Debates of May 25th, 1994

Social Program Reform

[Francine Lalonde, Bloc, Mercier, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the minister does not have to listen to the advice of his civil servants. However, he must tell us if, and how, he can justify, given the current situation with respect to public finances, the wasting of more than one million dollars on a communications strategy designed to explain to the poorest how they will have to put up with cuts totalling billions of dollars.

[Lloyd Axworthy, Liberal, Minister of Human Resources Development and Minister of Western Economic Diversification]

Mr. Speaker, the document referred to by the hon. member is merely a draft suggesting options for consultation. It was prepared by civil servants and it does not reflect cabinet policies. I did see the document; it is a list of ideas for a presentation.

In my opinion, the most important tool in terms of consultation is the Parliamentary committee, and I intend to hold extensive consultations with all Canadians through that committee. This is my position; it is not the hon. member's position.

Health Care

[Deborah Grey, Reform, Beaver River, AB]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Health.

Yesterday the minister admitted that the principle of accessibility in the Canada Health Act must recognize the importance of timeliness as well as affordability. She then suggested it was not her wish to cut health care payments to British Columbia but was forced to under the Canada Health Act.

Can the Minister of Health explain why enforcement of unworkable sections of the Canada Health Act should take priority over the right of Canadians to accessible, timely health care?

[Diane Marleau, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, the enforcement of the Canada Health Act is certainly very workable and it is done very quietly, very methodically, systematically and pragmatically.

In this case we are guaranteeing that all Canadians, especially all residents of British Columbia, have access to a doctor regardless of whether they have money or not.

[Deborah Grey, Reform, Beaver River, AB]

Mr. Speaker, two major problems confront Canadian health care today: affordability for the provinces and accessibility for individuals.

By reducing payments to B.C. and threatening Alberta and other other provinces with similar penalties, the minister is making both these problems worse.

When will the minister recognize that her enforcement of the Canada Health Act is actually making health care less accessible for Canadians? When will the minister admit the need for reforming totally the Canada Health Act?

[Diane Marleau, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, I am quite happy to hear where the Reform Party really stands on a national health care system. It obviously is in favour of user fees. It obviously is, in this case, in favour of a two tier system, one for the rich and one for the poor.

On this side of the House we believe in a national health care system where your needs are met, not your wants and not based on the size of your pocketbook.

It is very important that all Canadians be reassured that in this time of very tight money, we are able to give predictability and stability to transfer payments in health and tell Canadians that we are here to guarantee they will be treated based on their needs.

Unemployment

[Paul Crête, Bloc, Kamouraska—Rivière-Du-Loup, QC]

Mr. Speaker, my question is directed to the Minister of Human Resources Development. According to a study carried out for the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, unemployment cost the Canadian economy more than $109 billion in 1993 and governments alone absorbed $47 billion of the cost of unemployment. The authors of the study are asking the government to put in place a pro-active employment policy.

Will the minister admit that the timid employment recovery measures proposed by the government are not enough just to put 1.5 million unemployed people back to work and reduce the intolerable cost of unemployment which is now $109 billion?

[Lloyd Axworthy, Liberal, Minister of Human Resources Development and Minister of Western Economic Diversification]

Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to have that question from the hon. member because it points out, if nothing else does, how important it is that we undertake major reform initiatives to change many of our programs, the whole purpose of which is getting people back to work.

I met with the director of the Centre for Policy Alternatives last week. We had a very good discussion about how we could help many of those who are presently using benefits to go back to work, to develop a system where we could give incentives for them to participate in the wide variety of activities in the private sector, the volunteer sector and the third sector.

I agree totally with the hon. member that the number one purpose and objective of this House is to get people back to work. That is why I hope that he will go to work on his colleagues and get them to back the kind of social reform we want to bring in.

[Paul Crête, Bloc, Kamouraska—Rivière-Du-Loup, QC]

Mr. Speaker, considering the study's conclusion that consultation among economic partners is essential to ensure employment recovery, does the minister not realize that his proposal for the reform of social programs is not on the right track, since it has not been able to generate such a consensus among economic partners and more specifically with the provinces?

[Lloyd Axworthy, Liberal, Minister of Human Resources Development and Minister of Western Economic Diversification]

Mr. Speaker, there is no one in this House more concerned about the problem of unemployment than I or members of this government. We were elected last October on that mandate from Canadians and we take that mandate very seriously.

In all sincerity to the hon. member, he cannot complain about no consensus because we have not tabled a report yet. It is unfortunate that some of his colleagues in his own party are doing their best to try to undermine the whole purpose of the report which is to get people back to work. I hope he will use his good offices to work on them so we can get Canadians back to work.

Science And Technology

[Tony Ianno, Liberal, Trinity—Spadina, ON]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Secretary of State for Science, Research and Development.

