House of Commons Hansard #88 of the 39th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was asbestos.

Topics

Transfer PaymentsOral Questions

2:55 p.m.

Bloc

Pierre Paquette Bloc Joliette, QC

Mr. Speaker, in their analysis of the economic statement, economists with the Desjardins Group wrote that as long as the fiscal imbalance issue remains unresolved, it will always be easier for the federal government to pay down its debt, using its larger tax room.

Is the Minister of Finance aware that, by refusing to make use of that tax room to correct the fiscal imbalance, he is forcing Quebec and most of the provinces, just as the Conference Board predicted, to go further into debt in order to fulfill their responsibilities, particularly in health care and education?

Transfer PaymentsOral Questions

2:55 p.m.

Whitby—Oshawa Ontario

Conservative

Jim Flaherty ConservativeMinister of Finance

Mr. Speaker, in fact, 8 out of 10 provinces are in surplus. The total surplus of the provinces in the past year is larger than the surplus was for the Government of Canada at $13.2 billion. That is a surplus that we used to pay down the public debt.

Having said that, we know that we are on track with respect to the issues of equalization and fiscal balance. We are on track to address them in the coming year in budget 2007. It was an important part of the plan that we set forth in budget 2006.

Transfer PaymentsOral Questions

3 p.m.

Bloc

Pierre Paquette Bloc Joliette, QC

Mr. Speaker, the minister knows very well that if we take Alberta out of the equation, we are left with a completely different view of the provinces.

Is the Minister of Finance aware that, if he wants to eliminate the net debt of all public administrations, as he indicated in his economic update, the first thing he should do is correct the fiscal imbalance, to allow Quebec and the provinces to fulfill all their responsibilities without going further into debt?

Transfer PaymentsOral Questions

3 p.m.

Whitby—Oshawa Ontario

Conservative

Jim Flaherty ConservativeMinister of Finance

Mr. Speaker, the member is quite right that it is important that the fiscal balance be addressed. Part of the way to do that is to make sure, as we set out in “Advantage Canada”, that we address the issues of stable long term funding, predictable funding for post-secondary education, and stable long term funding for infrastructure, which is vitally important. Nancy Hughes Anthony of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce said that the “Advantage Canada” plan is a great road map. It has all the elements of the things we need to do and we intend to do them.

Canadian HeritageOral Questions

3 p.m.

Liberal

Lloyd St. Amand Liberal Brant, ON

Mr. Speaker, the daily newspaper in my riding, The Expositor, commented on the funding cuts to Canada's museums and said that if MPs did not give a hoot for our history, how could they appreciate who we are? The government seems to care only about the price of programs with no regard for their value. Canada's rich history is displayed in museums from coast to coast and the recently announced 50% funding cuts will sever this generation's link to our past.

Does the Minister of Canadian Heritage not understand the value of these museums and if she does, will she then immediately restore full funding to them?

Canadian HeritageOral Questions

3 p.m.

Durham Ontario

Conservative

Bev Oda ConservativeMinister of Canadian Heritage and Status of Women

Mr. Speaker, we support and value museums. In fact, I had the pleasure of celebrating the 45th anniversary of the Clarington Museum just this past weekend. I know that museums depend on the support of the community and its volunteers. We have committed to look at our support. We have committed to review the museums policy and we will do so.

Aboriginal AffairsOral Questions

3 p.m.

Conservative

Gerald Keddy Conservative South Shore—St. Margaret's, NS

Mr. Speaker, I have the pleasure of sharing with the House today that on November 24 in Halifax a Nova Scotia partnership employment agreement was signed. Once again, Canada's new government is moving forward and getting things done quickly and efficiently to improve the lives of aboriginals in Atlantic Canada.

Could the Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development give us more information on the impact of this agreement?

Aboriginal AffairsOral Questions

3 p.m.

