House of Commons Hansard #256 of the 35th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was cmhc.
Department Of Health ActGovernment Orders
The Deputy Speaker
The member's point is perhaps a point, but it is certainly not a point of order; it is a point of debate. The hon. member for Calgary Centre will not have that time come out of his time.
Jim Silye Reform Calgary Centre, AB
Mr. Speaker, I am sure you have shared this, because with your background as a lawyer you must have met a lot of people in your lifetime who really like to dish it out. They really like to put the knife into people. They just love it. However, when the opportunity comes for them to have to listen for a while, boy, they have a thin shell. They cannot take it. These people were in opposition for so long that they still have that tender shell around them. When they were on this side they said outlandish things. They made promises. To get elected they even promised to quit if the GST was not replaced. It still has not been replaced.
We are debating the organization of the Department of Health as if we do not have one. Canada does not have a Department of Health, ladies and gentlemen. We have to do something about it. We have to pass a bill fast to create a Department of Health. We have to do it quickly because it will bring in efficiencies, it will be effective and it will deliver services. That is important. Give me a break. We have a Department of Health and Canadians know it.
We have a system which is rupturing. It is breaking apart. What we have to do is find a way to help those people who need help in a way which is quick, effective and efficient. That will not be done by reducing the funds and saying to the provinces: "You guys handle it". The way to do it is to say to the provinces: "We know we are in a dilemma. We cannot give you as much money as we have been. We have to give you less. Are there ways you can still deliver the services? We will be flexible". The Prime Minister promised flexible federalism and the only things he is flexible about are his travel arrangements.
We have to let the provinces come up with suggestions and work with them. Will we still have the same health minister if there is a new Department of Health?
Jim Silye Reform Calgary Centre, AB
My point is the provinces should be listened to and that is not happening. All the Reform Party is trying to do is make recommendations on ways and means by which we can deliver a service at a lower cost which is still effective and which still respects the principles of the health act. That is what the Reform Party is about, not what the hon. member for Mississauga South preaches every time he stands up.
Marlene Cowling Liberal Dauphin—Swan River, MB
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to speak on Bill C-95. Today I wish to address the leadership role and responsibility which the federal Department of Health has had in shaping the development and the evolution of Canada's health system.
Our national health system, popularly called medicare, is made up of 12 interlocking health care insurance plans administered by the provinces and territories. The provinces and territories are responsible for the administration, organization and delivery of health care services, including human and financial resource allocation, financing and regulating health professionals.
The system is referred to as a national health care system or program in that all provincial and territorial insurance plans are linked through adherence to the national principles of the Canada Health Act, which comes under the authority of the federal Minister of Health.
The federal health legislation sets out the basic principles and conditions for the payment of federal financial contributions to the operation of the provincial plans. This year the federal government will contribute over $15.5 billion to the provinces and territories in support of their health programs and services through established programs financing.
The federal Department of Health is also responsible for the promotion and protection of public health, for example through our public health intelligence and awareness initiatives and drug approval regulation activities, providing health services directly to registered Indians.
Canada has an excellent health system and the federal Department of Health has been a key player in its evolution. It was under the leadership of the Minister of Health, the Hon. Paul Martin Sr., that the federal government introduced and passed legislation to implement the first component of our national health system.
The passage of the Hospital Insurance and Diagnostic Act in 1957 encouraged the development of hospital insurance programs in all provinces and territories through the offer to cost share hospital and diagnostic services. This legislation allowed the government to share in the cost of provincial hospital insurance plans that met minimum eligibility and coverage standards. By 1961 after all 10 provinces and 2 territories introduced public hospital insurance plans, Canadians no longer had to worry about facing crippling hospital bills if a member of their family became ill.
The Department of Health followed with respect to medical insurance in the 1960s and with the introduction of public insurance for physician services in 1962. The federal government offered a cost shared program to the provinces and territories in 1966 to encourage the development of a national medicare insurance program.
The federal medicare act was implemented in 1968 and by 1972 all Canadians enjoyed public medical care insurance in addition to hospital insurance. Leadership was shown again by the Department of Health in 1984 when medicare was reaffirmed by Parliament with the passage of the Canada Health Act.
The Minister of Health of the day, the Hon. Monique Begin, detected an erosion of the principles that support medicare. Canadians were telling her their access to necessary health care was being impeded by user fees and she took action to restore medicare.
The Canada Health Act with special provisions to discourage provinces from allowing extra billing by doctors and user charges by hospitals was successful in eliminating user fee medicare. The act provided for an automatic dollar for dollar penalty deducted from the transfer payment. For every dollar a province allowed to be charged in the form of extra billing or hospital user charges, one dollar was deducted from that province's transfer payment for health. Within three years all provinces that had allowed extra billing and user charges eliminated them. Canadians across the country were once again enjoying unfettered access to necessary health care services.
The Canada Health Act is a great symbol for Canadians. It symbolizes the values of our society: equity, compassion and caring. It is also more than a symbol. It embodies the principles which underlie the Canadian medicare system and provides the mechanism for preserving medicare.
The first national principle is universality. Every eligible provincial resident must be entitled to coverage by the provincial health insurance plan. Coverage is linked only to residency in the province and not to jobs and not to the payment of premiums.
The second principle is comprehensiveness. The provincial plans must provide coverage for all medically necessary hospital and medical services.
The third is accessibility. Insured services must be reasonably accessible and without financial barriers. This means in part there can be no point of service charges for medically necessary services, no extra billing by doctors and no user charges in hospitals. Patients do not receive medical or hospital bills for insured services. The province pays the bills directly on their behalf.
The fourth principle is portability. This is vital to a national system. It means that when Canadians travel or move they continue to be covered by provincial plans.
The final principle is public administration. The health insurance plan must be operated on a non-profit basis and must be accountable to the provincial government.
It is adherence to these national principles that gives the provincial systems a set of common features. This commonality is what makes our health care system a national system. The Department of Health monitors provincial and territorial compliance with the principles of the Canada Health Act and informs the Minister of Health of any problems. Where there is non-compliance the act provides the minister with the authority to direct deductions from transfer payments. These deductions are the mechanism by which the Minister of Health enforces the Canada Health Act and protects medicare.
The government is committed to a national health insurance system, to medicare. That is why the Minister of Health has taken action against semi-private clinics that charge user fees in the form of facility fees. Barriers to access must be discouraged.
The government has also shown its commitment to medicare by making sure the new Canada health and social transfer supports medicare. In order to qualify for full cash contributions under the CHST, provinces and territories must comply with the Canada Health Act.
The Department of Health has played a key role in the development, protection and preservation of medicare. Bill C-95 will ensure the Department of Health continues this valuable role.
Gilbert Fillion Bloc Chicoutimi, QC
Mr. Speaker, as luck would have it, this morning I read in the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean daily that, last evening, the health action committee of the chamber of commerce of La Baie and the Lower Saguenay asked elected officials to oppose any cut affecting the health sector in my region, so as to preserve what took so long to obtain.
Incidentally, a document clearly shows, and this has been confirmed, that cuts of over $131 million have already been made in my region, concerning that sector. Most of these cuts were, of course, made because of overlapping federal and provincial activities in that sector. It goes without saying that, when the federal government makes cuts affecting transfer payments for the health sector, there is an impact in Quebec.
In this bill, the federal government, claiming to be a good government, gives itself the right to act directly or indirectly in the health sector. It could use its spending power to that end. Indeed, a quick look at a few clauses of the bill will tell you that the federal government wants to get involved in that sector.
Contrary to what one might think, the health department has an enormous budget. According to the 1995-96 Estimates, Health Canada's operating budget is $1.05 billion, that is $347 million for personnel alone and $703 million for goods and services, whereas transfer payments amount to $7.4 billion. These figures immediately tell the story about the costs of overlapping activities.
