Diane Marleau

[Health, March 23rd, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, right now the Red Cross is in the process of examining how it can test all the samples. That is about as much as I can report at this time.

I will be very happy to give members a more complete report as soon as I have one.

[Health, March 23rd, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, Dr. Kennedy did go to Toronto. They are in the process of examining the samples.

I believe the Red Cross has put out a report and we concur with that report at this time.

[Health Care, March 22nd, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, the Government of Canada transfers a great deal of money to the provinces to provide extended health services for home care, residential care and nursing home care. Approximately $550 million goes to Ontario alone.

I must add that the Canada Health Act does not dictate how these dollars should be spent other than to say that they are for extended health care. We believe they are being spent in this manner.

The exercise of how the dollars are spent and how they organize extended health care is under provincial jurisdiction.

I would emphasize however that I believe they should seriously consider continuing private enterprise in terms of jobs in that sector as it is a cost effective manner of delivering the services within some non-profit agencies.

[Health Care, March 21st, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member should know that my department has not yet completed its studies of this hormone. Once these studies are completed, if the health of Canadians is not at risk, I will have no choice but to allow this hormone to be marketed.

[Health, March 21st, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member is referring to a number of samples which we have just found out exist in Toronto.

Today Dr. Doug Kennedy from the Department of Health is in Toronto looking at these samples to see exactly what can be done with them. We will take action as soon as we have had a report from Dr. Kennedy.

[Health, March 21st, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, we are all very concerned with the threat people have of living with HIV-AIDS, especially those who contracted it through blood transfusions in the early eighties.

One of the things that is happening right now is an inquiry under the auspices of Judge Krever. We are co-operating and collaborating very closely at making sure that all information is brought forward so that this kind of tragedy never happens again.

[Health Care, March 21st, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, while I do believe there is a role for the federal government in health care, I still believe we must work in co-operation with provincial governments and this I intend to do.

I have met with provincial ministers of health. We are very much in agreement it is not additional money that is needed in health care but how to do things better. It is a question of creating value while maintaining values.

[Health Care, March 21st, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, it is high time to reassure Canadians, including those living in Quebec, that this government is deeply committed to health care and will continue to maintain the system which Canadians have long enjoyed. It is high time for the government and for me to give them this assurance.

[Hazardous Materials, March 18th, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, I am aware of the incident that the hon. member has brought up. A woman wearing a terrycloth robe leaned across a lit candle and there was a flash flame across the terrycloth. Fortunately there was no injury although it was a frightening experience.

I am also aware of the report that says a fabric softener may increase the flammability of certain types of material. Unfortunately only one kind of material was tested in this report so we cannot draw definite conclusions.

We are continuing our study of the matter. Let me reassure Canadians through you, Mr. Speaker, and the hon. member as well, that textile flammability regulations under the Hazardous Products Act which were brought in in 1971 have been extremely effective in preventing flammable textiles from staying on the market.

We certainly intend to continue enforcing-

[Government Contracts, March 17th, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, let me explain to the hon. member how this all works.

McKim is the advertising agency on specific issues for my department. It was chosen through the competitive process prescribed in the government communications policy and overseen by the advertising management group of the Department of Government Services.

By the way, this particular agency was chosen before this government came to office. Pending the review by government of contracting procedures for advertising companies, Health Canada was authorized to extend the contract to McKim for six months. It is not a huge contract. I believe yesterday the amount mentioned was $185 million. That is the whole tobacco strategy. This extension of contract is very small.