I would remind hon. members that I asked they not to use such words.
House of Commons Hansard #163 of the 36th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was federal.
House of Commons Hansard #163 of the 36th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was federal.
Social UnionOral Question Period
2:30 p.m.
The Speaker
I would remind hon. members that I asked they not to use such words.
Social UnionOral Question Period
2:30 p.m.
Some hon. members
Oh, oh.
Social UnionOral Question Period
2:30 p.m.
The Speaker
I ask hon. members to choose their words very carefully. I would ask the hon. member for Roberval to put his question now.
Social UnionOral Question Period
2:30 p.m.
Bloc
Michel Gauthier Bloc Roberval, QC
Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Prime Minister.
What do we call a person who visits Quebec, who is the Prime Minister of Canada, who makes promises, and who, at the first opportunity, breaks them? A hypocrite.
Social UnionOral Question Period
2:30 p.m.
Some hon. members
Oh, oh.
Social UnionOral Question Period
2:35 p.m.
The Speaker
I ask the member for Roberval to please withdraw his words.
Social UnionOral Question Period
2:35 p.m.
Bloc
Michel Gauthier Bloc Roberval, QC
Mr. Speaker, if the Prime Minister will withdraw his, I will be pleased to withdraw mine.
Social UnionOral Question Period
2:35 p.m.
Some hon. members
Hear, hear.
Social UnionOral Question Period
2:35 p.m.
Some hon. members
Oh, oh.
Social UnionOral Question Period
2:35 p.m.
The Speaker
I will return to this problem at the end of Oral Question Period.
Social UnionOral Question Period
2:35 p.m.
NDP
Alexa McDonough NDP Halifax, NS
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister talks about co-operation to improve Canada, but he does the opposite.
A government that cuts health care is not co-operating with the provinces. A Prime Minister who refuses to negotiate the social union is not working to improve the federation.
For the good of Canada, will the Prime Minister come out of his hiding place and sit down at the negotiation table?
Social UnionOral Question Period
2:35 p.m.
Saint-Maurice Québec
Liberal
Jean Chrétien LiberalPrime Minister
Mr. Speaker, I simply want to quote what was said. I apologize, but the text is in English.
“The first order of business is the social union, negotiating it as quickly as we can, not under any artificial deadlines or timetables, doing it with dispatch, doing it with determination. The Prime Minister wants to do it. The premiers want to do it”. It is Mr. Roy Romanow who said that on Newsworld on November 30, 1998.
Social UnionOral Question Period
2:35 p.m.
NDP
Alexa McDonough NDP Halifax, NS
Exactly, Mr. Speaker. On this day I want to say the Prime Minister is absolutely right to ignore Reform's artificial deadline. It is a formula for failure. At the same time Canadians want the Prime Minister to be a leader, not a straggler, in securing a stronger social union. To build on the positive momentum, the Prime Minister must send a positive signal.
Will he reinvest the $2.5 billion so desperately needed in health care now? Will he do that?
Social UnionOral Question Period
2:35 p.m.
Saint-Maurice Québec
Liberal
Jean Chrétien LiberalPrime Minister
Mr. Speaker, we are negotiating the social union. We are not negotiating the budget of the federal government. It is not a question of trading. We are not in the business of trading anything there.
What we need to do is to find a formula for a good social program which will apply to all Canadians and which is done by the provinces and the federal government in a co-ordinated fashion.
The question of the budget is another problem. I said in August in New Brunswick, long before the question was asked, that the first investment will be in health care. I said that five months ago.
Social UnionOral Question Period
2:35 p.m.
Progressive Conservative
André Bachand Progressive Conservative Richmond—Arthabaska, QC
Mr. Speaker, the minister of intergovernmental affairs said this morning on the social union that the provinces have a proposal and that his government also has a proposal, but no one knows what that proposal is. What is the government afraid of? Will it take another letter from the minister to Mr. Bouchard for us to find out what that proposal is?
Does the government have a proposal for the provinces, for Canadians, and if so, what is it?
Social UnionOral Question Period
2:40 p.m.
Saint-Laurent—Cartierville Québec
Liberal
Stéphane Dion LiberalPresident of the Queen's Privy Council for Canada and Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs
Mr. Speaker, I can assure you that we are negotiating with the provinces with the following objective in mind: to ensure that all Canadians have access to the social and health services to which they are entitled, through a better framework for negotiations between the federal and provincial governments.
We will have nothing to do with the booty policy.
Social UnionOral Question Period
2:40 p.m.
Progressive Conservative
André Bachand Progressive Conservative Richmond—Arthabaska, QC
Mr. Speaker, there is a problem.
Will the government wait until the infamous general store goes bankrupt before making a move? What does it have to say to the provinces that are anxiously waiting for concrete proposals?
Could the government inform the House of its plans? Will it take action? Its credibility is at stake. The government must act and act now.
Social UnionOral Question Period
2:40 p.m.
Saint-Laurent—Cartierville Québec
Liberal
Stéphane Dion LiberalPresident of the Queen's Privy Council for Canada and Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs
Mr. Speaker, the provinces stated their position in June and we replied in July. It took them six months to come to an agreement. We are not blaming them, because this is a complex issue.
We replied to the provinces in July, and the Quebec premier took an interest in this issue in August. When the Quebec premier is not there to take a leadership role, it is always more complicated.
It took us much less time to agree on the need to clarify the federal spending power—because we started in February 1996—than it took the Conservative government, which had eight years to do so, but did nothing.
Employment InsuranceOral Question Period
December 1st, 1998 / 2:40 p.m.
Reform
Deborah Grey Reform Edmonton North, AB
Mr. Speaker, the finance minister is gouging workers by $350 each on their EI premiums. Today he expects us to cheer because he is only going to gouge them by $292. He is gouging every small business person $500 per worker, but today the announcement is that he is only going to gouge $417 out of them.
Let me ask a question of the tax collector. His knife is in the back of every small business by nine inches. He is going to put—
Employment InsuranceOral Question Period
2:40 p.m.
Some hon. members
Oh, oh.
Employment InsuranceOral Question Period
2:40 p.m.
The Speaker
My colleagues, of course in question period we expect strong words but I think today we are going a little bit overboard. I think if we are going to get on with question period we have to be civil to one another.
I would ask the hon. member to please go directly to her question.
Employment InsuranceOral Question Period
2:40 p.m.
Reform
Deborah Grey Reform Edmonton North, AB
Mr. Speaker, I will tell you what is overboard. It is a finance minister who will overcharge and take too much money out of our pockets.
I would like to ask—
Employment InsuranceOral Question Period
2:40 p.m.
Some hon. members
Oh, oh.
Employment InsuranceOral Question Period
2:40 p.m.
The Speaker
The question.
Employment InsuranceOral Question Period
2:40 p.m.
Reform
Deborah Grey Reform Edmonton North, AB
The question is, why will he not obey the law? Why is he overcharging?