With a global technological revolution taking place Canada's future prosperity depends in large part on our ability to forge partnerships between research institutions and the private sector, thereby creating spinoffs which will ultimately create high quality jobs for the future.

In the budget the government promised increased emphasis on science and technology. Could the secretary of state please provide an update on the progress that is being made to ensure Canada's potential is realized?

[Jon Gerrard, Liberal, Secretary of State (Science]

Mr. Speaker, our government is in the process of developing a strategy which will put science, research and technology at the forefront of a national system of innovation to help move along many of the items on our agenda.

We will shortly announce in the coming weeks the details of the promised Canadian technology network and the technology partnerships program. During the course of the summer I will be discussing with Canadians across the country in a series of meetings the options that we have in terms of science, research and technology in moving the agenda along.

This will be followed by five regional conferences in the fall. I invite my hon. colleagues to participate in this important dialogue together with business, industry, federal laboratories and universities.

Child Sex Offenders

[Val Meredith, Reform, Surrey—White Rock—South Langley, BC]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Justice.

As today is National Missing Children's Day it would have been appropriate for the government to announce its plan to introduce a national registry of all convicted child sex offenders.

On April 26 the minister assured this House that an options paper on a national child abuse registry would be available in the month of May. Yet yesterday the Solicitor General announced that plans for such a registry may have to wait until after the summer recess.

Can the minister advise this House when such an options paper will be made available? More important, when can Canadians expect a national child abuse registry?

[Allan Rock, Liberal, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, the plans of the government remain unchanged. We do expect that the discussion paper will be available before the end of the month and we intend, as I said I believe in April, to have the register in place at least by adapting the CPIC computer system in the fall of this year.

The Solicitor General made clear yesterday that his ministry and mine are at work with interested parties including the provinces in making the arrangements to make it possible before the end of the year by adapting the CPIC system to have a reliable registry of those convicted of sexual abuse of children so that we can ensure public safety in this important respect.

[Val Meredith, Reform, Surrey—White Rock—South Langley, BC]

A supplemental, Mr. Speaker.

Can the minister advise us that in establishing such a registry if the rights of children and the rights of child abusers conflict it will be the rights and protection of the children that will take priority in Canadian law?

[Allan Rock, Liberal, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, I can assure the hon. member that the protection of children is the paramount concern of this government.

Government Contracts

[Monique Guay, Bloc, Laurentides, QC]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the minister of public works. Last February 18, I gave notice of a question appearing in the Order Paper in which I asked the Minister of Public Works and Government Services what the regional distribution was of all contracts awarded by his department and to whom these contracts were awarded in the past two years. The Standing Orders require the Minister to respond within 45 days.

Can the minister tell us what he is waiting for to finally shed some light on the distribution of federal government purchasing contracts throughout the various regions of Canada?

[David Dingwall, Liberal, Minister of Public Works and Government Services and Minister for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for the question. With regard to providing the answer, I think the hon. member knows, because it was asked of me at committee, the request which is being made will require the Government of Canada to absorb a very high expenditure of public funds in order to provide all of the necessary information that she has asked for.

However, as I indicated at committee and as I now state again we would be happy to provide as best we can within the fiscal

capacity of the Government of Canada all of the necessary information which I am certain will address all of the questions and all of the concerns the hon. member has.

[Monique Guay, Bloc, Laurentides, QC]

Mr. Speaker, would the minister have us believe that the government has no information on the regional distribution of federal contracts?

[David Dingwall, Liberal, Minister of Public Works and Government Services and Minister for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency]

Mr. Speaker, I think the hon. member knows quite well that the request which she has made, although on first instance may appear to be very reasonable involves a large expenditure of taxpayers' money in order to provide the necessary information.

However, as I indicated at committee and as I repeat here once again we will be happy to review with the hon. member the kinds of information which will respond to her questions and allay her fears with regard to the purchasing practices of this department.

Immigration

[Art Hanger, Reform, Calgary Northeast, AB]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration.

A couple of weeks ago the minister for immigration did some tough talking. He said he wanted to close loopholes and prevent people who should not be in Canada from coming in through the back door.

However, last week he changed his tune. Now he says the system is too strict and that we need to accept more people whose refugee claims were rejected.

How can this minister justify talking tough and at the same time create an all new level of bureaucracy to pave the way for failed asylum seekers to stay in Canada?

[Sergio Marchi, Liberal, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration]

Mr. Speaker, talking tough and talking straight is a hell of a lot better than talking nonsense.

[Some hon. members]

Hear, hear.

[The Speaker]

Order. I am sure that was a slip of the lip. I am sure the hon. minister would want to withdraw that four letter word.

[Sergio Marchi, Liberal, York West, ON]

I have no problems withdrawing. It was a slip from the lip right from the hip.

I'm on a roll, Mr. Speaker.