We must ask ourselves what the federal government does with that $1.05 billion. Under the pretext of developing a strategy, the federal government, to put it bluntly, is once again interfering in a field of provincial jurisdiction.
Let me give you a few examples, starting with the new horizons program. This program used to help our seniors in several ways, for example by allowing them to buy entertainment and recreation equipment and participate in group activities. This program was, at least in my riding, well received by golden age clubs and by associations for the defence of retirees' rights. It gave some clubs and associations the tools to help our seniors, for whom these organizations are often the only resource available. In addition, these tools and activities helped participants stay in good physical and mental health.
After over a year of consultations, of shelving the various demands with respect to the new horizons program, our seniors are being offered a totally new program that is focused on health. The federal government is cutting a service in an area of pressing need and jumping head-first into another area where Quebec was present, where Quebec was already well equipped to deal with the situation. This can only be described as a case of wasteful overlap.
New horizons is but one example among many others. I could also mention programs such as the federal initiative on family violence, the national strategy to reduce tobacco use, and the pregnancy and child development program, which are still in effect in Quebec. Why multiply services? All these contributions show that the federal government has no qualms about going ahead with its own health and welfare initiatives.
They go ahead with these initiatives without considering the fact that, in the past few years, Quebec has focused on areas such as prevention and fitness. Quebec has also shown leadership in occupational health and safety matters.
The federal government is only interested in visibility and is ready to pay the price. One of its latest initiatives is the national forum on health. Again, to achieve visibility, it showed its will to intervene in this area without the consent of provincial authorities. All provinces without exception openly criticized the federal government's attitude in this regard, since it relegated them to a position of secondary importance in matters of health.
Quebec recently spent several months reviewing the measures required to make its system more effective and less costly while keeping medically necessary services free for everyone.
Quebec did not wait for Ottawa to renew its health care system. It took concrete action in this regard. For several months, wide public consultations have been held throughout Quebec so that Quebecers can give their opinions and express their needs. I had the opportunity to attend these proceedings in my riding last weekend. Again, this is a consultation process; this is how we must proceed, instead of creating parallel structures that are a shameful waste of public funds.
Through Bill C-95, the federal government is quietly trying to convince us that this harmless looking bill is the bill of the century. Quebecers, however, are not fooled; we clearly see what the federal government is trying to hide from us.
I fully agree with my colleague from Drummond that this House should refuse to proceed with Bill C-95 and send the government back to the drawing board.
The time has come for Ottawa to withdraw completely from this area and give Quebec the tax points corresponding to its current transfer payments in all fairness.
Jesse Flis LiberalParliamentary Secretary to Minister of Foreign Affairs
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to speak today on Bill C-95, under which the new Department of Health will be established.
I listened carefully to the member for Calgary Centre. It was very clear he had not read the bill. He did not know what he was talking about. He was looking at the old bill instead of the new one. This is why a new bill was brought in, to save taxpayers' money and to have a health system to which all Canadians have access.
The Reform Party boasts about its great plan. The United States has that great plan, the two tier system that Reform advocates. What is happening in the United States system right now? According to figures released yesterday, 40 million Americans are not covered by any kind of health insurance and 29 million are underinsured. Sixty-nine million people do not have proper health care coverage. That is what Reform Party members want to give Canadians. Canadians do not want that system. They can shove it and they know where. Enough is enough.
Reform members want to give everything to the provinces so they can throw more money at it. We do not think throwing more money at the problem is the answer. It is using the money we have more efficiently for the modern technology that has come into our hospitals and our clinics.
When I lived in Saskatchewan I had an operation. Because of complications I was a whole month in hospital. Now an appendix can be removed and the patient is sent home. How many people have triple bypasses? Before they were told to lie in bed and not to move for weeks on end. Now they get them up walking the next day and they soon send them home. Look at the savings. If we send a patient home, we have to send proper care to the home with them.
