House of Commons Hansard #27 of the 35th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was health.
Claude Bachand Bloc Saint-Jean, QC
Mr. Speaker, could the minister tell us the total amount of interest-free loans his department granted to the band council of Kanesatake?
Ron Irwin LiberalMinister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development
Mr. Speaker, I am getting a lot of exercise getting up and down that I am not getting at the gymnasium which I cannot find. The answer is yes.
Jack Ramsay Reform Crowfoot, AB
Mr. Speaker, I have been advised that the Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Devel-
opment told members of the Slave Lake bands at their recent meeting that he was going to abolish the Indian Act.
Would the minister tell the House what he intends to replace it with?
Ron Irwin LiberalMinister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development
Mr. Speaker, if my hon. friend would care to read it, this is a very important component of the red book. We are committed to devolving and getting rid of the Indian Act in a morally and pragmatic manner over a number of years. That is what the non-native community wants. That is what the native community wants. Hopefully the government with some perseverance will be able to deliver.
Jack Ramsay Reform Crowfoot, AB
Mr. Speaker, I have a supplementary question. The Edmonton Sun reported that during the same meeting the minister stated: ``The Reform Party hates Indians and they want to be seen as the defender of the white man''.
I ask the minister, did he make that statement?
Ron Irwin LiberalMinister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development
Mr. Speaker, again to the hon. member, I hope that the Reform Party will show some consideration toward the aspirations of the aboriginal people. I am prepared to work with the Reform Party toward the inherent right to self-government.
Today I would ask the hon. member to stand in his place and say that he believes the inherent right to self-government belongs to the aboriginal people.
Osvaldo Nunez Bloc Bourassa, QC
Mr. Speaker, my question is directed to the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration.
Yesterday morning we heard that starting this fall, the minister would begin replacing the landing record immigrants currently receive with an identification card. The card would contain information such as the immigrant's name, date of birth, nationality and photograph.
Does the minister realize he is creating two classes of Canadians: those who have to carry this ID card and those who do not?
Sergio Marchi LiberalMinister of Citizenship and Immigration
Mr. Speaker, the ID card is not new. It was made public last summer to NGOs and lawyers. The ID card simply replaces the large piece of paper all immigrants are given once they are landed.
There are two reasons we are replacing the big piece of paper by the small card. First, the big piece of paper can be forged and is easily duplicated. It is being sold at high cost on the black market. The small card is a state of the art technique and will certainly minimize that kind of fraudulent activity.
The second reason is that many landed residents have requested small cards for their wallets to be used as ID cards until they receive citizenship cards. Therefore it also has that practical application which was asked for by the very people who will be carrying them.
There is nothing untoward. Nothing more can be accessed than what normally can from our normal passports. Is the member also suggesting we not have passports?
Osvaldo Nunez Bloc Bourassa, QC
It is not the same card. Immigrants did not ask for it.
Considering the threat to privacy such a card constitutes, will the government agree to have a genuine debate before making a decision that restricts people's right to privacy?
Sergio Marchi LiberalMinister of Citizenship and Immigration
Mr. Speaker, the member is making a silly argument. I just finished saying that all landed residents now receive a form.
I am sure Canadians and immigrants understand we are trying to stop fraudulent duplication and to prevent those who so wish from illegally obtaining those cards. It also offers the prospective landed immigrant an ID card. We will not be able to access anybody's dirty laundry through this form. We are simply trying to make it better for those who use it and difficult for those who want to abuse it.
Monte Solberg Reform Medicine Hat, AB
Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Human Resources Development.
As I mentioned last week, a recent segment of the TV program "Venture" referred to a departmental study that says the current training programs under the human resources department are not only not helping but may actually be hindering those people who are trying to find work.
Will the minister table this document in the House of Commons?
Lloyd Axworthy LiberalMinister of Human Resources Development and Minister of Western Economic Diversification
Mr. Speaker, as I said last week, that information has always been available if the hon. member would avail himself of
it. There is nothing secret or hidden. We would be glad to table any evaluation that has been given.
I want to point out that the training programs are part of the general review we have undertaken in this Parliament. There is more than enough opportunity within the parliamentary committee and in discussions with the provinces to take a look at how we can apply training.
