits with your child”. This is a tax agency for God's sake.

Will the minister rescind this offensive questionnaire and tell the CCRA to butt out of parenting? It is no good at it.

Canada Customs and Revenue AgencyOral Question Period

11:45 a.m.

Thornhill Ontario

Liberal

Elinor Caplan LiberalMinister of National Revenue

Mr. Speaker, CCRA has a responsibility to determine who is the primary caregiver of a child because the goal of the child tax benefit is to see that it actually goes to the child for the care of that child.

We continually review the questionnaires we send out. I have asked my officials to review this particular questionnaire. I want to ensure that while we live up to our responsibility of ensuring that the dollars go to the child for the benefit of that child, we want to do so in a way which is compassionate and appropriate.