However it is a heck of a lot cheaper than having the patient lie in a hospital bed for weeks on end.
Canada spends 9.4 per cent of its GDP on health care, far less than the U.S., yet every Canadian is covered well by health care. Japan spends only 6 per cent of GDP on health care. How can that country do it so cheaply? I think it is good management. It is done efficiently but Japan also harnesses the modern technology that has crept into the health system.
We do not need any lessons from the Reform Party. Polls show that Canadians are very pleased with our health system. The polls also show that the Reform Party is going down and this is why it is going down.
Yesterday I intervened on the bill briefly when the Bloc Quebecois complained that the federal government has no jurisdiction in the area of health care. I hope to assure the Bloc Quebecois that the government fully appreciates that provinces are responsible for all aspects of health care delivery, generally defined as hospital and medical services. However, the opinion poll indicates that Canadians recognize there remains a need for a federal presence in health, just as we have a federal presence in other jurisdictions. If changes are made to the Criminal Code, the provinces then implement the legislation and the laws that we change.
This morning the foreign affairs standing committee met and the CCC was before us. That is the Canadian corporation which does trade with countries. These countries want a federal government presence in a deal, otherwise we would not get a deal for a lot of these things. So let us not throw the federal government out completely.
I was very interested in the media conference the former Prime Minister of Canada, Pierre Elliott Trudeau had yesterday. He cautioned not to decentralize all of the powers because that is when this country will fall apart. He advocated a strong central government. Here is someone from Quebec who is giving us advice that we should heed.
Public opinion, the media, the members of this House have one thing in common: They have a legitimate concern about the future health system and the need for continued access to high quality services. By defending the Canada Health Act from attack by those who advocate user fees and private clinics, as the Reform does, the Department of Health protects this country's publicly funded universal medicare system.
Health care is only one of many factors contributing to health. There are also those factors that make and keep people healthy, known as the determinants of health. These include the social and physical environment, human biology, genetic endowment, economic status and individual behaviour.
In a recent discussion paper entitled "Strategies for Population Health: Investing in the Health of Canadians" federal, provincial and territorial health ministers provided a framework for action on the major determinants of health. It offers a solid basis for setting priorities to continue to improve the health of Canadians.
The paper recommends three strategic directions. First, it recommends strengthening public and government understanding of the determinants of health by demonstrating the links between social status, economic development, income distribution, education and health. Second, it recommends building understanding and support among government partners in sectors outside of health. Third, it suggests priority initiatives which will have a significant impact on population health.
I urge all members to put their party politics aside. When we have something good, something Canadian, something that will keep this country together, something that will provide health care service to every Canadian, rich or poor, regardless of where he or she lives, let us all get behind it and pass it today.
Department Of Health ActGovernment Orders
The Speaker
Colleagues, it being 2 p.m., we will now proceed to Statements by Members.
John Finlay Liberal Oxford, ON
Mr. Speaker, last December the government amended the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act and recognized the value of participant funding in the environmental assessment process. MPs from all sides of the House supported this effort to give the public greater access to government decision making.
Higher levels of public access and consultation allow the environmental assessment process to be more representative of the Canadian people. As the Minister of the Environment said during debate on the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act, it is one thing to say that people have a say, it is another to give them the tools to exercise their right.
I agree wholeheartedly with the minister and believe that my Bill C-339 will extend this level of access and participation in the decision making process without increasing government expenditures.
I would ask all members of the House to support Bill C-339 when it comes to the House for a vote in the near future.
Monte Solberg Reform Medicine Hat, AB
Mr. Speaker, David Craven, New York, New York, $39,500; Jennifer Weeks, Cleveland, Ohio, $18,000; Nathan Berg, London, England, $18,000. No, these are not winners from the Publisher's Clearing House sweepstakes. These are the lucky recipients of tax dollars wrenched from the pockets of hard working Canadians and distributed through the Canada Council.