Calgary Centre-North Alberta

Conservative

Jim Prentice ConservativeMinister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development and Federal Interlocutor for Métis and Non-Status Indians

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the hon. member for his hard work on this file and other files that relate to Nova Scotia. The government is proud to announce that an agreement has been reached. An aboriginal workforce participation agreement was signed while I was in Halifax last week. It was with the Nova Scotia Nurses' Union and with the Nova Scotia Trucking Human Resource Sector Council.

Agreements of this type will allow young aboriginal people to have meaningful employment in the workplace. It will allow the development of training plans, promote current and future aboriginal employment. We are proud that this new government is getting things done for aboriginal Canadians.

Foreign AffairsOral Questions

3 p.m.

NDP

Wayne Marston NDP Hamilton East—Stoney Creek, ON

Mr. Speaker, Huseyincan Celil is a Canadian. The Chinese government is holding him against our country's will and it has violated international law. It does not get more serious than this. The Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister has suggested a high level diplomatic delegation be sent to China to secure his release. The Celil family has requested one.

When will the government send a diplomatic mission to China to ensure consular access and when will the Prime Minister appoint a special envoy to stand up for this Canadian?

Foreign AffairsOral Questions

3 p.m.

Calgary East Alberta

Conservative

Deepak Obhrai ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs

Mr. Speaker, we are highly concerned with this case. The Prime Minister, when he was at the ASEAN meeting in Vietnam, met with the president of China and expressed his concern.

We have been expressing all these concerns at all of our meetings with the Chinese including our foreign affairs minister when he talked to the minister of foreign affairs for China. We are keeping a watch and we are talking constantly to ensure that this Canadian citizen's rights are maintained.

Foreign AffairsOral Questions

3 p.m.

NDP

Wayne Marston NDP Hamilton East—Stoney Creek, ON

Mr. Speaker, that is not good enough. The efforts of the Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister on human rights in China will be for nothing if this Canadian is murdered in China. Huseyincan Celil will never come home to his wife and children if the government does not do more than talk about human rights when it is politically expedient.

When will the Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister talk to the Prime Minister about Mr. Celil? Will he commit to making this a personal fight for him? Will he stand with me and the NDP, and fight for his release and return to Canada?

Foreign AffairsOral Questions

3:05 p.m.

Calgary East Alberta

Conservative

Deepak Obhrai ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs

Mr. Speaker, as I said, the Prime Minister has taken this issue very seriously and he has talked to the president of China. He continues to do that. We continue to do that wherever we meet, including the foreign affairs minister. We are highly concerned. We have received assurances that this will not happen and that Mr. Celil's human rights are being looked after. We will continue giving attention to this file.

Airport SecurityOral Questions

November 28th, 2006 / 3:05 p.m.

Liberal

Ken Boshcoff Liberal Thunder Bay—Rainy River, ON

Mr. Speaker, the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority has informed the Thunder Bay airport that it will not be paying the full costs of its screening system. CATSA will only pay $70,000 of the required $250,000 because it does not have enough funding from the government to pay its own expenses. This requires the airport to increase fees by 24%. The minister currently has $375 million in a fund for air security.

When will the Minister of Finance provide CATSA with the money needed to pay for air security at Canada's airports?

Airport SecurityOral Questions

3:05 p.m.

Pontiac Québec

Conservative

Lawrence Cannon ConservativeMinister of Transport

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased that the hon. member raised this issue. It enables us to once again indicate how we have invested following budget 2006 and how we have invested in air security. We have given CATSA the tools required to move forward and ensure that the passengers who embark on our Canadian air carriers and the others, of course, do it in a safe and secure manner. However, I will look into the specifics of what the hon. member is talking about in his home riding.

HealthOral Questions

3:05 p.m.

Conservative

Ron Cannan Conservative Kelowna—Lake Country, BC

Mr. Speaker, more than two million Canadians have diabetes and specifically aboriginal people have a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Today the Minister of Health took action on this issue and announced that Canada's new government is establishing a wait times guarantee for diabetes care for first nations on reserves.