I would only make this small caution to the hon. member. I do not think he should use a small segment of a media report to make a general condemnation of a training program that has provided opportunities for hundreds of thousands of Canadians.
Monte Solberg Reform Medicine Hat, AB
Mr. Speaker, I have a supplementary question.
If studies from his own department indicate that the current training programs which cost billions of dollars every year are not helping people get new jobs, why are taxpayers continuing to fund them?
Lloyd Axworthy LiberalMinister of Human Resources Development and Minister of Western Economic Diversification
Mr. Speaker, frankly the hon. member asks the question out of ignorance. That is not what the report states.
The report says that in key areas such as workplace training, skills training and literacy training this kind of expenditure provides enormous service and opportunity for many Canadians to upgrade their abilities. It provides a new investment in human resources to give this country the kind of hope for the productivity it needs.
I would say to the hon. member that to make that kind of blanket criticism and condemnation without knowing what he is talking about is doing a disservice to the many people presently involved in the training programs.
Jean-Paul Marchand Bloc Québec-Est, QC
Mr. Speaker, there seems to be unanimous support in the dairy industry for demanding that the federal government prohibit sales of the BST hormone in Canada, since Canadians are worried about the effects of this growth hormone on human health.
My question is directed to the Minister of National Health and Welfare. Considering this unanimous position, could the minister guarantee that there will be at least a six-month moratorium on the sales of BST in Canada?
Diane Marleau LiberalMinister of Health
Mr. Speaker, as I explained before, BST is a biotechnological synthetic hormone. It matches what cows already produce naturally. When injected in cows it increases the volume of milk production.
My officials are now reviewing the drug. They are doing some clinical studies on its effects. To date they have not issued a notice of compliance. Once all the clinical trials have been done and it is proven the milk is absolutely safe and there is absolutely no difference, we have very little recourse but to issue the notice of compliance at that time.
Jean-Paul Marchand Bloc Québec-Est, QC
Mr. Speaker, we know the effects of BST, but the fact remains that the dairy industry is very worried.
Could the minister give us guarantees that the interests of consumers and the dairy industry will take precedence over the interests of the pharmaceutical industry?
Diane Marleau LiberalMinister of Health
Mr. Speaker, my responsibility is for the health of Canadians and I take that very seriously.
It is very important that all of the clinical trials be done on BST so we can reassure Canadians that the milk is absolutely safe. That is my role as health minister and I intend to fulfil it.
Herb Grubel Reform Capilano—Howe Sound, BC
Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration. I was an immigrant and I am now a citizen of Canada.
Herb Grubel Reform Capilano—Howe Sound, BC
This question is in the name of Canadians concerned about the country's financial crisis. Next year Canada will admit 111,000 family reunification immigrants. Many of them will be persons of an age where they will be unable to contribute to Canada's social programs. These individuals are entitled to free medicare.
Would the minister please tell the House what he expects the cost of the medicare services required by these immigrants will be?
Sergio Marchi LiberalMinister of Citizenship and Immigration
Mr. Speaker, this party mentioned in its red book and Canadians accepted it democratically by the national election that one of the building blocks of immigration policy is the family class.
There are two reasons. First, we believe Canadians do have a right toward family reunification. Second, the family is also the vehicle to more successfully integrate and settle the newcomer without burdening the state.
The hon. member's party quite often talks about family values. If the hon. member wants to cut the immigration levels he cannot have it both ways. He cannot talk on family values on the one hand and then berate family class immigration on the other.
Herb Grubel Reform Capilano—Howe Sound, BC
Mr. Speaker, may the people of Canada conclude from the minister's answer, or non-answer, that decisions about Canada's immigration levels are made without regard to the costs which the policies impose on the already strained social programs of the country?
Sergio Marchi LiberalMinister of Citizenship and Immigration
Mr. Speaker, we said no such thing. In fact in our levels announcement some days ago we said it was very important not only to do levels in isolation but to do levels and have a correlated two-year settlement and integration in dollars. That was a very important distinction the former government did not pay too much attention to.
We are worried about the financial implications to our health system. However we are not prepared to conclude that family class members who are landed should not have access to medical services when independent skills applicants do. Is that what the member is advocating? When people come here and are landed residents we assume they contribute and through their contribution they have a contract with Canada. It is a two-way street.