That is right. You do not even have to live in Canada to receive a grant from the Canada Council. No, sir, if you do not like the winners here, no problem. You too can receive $18,000 to live in sunny Los Angeles, California, just like John Friesen, or $18,000 to live in gay Paree just like Shonagh Adelman.
If you want to write a book, ponder poetry or paint pictures, come on down because the price is right in the Canada Council $87 million grant giveaway. Remember, you cannot win if you do not enter.
Gurbax Malhi Liberal Bramalea—Gore—Malton, ON
Mr. Speaker, today is the 526th birthday of Guru Nanak Dev Ji, the first Guru of the Sikh religion.
Guru Nanak evolved a completely new faith. He presented to the people his vision of an ideal faith of spiritual deliverance, human equality and justice.
The basic ethical beliefs that Sikhism holds dearly are democracy, non-violence, peace, religious identity, family life, hard work, advancement and human rights. Sikhism teaches truthful living with emphasis on selfless service, tolerance, compassion, love, contentment, humility, equality, humbleness and well-being for all.
The goal of a Sikh is not only a spiritual uplift of the individual through selfless service but the advancement of all humanity.
Gary Pillitteri Liberal Niagara Falls, ON
Mr. Speaker, the city of Niagara Falls has proclaimed November 6 as a day celebrating the recovery of missing children.
In a ceremony on the Rainbow Bridge I accepted a plaque on behalf of the Minister of National Revenue and his staff at Canada Customs by the Independent Order of Foresters child print program. The non-profit organization accounts for over one million members in Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom. Its involvement comprises a great number of projects geared to help families.
I congratulate publicly the IOF and the revenue department for their devotion to the protection of children. As parents, as community leaders and as concerned citizens, we understand that nothing causes more pain and anguish than a missing child.
The minister of revenue has committed his department to the cause, but when it comes to missing children, one is too many.
Elsie Wayne Progressive Conservative Saint John, NB
Mr. Speaker, on behalf of my leader, the member for Sherbrooke, and Progressive Conservative Party colleagues I wish to pay tribute to Yitzhak Rabin, the late Prime Minister of Israel.
Mr. Rabin's life mirrored the history of his country. He fought for its creation, its survival and its peace. It has been said that only soldiers can make peace for they know all too well the price of war.
Mr. Rabin recognized the only guarantee of Israel's survival was to make peace with those who had once vowed to destroy it. For the next generation of Israelis and all generations after them he wanted to ensure a future free of bloodshed. He made peace with the enemies of Israel, he said to save lives. Now that he has given his life for that worthiest of causes, let us honour him by embracing and supporting his courageous work.
My colleagues and I extend our condolences to Mr. Rabin's family and the people of Israel. The world has lost a great leader and one of its noblest spirits.
Maurizio Bevilacqua Liberal York North, ON
Mr. Speaker, last night I attended a memorial service in Toronto to honour the life of Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin. It was an emotional evening. Over 6,000 members of our community joined together to recognize the gifts Mr. Rabin had bestowed upon the people of Israel and upon all of us through his endless pursuit of peace.
Mr. Rabin dedicated his life to his country. As a soldier he fought for Israel's survival. As a prime minister he fought for peace.
Saturday, November 3, perhaps marked the pinnacle ofMr. Rabin's quest when he spoke and sung of peace in front of more than 100,000 people in Tel Aviv. How tragic for this to be the end. How tragic for him not to be able to see the results of his life's work. How tragic for the murderer to have been in the crowd, to have heard Rabin's words of peace and not to have heeded them.
As members of the global community we must all join together to ensure that Mr. Rabin's dream of lasting peace will never die.
Bob Mills Reform Red Deer, AB
Mr. Speaker, as we approach another Remembrance Day when all Canadians celebrate the courageous sacrifice of our war veterans, we should be focusing on the way that our troops from coast to coast fought for democracy and freedom in a united Canada.
