Debates of Dec. 1st, 1998

Social Union

[Jean Chrétien, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, I can see the jealously of the opposition. It knows we are making progress. All the premiers are saying we are making progress. They say we do not need any artificial deadline because it will be counterproductive.

The Leader of the Opposition tried to score some political points. It was not me who replied to him this morning. It was Mr. Harris, Mr. Tobin, Mr. Romanow and Mr. Charest. I think I am in better company.

[Gilles Duceppe, Bloc, Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC]

Mr. Speaker, last August, all the premiers reached agreement in Saskatoon to propose a framework for social union aimed at setting out guidelines for the federal spending power.

Yesterday, Quebeckers gave their premier a mandate to settle this question once and for all.

Does the Prime Minister intend to respond promptly to this appeal and to hold a meeting with his provincial counterparts in order to finalize the agreement on social union?

[Jean Chrétien, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, the real winners by more than 25,000 votes yesterday in Quebec were the Liberal Party and Jean Charest—

[Some hon. members]

Hear, hear.

[Jean Chrétien, Liberal, Saint-Maurice, QC]

—who told the press, and who told me personally a few hours ago, that what is important is to ensure that we work together.

Mr. Charest discussed the social union with me in May, in June. Only in August did Mr. Bouchard start showing interest in it, when he said there were already nine other people on board the bus.

[Gilles Duceppe, Bloc, Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister should keep in mind that he was elected in 1997 with 38% of the popular vote across Canada.

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh.

[Some hon. members]

Hear, hear.

[Gilles Duceppe, Bloc, Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister says that, in the matter of spending power and the right to opt out with full compensation, Quebec only showed an interest in August. But talk has been going on about this for 50 years.

My question to the Prime Minister is this: Is his collaboration with the premier of Quebec done by negotiating behind the back of the Premier of Quebec with the leader of the opposition in the National Assembly? Is this his idea of collaboration? I would like to know.

[Jean Chrétien, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, it is true that we only received over twice as many votes as the leader of the opposition in the last election—

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh.

[Jean Chrétien, Liberal, Saint-Maurice, QC]

—and it is absolutely normal for me to talk to my colleague, and I imagine he talks to Mr. Bouchard. I saw Mr. Bouchard on television last night. He was smiling at the beginning of the evening, but he had no smile left by the end.

I believe we spoke last year in December about making some progress. Our position is in the 1996 Throne Speech. We ourselves were the ones to propose—

[The Speaker]

The hon. member for Roberval

[Michel Gauthier, Bloc, Roberval, QC]

Mr. Speaker, most certainly, the Prime Minister of Canada with his majority of five ridings out of 300 would be comfortable with a majority of 27 out of 125.

[Some hon. members]

Hear, hear.

[Michel Gauthier, Bloc, Roberval, QC]

However, that is not what I want to talk to him about. Clearly the Prime Minister's remarks are suspect, because each time he has spoken behind the back of the Premier of Quebec—we know what that led to in 1982—he is starting again.

My question for the Prime Minister is the following: what principle gives him the right to decide on health care, when it is not his responsibility and he has never campaigned on it?

[Jean Chrétien, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, here we go again. The poor martyrs are weeping again. The humiliated are back complaining again.

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh.

[Jean Chrétien, Liberal, Saint-Maurice, QC]

It was this government that proposed limiting spending power in the 1996 throne speech, and the Bloc Quebecois voted against the throne speech.

They voted against the resolution to give Quebec special status. They voted against legislation giving a veto to the regions in Canada, including Quebec. But they continue with their hypocrisy, whining all the time.

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh.

[The Speaker]

I would remind hon. members that I would prefer they not use words like “hypocrisy”.

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh.

[The Speaker]

The hon. member for Roberval.

[Michel Gauthier, Bloc, Roberval, QC]

Mr. Speaker, on the subject of hypocrisy—

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh.