House of Commons Hansard #147 of the 36th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was quebec.
Pauline Picard Bloc Drummond, QC
Mr. Speaker, every government in Canada is having serious trouble as the result of the cuts made by the federal government, which created its budget surplus by cutting health care transfers.
Why is the federal government not facing up to its responsibilities when its cuts to Quebec amount every year to half the salaries of all the nurses in the Quebec health care system?
Allan Rock LiberalMinister of Health
Mr. Speaker, the fact is that the cuts ended 18 months ago, and we increased transfer payments by $1.5 billion over the past year.
We have already started re-investing and we intend to continue.
Pauline Picard Bloc Drummond, QC
Mr. Speaker, cuts re-occur every year.
Why is the health minister trying to make us believe that cuts in health care are hurting only Quebec when the provincial ministers meeting in Saskatoon all unanimously agreed that the federal government must re-invest in health care as a priority.
Allan Rock LiberalMinister of Health
Mr. Speaker, as I said, and it is clear, we have started re-investing.
We increased transfers by $1.5 billion 18 months ago. For us, the whole issue of health care is a top priority, and we intend to keep on re-investing in it.
Alexa McDonough NDP Halifax, NS
Mr. Speaker, the federal government is dragging its feet on the hepatitis C issue. Victims have been waiting for their money for seven months, but the disease does not wait. It progresses.
What is the minister waiting for to show some leadership? Is he waiting for the victims' lives to be at risk?
Allan Rock LiberalMinister of Health
Mr. Speaker, we have demonstrated some leadership with our position. A year ago, we initiated a process with the provinces. Then we presented an offer, with the provinces, to settle all pending court cases. The lawyers are now discussing the details, and we should have the results soon.
Alexa McDonough NDP Halifax, NS
Mr. Speaker, the minister tries to tell us that he cares about hepatitis C victims, but where are the results?
There have been seven months of delay, seven months of disappointment and seven months of hardship. Not one victim of tainted blood has received one red cent of compensation. Is the minister content with this lack of progress, or will he admit that his process has failed to deliver results?
Allan Rock LiberalMinister of Health
Mr. Speaker, those who have suffered by virtue of being infected with hepatitis C through the blood system in the period in question are represented by legal counsel. Those legal counsel are in the process of negotiating with the government details of the offer we have made to settle their claims. Those discussions continue.
Indeed, as I understand it, there are also separate and accelerated discussions for those in urgent need to identify people who are in need of immediate payment. We hope soon that there will be agreement on how to determine those individuals and deal with those cases very quickly.
Scott Brison Progressive Conservative Kings—Hants, NS
Mr. Speaker, last week the government appointed 12 directors to the new CPP Investment Board. Directors Mary Arnold, Dale Parker, Joseph Regan, Richard Thompson and board chair Gail Cook Bennet have all made substantial contributions to the Liberal Party either personally or through their own companies.
Is this another example of Liberal political interference in the Canada pension plan? Are Canada Pension Plan Investment Board seats for sale by the Liberal Party?
Canada Pension PlanOral Question Period
The Speaker
The question as it is phrased is out of order, but I will let the member go to his second question.
Scott Brison Progressive Conservative Kings—Hants, NS
Mr. Speaker, five of the twelve members of the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board are significant Liberal contributors. In fact 42% when only .2% of adult Canadians contribute to the Liberal Party. The board also includes a defeated Liberal MP.
Will the government end the political interference and restore the credibility of the Canada pension plan by ensuring that the parliamentary process of review occurs with every appointment to this important board?
Jim Peterson LiberalSecretary of State (International Financial Institutions)
Mr. Speaker, every one of the directors was selected by a joint federal board. They were not appointed unless they had provincial approval.
If the member has a difficulty, maybe he should take it up with the provinces.
Monte Solberg Reform Medicine Hat, AB
Mr. Speaker, maybe they were smoking a joint. Maybe that was the problem.
Government ExpendituresOral Question Period
The Speaker
I know the hon. member is going to ask his question now.
Monte Solberg Reform Medicine Hat, AB
Mr. Speaker, just over a month ago we had the Prime Minister in Saint John saying there would be no more new spending for the Liberal government. Yet the estimates have just come out and they reveal that the government has gone on a spending spree with billions of dollars in new spending.
In fact the government at this point is $4 billion over budget.
Why has the Prime Minister broken his promise of no new spending?
Marcel Massé LiberalPresident of the Treasury Board and Minister responsible for Infrastructure
Mr. Speaker, the only new spending in the tabling of the estimates was $628 million for the Pacific salmon fishermen and the post-TAGS program. The others were expenditures that were already announced in the previous estimates.
I would like to know what the hon. member is against. Is it the payments to the British Columbia salmon fishermen? Is it the payments to the people who were affected by the ice storm during the winter? Were these the payments that came from the increased health payments?
Monte Solberg Reform Medicine Hat, AB
Mr. Speaker, let me tell the minister what we are offended about. We are offended about the $4 million going to the millennium arts project and the $3.2 million going to the Senate. I am sure that is what Canadians want to hear.
A few weeks ago we had the finance minister saying we have to be concerned because we have worldwide turmoil. We have to be prudent.
Does the minister think it is prudent to give $4 million to the millennium arts project and $3.2 million to the Senate? Is that what the minister thinks?
Marcel Massé LiberalPresident of the Treasury Board and Minister responsible for Infrastructure
Mr. Speaker, once again, the total amount given for the millennium which is $145 million has been set in previous estimates. The member could easily have picked up the amount at that point and made his comments on it. I will repeat my comment.
The really large amounts in the estimates are transfers to various parts of the population that found themselves in difficulty, the salmon fishermen, the people affected by the ice storm and the increase in payments to the health transfers. Are these the payments my hon. colleague would like to see decreased?
Francine Lalonde Bloc Mercier, QC
Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister for Industry.
Last Friday, after meeting in Longueuil with Pratt & Whitney officials, who announced 900 layoffs, the Minister of Industry said that he was pleased with the $100 million increase in the Canada technology partnerships program to allow the aerospace industry to maintain its technological advance and to continue to create high level jobs.
Can the Minister of Industry assure us that he will do everything in his power to ensure that Pratt & Whitney continues to do research in Longueuil?
John Manley LiberalMinister of Industry
Mr. Speaker, I said to journalists that this is a very important program. This $150-million program was introduced in the 1996 budget. We have now increased funding to $250 million so far, and Pratt & Whitney has received the largest share of this program.
Francine Lalonde Bloc Mercier, QC
Mr. Speaker, we learned this morning that 100 Pratt & Whitney engineers will be transferred to a sister company in the United States to work on a new model being funded by the U.S. defence department.
Technology partnerships Canada is not a subsidy program, it is a repayable investment program.
What is the Minister waiting for to take action?
John Manley LiberalMinister of Industry
Mr. Speaker, I am happy that the member recognizes the difference between a subsidy and an investment program. This is very important because not all members of Parliament understand the difference, but she does.
John Manley Liberal Ottawa South, ON
Furthermore, I would say I am confident that with the development of our aerospace industry here in Canada, we will soon rank fourth in the world. I am sure that our level of employment in this industry, and also at Pratt & Whitney, will increase.