Unfortunately on October 26 the Bloc member for Charlesbourg issued a press release calling for Quebec members of the military to desert their post and join a new Quebec army the day after a yes vote. This has infuriated many veterans as well as other Canadians, including many constituents in my riding of Red Deer.
The action is so reprehensible that the government must take immediate corrective action. Inciting mutiny in the Canadian forces cannot be tolerated and the government's response to this outrage should make it perfectly clear.
Jean-Guy Chrétien Bloc Frontenac, QC
Mr. Speaker, just ten days after our Canadian neighbours rallied in Montreal on the eve of the Quebec referendum, the true face of English Canada is already emerging. The National Citizens Coalition is launching an ad campaign to express its deep-seated opposition to the concept of distinct society status for Quebec.
After the provincial premiers backed off last week, the NCC's 40,000 members are now clearly opposed to what they consider as unfair preferential treatment for Quebec. This is a bitter disappointment for Quebecers, who were deeply touched by English Canada's show of affection at Canada Place, three days before the referendum. Where have all our friends gone?
Bill Blaikie NDP Winnipeg—Transcona, MB
Mr. Speaker, veterans of the merchant navy who served during wartime provided a vital function in situations where the death rate was as high or higher than in the armed services and where like other veterans they were captured and imprisoned as prisoners of war. Yet for many decades they were treated as second class veterans deprived of many benefits.
Even with the belated passage of the Merchant Navy Veterans Act in 1992, merchant navy veterans were not granted fully equal status with other veterans. The act contains definitions of service in the merchant navy that are more restrictive than for veterans in the other services and therefore denies benefits to some veterans who are clearly entitled to them.
As we approach November 11, the NDP calls on the government to treat veterans of the merchant navy in exactly the same way as it treats other veterans by including them in the War Veterans Allowances Act.
Bernard Patry Liberal Pierrefonds—Dollard, QC
Mr. Speaker, Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin was cut down by an assassin's bullets minutes after making a speech at a huge peace rally. Mr. Rabin's assassination is first and foremost an attempt to derail the peace process in the Middle East. His murderer thought that, by killing the messenger, he would quash all the efforts made in the past several years to find a peaceful solution to the problems in this troubled area.
However, the demise of this great man will not succeed in crushing the hope for peace that inspires the people of Israel. There is no doubt that peace will come to the Middle East, and no crime, however repugnant, will prevent this. At this time of great sorrow, Israelis can count on the support and sympathy of Canadians. We, too, are resolutely committed to peace.
Robert Bertrand Liberal Pontiac—Gatineau—Labelle, QC
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister has declared the week of November 4 to 12 national veteran's week. As you know, traditionally, since the end of the first world war, Canadians from all over the country gather at their local war memorial on the morning of November 11 to pay tribute, in various ceremonies, to their fellow Canadians who died in combat.
This year, as we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the end of the second world war, Canadians have planned special commemorative activities for the entire week leading up to Remembrance Day. We will be paying tribute to the veterans of both world wars, the Korean War and UN peacekeeping operations. These veterans served their country with courage and distinction. We are proud of them and pleased that the government designated a week in their honour.
Paul Crête Bloc Kamouraska—Rivière-Du-Loup, QC
Mr. Speaker, after two years in office, the Liberal government, for all intents and purposes, still has not done anything about unemployment. A series of nice documents on employment and growth were released, but Canadians are still waiting for the concrete actions and results expected from a government.
Unable to make the necessary budget decisions, the Liberal government's only job creation initiative was to force the unemployed to join the welfare rolls, thus triggering an increase in provincial deficits.
We all know the consequences of that lack of vision. Hardly any new jobs were created in the past year, and economic growth has suddenly come to a halt this year, with no reaction from the Bank of Canada and the Minister of Finance.
This government must fulfil the promises it made to Canadians two years ago. Its laissez faire attitude can definitely not be considered an effective job creation policy.
Jean Payne Liberal St. John's West, NL
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to make mention of the fact that the Prime Minister has declared a special period of commemoration which will run from November 4 to 12 to be known throughout Canada as Veterans Week.
