Debates of Oct. 16th, 2006

The Speaker Peter Milliken

Order, please. I am sure the hon. member appreciates all the encouragement, but we have to be able to hear the question. It is question period, not shouting time. The hon. member for Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Lachine.

Marlene Jennings Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Lachine, QC

Mr. Speaker, the government says that it is not planning any privatization of the CMHC. That is great.

The Speaker Peter Milliken

Let us not waste time. The hon. member for Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Lachine.

Marlene Jennings Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Lachine, QC

Is the government totally prepared to make sure that all profits generated by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation continue to be earmarked for affordable housing for Canadians?

Stephen Harper Prime Minister

Mr. Speaker, I guess all I can say is that if after a week of scouring the country listening to Canadians the best those members can come up with are four questions on a rumour that is utterly false, this government must be doing a pretty good job.

Rick Dykstra St. Catharines, ON

Mr. Speaker, continuing on the theme of good government, our government understands the important role that health research has within the medical community and the benefits that it provides to all Canadians.

Could the Minister of Health please inform the House on what Canada's new government is doing to support health research throughout our country?

Tony Clement Minister of Health and Minister for the Federal Economic Development Initiative for Northern Ontario

Mr. Speaker, I would be pleased to answer that question. Indeed, last week I announced $348 million extra in funding for health research projects, including in the area of wait times, pandemics and cardiac health. In the 2006 budget we increased the budgets for the Canadian Institutes of Health Research by $17 million, an initial $21.5 million over five years for pandemic preparedness.

The government is acting for health research, better health outcomes for Canadians. After 13 years of inaction, this government is acting.

The Speaker Peter Milliken

The hon. Minister of Human Resources and Social Development.

Diane Finley Minister of Human Resources and Social Development

Mr. Speaker, it is rather difficult to stop something that was never started or even contemplated. We will not have any plans to privatize CMHC. Any reports to the contrary are unfounded, baseless, without any reason and without any factual background whatsoever.

Irene Mathyssen London—Fanshawe, ON

I am sorry, Mr. Speaker. I heard the same words from the minister when she talked about supporting SCPI. In my riding six out of ten projects have been cut, six out of ten projects for the most vulnerable people in our country.

I want to hear once again that the government is prepared to bring forward a national housing program to make sure that people in our country are properly housed and to tell me, absolutely, that there will be no privatization.

Diane Finley Minister of Human Resources and Social Development

Mr. Speaker, we recognize how important it is to take care of those less fortunate in our society. That is why we are spending over $2 billion a year, through CMHC, on affordable housing. That will help over 630,000 families across the country.

That is why we also renewed all of the programming for SCPI and for homelessness. In fact, we confirmed that $37 million for that program, which went unspent by the previous government, was available this year.