Could the minister please share with the House some of the details of this initiative?

HealthOral Questions

3:05 p.m.

Parry Sound—Muskoka Ontario

Conservative

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

Mr. Speaker, I was pleased to announce earlier today yet another initiative to establish a patient wait times guarantee for first nations on reserves with regard to diabetes.

Over the next two years, as a pilot project, adults who test positive for diabetes will have an appointment within two months for an assessment and diabetes education with a primary health care provider. If they test positive for early diabetes, they will get prevention education support programs within three months. People who test negative will be retested within a year.

Once again we are acting when it comes to the patient wait times guarantee in an area of federal jurisdiction. We are leading the way for Canada.

Income TrustsOral Questions

3:05 p.m.

Conservative

Garth Turner Conservative Halton, ON

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Finance has made it clear he will not be budging on income trusts. However, I also know he is a man who values fairness and he is a man who is aware of the money that investors have lost.

Would the minister agree to allow income trust investors a one time writeoff on their 2006 taxes of capital losses as a result of his decision?

Income TrustsOral Questions

3:05 p.m.

Whitby—Oshawa Ontario

Conservative

Jim Flaherty ConservativeMinister of Finance

Mr. Speaker, I am having, and have had, a series of meetings, last night, this morning and later this afternoon, with representatives of income trust groups to discuss their concerns.

The suggestion by the member of a one time writeoff is not going to happen. I appreciate the suggestion. We are having discussions with respect to implementation issues which are important to achieve the goal of fairness in taxation. Whether one has a corporate entity or a trust entity, they would be treated the same for tax purposes.

Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-FoodPrivilegeOral Questions

3:05 p.m.

Liberal

Wayne Easter Liberal Malpeque, PE

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food and Minister for the Canadian Wheat Board refused to guarantee freedom of Canadian Wheat Board witnesses to testify before a committee.

Intimidating witnesses, who are to appear before a parliamentary committee, is a very serious matter, especially when it is from the minister who is responsible for the act they operate under. Such intimidation prevents the committee itself from fulfilling its mandate. We want witnesses to be honest and forthright and to tell us all the information.

The minister's answer could be seen to be a clear contempt of the House, committed openly on the floor of the House of Commons within hearing of all members.

I hope the minister would clarify the matter and guarantee Canadian Wheat Board witnesses that they are free to express themselves in an open and non-intimidating fashion against any fear of prosecution.

If you find a prima facie breach of privilege, Mr. Speaker, I am prepared to make the appropriate motion.

Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-FoodPrivilegeOral Questions

3:10 p.m.

Chilliwack—Fraser Canyon B.C.

Conservative

Chuck Strahl ConservativeMinister of Agriculture and Agri-Food and Minister for the Canadian Wheat Board

Mr. Speaker, the member for Malpeque is making it up as he goes along.

Clearly, in response to a question during question period, I was asked whether directors at the Canadian Wheat Board were allowed to speak their mind. I said, and I will repeat it again, of course they were. Whether they are in committee, or talking to the folks back home or at a town hall meeting, they can do as they please. Every Canadian has the right to do that. I have said that all along.

What I also have said is the Canadian Wheat Board itself should not be spending farmers' money promoting a political cause. It should get at the business of selling Canadian wheat and barley on behalf of farmers.

That is hardly a gag order. That is hardly a restriction to come here to Parliament. They can speak out as they will, but they need to do it on their own dime.

Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-FoodPrivilegeOral Questions

3:10 p.m.

Liberal

Ralph Goodale Liberal Wascana, SK

Mr. Speaker, it is important for the minister to make absolutely clear that the president and the chief executive officer of the Canadian Wheat Board, acting in that capacity, may appear before the parliamentary committee and answer, in a fulsome and forthright manner, all questions. It is not an issue with respect to directors only, but that particular director who acts in the unique capacity of president and chief executive officer.