Veterans Week will increase awareness among Canadians of the contribution of those who served during wartime and in peacekeeping activities throughout the world.
One of the activities designated for Veterans Week was the national spirit of peace run that took place in St. John's, Newfoundland on November 5. The run was arranged to create a link between the 50th anniversary of the end of the second world war and that of the founding of the United Nations. It took place in designated cities across the country and represented a nationwide gesture of commemoration and support of Canada's ongoing peace efforts.
Randy White Reform Fraser Valley West, BC
Mr. Speaker, 19-year old Allen Wayne from Langley, British Columbia in my riding was seriously injured on August 26 by a stolen vehicle driven by a repeat young offender.
The young offender faced eight charges. Five of the serious ones were plea bargained out, including breach of probation, possession of stolen property and criminal negligence causing bodily harm.
Allen's parents, Allen and Debbie Wayne, did not even know plea bargaining happened. Further, Allen's parents asked crown counsel to raise the case to adult court but that was not done. So much for the Young Offenders Act.
Today Allen is fighting for his life with two broken legs, a broken left hip, a broken pelvis, a broken arm and his face crushed to pieces.
What of the poor young offender? He got 15 months in open custody, a three-year driving prohibition and one day concurrent for driving while prohibited.
The Young Offenders Act is an embarrassment and the government is a disgrace to Canadian victims.
Michel Bellehumeur Bloc Berthier—Montcalm, QC
Mr. Speaker, Canadians are is still in shock following new revelations concerning the despicable actions of Petawawa's airborne regiment. The parties organized by Canadian army soldiers in honour of the Polytechnique tragedy are absolutely shameful. One wonders about the army's ability to recruit people who are trustworthy and who can protect the values of our society.
These accounts revive the terrible pain and grief suffered by the families and friends of the victims of the Polytechnique massacre. The parents of Geneviève Bergeron, one of the 14 victims who died on December 6, 1989, wrote me a letter in which they say they are still mourning the loss of their daughter. On their behalf, I urge the government to make sure that those who organized such parties for the Petawawa regiment, and those who participated in them, be court martialled and discharged from the armed forces.
We must take action to put an end to the violence against women, and all those responsible for these incidents must be held accountable for their actions.
Denis Paradis Liberal Brome—Missisquoi, QC
Mr. Speaker, the day after the referendum, 23 spokespersons for the federalist side in the region around Saint-Hyacinthe had a meeting to analyse their contribution to the campaign and decide what their future action should be.
They decided unanimously that it was advisable to continue their action within a group without any political affiliation and that they would concentrate for the time being on two main objectives.
This group wants to foster the message for change that was apparent from the results of the referendum; it also wants to promote the national pride of Canadians, as its members did throughout the referendum campaign.
Tomorrow, they expect to introduce their group at the national level to create a snowball effect across Quebec, and perhaps across Canada. There is a very clear demand for profound and rapid change today in this country.
To Jacques Sylvestre from Saint-Hyacinthe, André Gauthier from Sept-Îles, Yves Mailhot from Saint-Lambert, to my friends in the Bloc who believe in sweeping changes and in the Canada of the future, I say: Do not give up, things are starting to move.
Nick Discepola Liberal Vaudreuil, QC
Mr. Speaker, all Quebecers who voted no and more than 35 per cent who voted yes in the last referendum are looking for change within the Canadian federation.
The people have decided. Canadians from coast to coast have massively demonstrated their affection and their support for Quebec's aspirations. It is now up to the politicians to deliver the goods and work on implementing these changes. However, when Quebecers hear what the Bloc leader said about these changes, and I quote: "Sterile debate, nonsense, misleading verbal overkill-", they are not amused.
In Quebec, the people are sovereign, and they have spoken. If the leader of the Bloc Quebecois cannot accept the people's verdict and refuses to help improve Canada, he should have the decency to resign.
