Debates of Dec. 15th, 2010

Nina Grewal Fleetwood—Port Kells, BC

Mr. Speaker, Christmas is fast approaching and tales of political correctness fill the air as many seek to remove all that is Christian from Christmas.

Nativity scenes are banned, holiday trees replace Christmas trees and references to God, Christ and the Lord are cast aside, leaving us with just another meaningless, consumer-oriented holiday. The spirit of Christmas should not be taken out of Christmas. Non-Christian, new Canadians or immigrants are not offended and do not want to be protected.

Every year thousands of all faith gather to celebrate the Chinese New Year, Vaisakhi, Diwali and more. We accept and respect each other's beliefs and traditions. Therefore, let us not strip Christians of their identity and faith and let us not abandon the traditions of religion.

I wish my Christian friends a happy Vaisakhi and they wish me a merry Christmas and we all celebrate together. Let us celebrate Christmas as it is and as it should be.

The Speaker Peter Milliken

I have the honour to inform the House that the Clerk of the House has received from the Chief Electoral Officer a certificate of the election and return of Mr. Robert Sopuck, member for the electoral district of Dauphin—Swan River—Marquette.

I have the honour to inform the House that the Clerk of the House has received from the Chief Electoral Officer a certificate of the election and return of Mr. Julian Fantino, member for the electoral district of Vaughan.

Michael Ignatieff Leader of the Opposition

Mr. Speaker, Canadians wait for hours in hospital emergency rooms and patients languish in the hallways. The Canadian health system needs help, but the government has ignored the issue for four or five years.

The Prime Minister has said that he would like to scrap the Canada Health Act. He has rejected all our suggestions for helping families to care for their loved ones at home.

How can he expect Canadians to trust his government to protect our public health care system?

Stephen Harper Prime Minister

Mr. Speaker, this government works with the provinces to maintain and improve our health system. The former Liberal government reduced provincial health care transfers by 25%. Those are the facts. As for this government, it has increased provincial health transfers to record levels because we believe in the Canadian public health system.

Michael Ignatieff Leader of the Opposition

Mr. Speaker, everything the government is spending had already been approved in 2004 by the Liberal government.

The federal-provincial accords run out in 2014. The government has no record on public health. There has been no federal leadership on this issue for five years.

The Prime Minister is heard to muse about how he would like to get rid of the Canada Health Act and he says that any plan to bring help to families to look after their loved ones at home is reckless.

How can Canadians trust the government to defend public health?

Stephen Harper Prime Minister

Mr. Speaker, when that party was entrusted with the health care of Canada it dramatically slashed transfers for the health care system, which did enormous damage.

It is this government that increased those transfers and has worked with the provinces to make sure that our health system is fully funded.

Since the Leader of the Opposition made this personal, let me be clear. I and my family depend on and have always used the public health care system of Canada. I wonder if the Leader of the Opposition can say the same thing.

Michael Ignatieff Leader of the Opposition

I can make that commitment, Mr. Speaker.

Let me correct some facts. The government has not put a dime of new money into public health care, not a red cent of new money. Every cent that the government has committed to public health care since 2006 was booked in 2004 by the Liberal government.

The government likes spending money on prisons, planes, photo ops, and waste on the G8 and G20 summits but not a red cent of new money--

The Speaker Peter Milliken

Order. The right. hon. Prime Minister.

Stephen Harper Prime Minister

Mr. Speaker, I do not have to make a commitment to use the Canadian public health care system. That is what I have always used.

Funds were booked for public health care back in the 1990s and the Liberal government slashed those out of the budget. The fact of the matter is, this is the government that funded public health care, increased the transfers 30%, and we are the ones who are going to protect and defend the system against these health care cutters.

The Speaker Peter Milliken

Order, order. I know it is Wednesday, but hon. members could calm down so we can hear the questions and responses.

The hon. member for Beauséjour.

Dominic LeBlanc Beauséjour, NB

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of National Defence is scared to tell the truth. He says that the purchase of the F-35s has been in the works for a long time, but his own colleagues are saying the complete opposite. He says that only the F-35 meets our needs, but we now know that is not true. He said that there would be a Canadian competition, but there was not. He said that there had been an internal review, but they did not even have the information they needed to conduct one. He claims that there is a set price, but, once again, his senior officials are saying the opposite.

When will the minister tell the truth to Canadians?

Peter MacKay Minister of National Defence

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for Beauséjour and welcome him back from his celebrity tour.

Here is the truth. The truth is that the cancellation of the F-35 purchase could cost this country up to $1 billion. The truth is the member opposite is a member of a party that knows well about the cancellation of contracts. The cancellation of the EH-101 helicopter contract cost the country $1 billion. As a result, the Canadian Forces are still flying up to 45-year-old helicopters. That is older than he or I.