I think it would be very helpful to that official, and to all members of the House and farmers across western Canada, to know the chief executive officer is fully free to respond to all questions in whatever manner he deems appropriate.

Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-FoodPrivilegeOral Questions

3:10 p.m.

Conservative

Chuck Strahl Conservative Chilliwack—Fraser Canyon, BC

Mr. Speaker, maybe the members opposite know something that they have not shared with others, but to be clear on this, my understanding is that the chief executive officer is not even on the list of witnesses to come before the committee. If he is on the list, then fine. He can speak out. Anyone can speak out.

This is simply political gamesmanship in a trough slopping manner over there. They should learn that every person on the Wheat Board can speak out as they wish. I have said it from coast to coast and I will say it again here today just so we are clear. Any person can speak out, whether they are an executive, a director or an employee. They can go ahead and speak their mind as they should.

What we do not want is the Canadian Wheat Board spending farmers' money to promote a political position.

They can speak out, and I look forward to what they have to say. I am always ready to talk with them and I have many times. I will continue to do so.

Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-FoodPrivilegeOral Questions

3:10 p.m.

Liberal

The Speaker Liberal Peter Milliken

The Chair will look at the matter. I am not sure there is a question of privilege here, but I will certainly look into it further. It is hard to imagine that there could be a breach of the privileges of the House if the person in question is not on the list of potential witnesses. As I have said, I will look into it.

The House resumed consideration of the motion.

Opposition Motion—Health CareBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders

3:10 p.m.

Liberal

Judy Sgro Liberal York West, ON

Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to have the opportunity to participate in this important debate.

Today we have the following motion before us:

That, in the opinion of the House, the Conservative government has broken its promise to reduce medical wait times and to provide the necessary funding and resources to achieve the goals of the First Ministers' Accord on Health Care Renewal.

If members will remember, during the election the Conservative Party made wait times reduction one of its five key priorities. It promised to implement a patient wait times guarantee to provide timely access to care for patients within clinically acceptable wait times and to enable them to be treated in another jurisdiction or by another provider.

It sounds like a grand promise, yet its federal budget provided no additional funding for wait times reduction nor any explanation of how its wait times guarantee would be implemented. What happened to the Conservatives' priority of wait times? It clearly has vanished into thin air. It is a very serious Conservative failure and one that Canadians clearly do not forget.

The Conservatives have abandoned their promise to implement a national wait times guarantee. It remains, like so many issues with this government, in rhetoric only, not in reality. The Conservatives promised to meet with provincial and territorial health ministers this fall, but no meeting has yet to take place. When it comes to reducing wait times in Canada, they have offered nothing but vague statements and piecemeal projects.

In sharp contrast, the Liberals made wait times and other aspects of our cherished health care system a real priority.

For example, our fall 2004 Speech from the Throne reflected our government's strong commitment to health care, the one social policy that Canadians consistently identified as their number one priority. This is certainly true in my riding of York West. I conducted a survey earlier on in the year, and consistently my constituents chose health care as the issue that was most important to them, just as it was a priority for the Liberal government then.

That Speech from the Throne, first and foremost, outlined our efforts to implement our 10 year health care plan. Working with the provinces and the territories, this plan would have enhanced publicly delivered health care in Canada for years to come, ensuring that health care would be accessible to all Canadians, regardless of where they lived or their ability to pay.

Our strategy included $41 billion to go to the provinces, starting with $3 billion each year for the first two years. As well, $500 million in Canada health transfer payments for the fiscal year 2005-06 would have led to enhanced home care services and catastrophic drug coverage, clearly something that is very badly needed in our country. This would have brought the total cash transfers for health to the provinces and to the territories from $16.5 billion in 2005-06 to about $24 billion in 2009-10.

My government had also committed to provide $4.5 billion over the next six years, beginning in 2004-05, for the wait times reduction fund. A further $500 million for the purchase of medical equipment and $700 million over five years would have gone to improve the health of our first nations, Métis and Inuit peoples.

The provinces and the territories had agreed to produce information on outcomes so Canadians could be assured that their money was being spent where it should be, securing for them, their families and their communities the best access to the best possible health care.

However, as important as this plan was, our 2004 throne speech went further than that. We pledged to take action to help keep more Canadians out of the health care system by exploring new ways to encourage healthy living through enhanced sports activities at both the community and the competitive levels. We reaffirmed our government's desire to proceed with new health protection legislation and welcomed the development of the pan-Canadian public health network, which would help coordinate a response to public health emergencies.

In September 2004, the Liberal government was proud to sign the 10 year plan to strengthen health care with Canada's first ministers, which set a deadline of December 31, 2005 for benchmarks to be established. With the provinces and the territories we set out wait time benchmarks for five priority areas: cancer treatment, cardiac care, sight restoration, joint replacements and diagnostic imaging. These were important areas.

We continued to recognize the need to invest in reducing wait times. In our 2005 budget, the Liberal government allocated $5 billion over 10 years under the wait times reduction fund to assist the provinces and the territories in reducing wait times.

There is more. During the 2006 election, the Liberal government promised that it would implement a Canada health care guarantee in order to ensure that Canadians had timely access to care. Aspects of this guarantee included the following: a $75 million health care guarantee fund that would assist patients and a family member with travel and accommodation costs to a public facility in another province for quicker access to necessary medical procedures; $300 million for regional centres of specialized care in university teaching hospitals; and, $50 million for the Canada health infoway to accelerate wait list management technologies, such as registries, booking systems and electronic health records.

The Liberal Party of Canada remains committed to a strengthened and renewed public health care system. We believe that through reduced wait times we can ensure that our system of health care remains sustainable for future generations. We had pledged the $41.3 billion to restore confidence in our universal public health care system, including the $5 billion to establish a wait times reduction fund.

Until the NDP forced the election last November, we had made significant achievements in honouring this commitment.

During the 2006 election campaign, the Conservatives promised to implement a wait times guarantee but failed to outline how much money it would cost or how it would be implemented. We are still waiting to hear when those things will happen and how they will happen.

Does the minority Conservative government plan to download these new costs on to the provinces and the territories without any additional financial resources to do so? Probably.

The Conservatives also indicated that they would be willing to send patients to another country if they could not access necessary medical services in their home province. In all likelihood, the other country would be the United States, a country where approximately 40% of the population does not have any access to health care.

The Liberals believe that we need the necessary reforms to keep our health care system sustainable and accessible to all Canadians so they can receive the treatment they require in a timely fashion. I do not believe the solution is to out source the challenge in our health care system to other countries.

The Conservatives dumped wait times from their priority list very early on in their interim government's mandate. Sadly, wait times are only one of many areas in which the minority Conservative government has failed Canadians.

Other examples that I might add today include the following. Despite posting a $13 billion surplus, the government axed $17.7 million to improve Canada's literacy skills, something that is extremely important to all of us when we are working to ensure that all Canadians have a chance to succeed and to fulfil their dreams. It also cut $5 million from the Status of Women Canada. As if that was not bad enough, the bad government also removed the word “equality” from the department's mandate, not recognizing that women still only earn 71¢ to every $1 that a man earns. That is not equal.

The minority Conservative government also forfeited Canada's independent voice on global affairs in favour of aligning itself with the current U.S. administration.

It also turned its back on Kyoto and scrapped Canada's climate change programs, leaving Canada in an environmental limbo as temperatures soar to record levels and areas in the west, such as British Columbia, get snow and cold that they have not had for many years.

It rushed into signing a flawed agreement on softwood lumber with the United States, ignoring the voices of industry representatives.

It also raised income taxes for the lowest income Canadians and did not even tell them, just simply tried to slide it by.

It backtracked on international scholarships.

It cancelled the precious child care agreements that were signed with all 10 provinces, which was a major new social program for Canada, and left thousands of families out of the new child care allowances because it never publicized how to apply.