Debates of March 10th, 1998

Health

[Pauline Picard, Bloc, Drummond, QC]

Mr. Speaker, are we to understand that, after infringing upon education with the millennium scholarship, the federal government is now set to repeat its feat in health with a national home care program, in spite of the fact that health is an exclusive provincial jurisdiction?

[Allan Rock, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Not at all, Mr. Speaker. It is not a matter of infringing upon a provincial jurisdiction. The federal government has an important role to play and we intend to play that role and honour it.

Decriminalization Of Marijuana

[Bernard Bigras, Bloc, Rosemont, QC]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Health. Polls tell us that a majority of Canadians and Quebeckers now support decriminalizing marijuana for medical purposes.

Is the minister prepared to set up a parliamentary committee to conduct an in-depth review of this issue, so that recommendations can be made regarding the decriminalization of marijuana for medical purposes?

[Allan Rock, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, the issue is under consideration by my department and by the Department of Justice. Along with my colleague, we are reviewing all the aspects of the issue, particularly the use of marijuana for medical purposes. We hope to present our policy in the coming months.

[Bernard Bigras, Bloc, Rosemont, QC]

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

Will the minister recognize that, by refusing to take a stand and to assume her responsibilities in this matter, she is leaving it up to the courts to make the decision?

[Anne McLellan, Liberal, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, I would not concede that I am shirking my responsibility in this matter. In fact, as the Minister of Health has indicated, he and I have put our officials to work to develop a position that we will bring forward for consideration by all members of the House.

I think the Minister of Health and I concede that the possible decriminalization of marijuana for medicinal purposes is an important issue. It is one that we are studying. It is one that we are going to continue to look at.

Research And Development

[Susan Whelan, Liberal, Essex, ON]

Mr. Speaker, expenditures on research and development in Canada are lagging behind other countries, particularly our major trading partners such as the United States and Germany.

I have a question for the secretary of state. What is this government doing to invest in Canada's future?

[Ronald J. Duhamel, Liberal, Secretary of State (Science]

Mr. Speaker, the budget provided $405 million additionally over three years for our brightest and our best graduates to conduct leading edge research throughout Canada to ensure that we continue to be competitive and additionally so.

I could mention several other initiatives, but I will stop here.

Disabilities

[Rick Laliberte, NDP, Churchill River, SK]

Mr. Speaker, last week the Prime Minister received an international award for Canada's progress on disability issues. At the same time in Spiritwood, Saskatchewan, Mr. Maurice Bourassa, a man missing both his legs and an eye, was again denied disability benefits from the government.

Does the minister of human resources support the CPP decision that losing two legs and an eye does not meet severe prolonged criteria? What is his answer to Mr. Bourassa today?

[Pierre Pettigrew, Liberal, Minister of Human Resources Development]

Mr. Speaker, of course all Canadians are quite proud that the United Nations recognized our country and our great efforts toward disabled Canadians.

The Prime Minister received recognition for the work and the progress we have made as far as disabled people in Canada are concerned.

I commend the work of the Minister of Finance as well who worked with our ministry of human resources. I have been able to promote a number of very positive improvements for disabled Canadians in the country.

[Rick Laliberte, NDP, Churchill River, SK]

Mr. Speaker, further to this issue, Mr. Bourassa has tried for years to be self-sufficient. He has been taking courses and working hard but his injuries keep preventing him from succeeding.

He is left with student debts and little hope. He is betrayed by this country and abandoned, a victim of bureaucratic loopholes and budget targets.

Will the minister responsible admit that his department is making a mistake and tell Mr. Bourassa today that he will not be a statistic and his claim will be accepted?

[Pierre Pettigrew, Liberal, Minister of Human Resources Development]

Mr. Speaker, of course there is an element of confidentiality. I would not begin to discuss the precise file of a Canadian citizen in the House.

I will look into the file. I will look into the situation and I will make sure that we do the proper thing.

Highways

[Bill Casey, Progressive Conservative, Cumberland—Colchester, NS]

Mr. Speaker, it is time for a good highway question. In September 1995 the Minister of Transport put $16.2 million into a highway project in New Brunswick on one condition, that the province of New Brunswick put $16.2 million in as well.

As soon as the federal money was in the province pulled its money out. The people of Canada entrusted the minister to look after their $16.2 million.

Will the minister now call the province of New Brunswick to put the money back as it agreed?

[David Collenette, Liberal, Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, I have answered the question before. I have talked at length on this matter with the hon. member. I assure him that as far as the Government of Canada is concerned this agreement was executed faithfully.

New Brunswick discharged its end of the bargain. The federal government only paid for work once it was audited and the work was done in compliance with the contract.

[Bill Casey, Progressive Conservative, Cumberland—Colchester, NS]

Mr. Speaker, clause 5.2(d) of the agreement says that any modification of the financial agreement requires the approval of the federal Minister of Transport in writing. If the minister did not approve this change in writing, in effect the federal government has broken a contract as well.

Did the minister agree in writing and will he table that agreement today?

[David Collenette, Liberal, Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, I think I have gone out of my way to give the hon. member all the details as far as the federal government is concerned on this highway agreement.

I will try to get more answers for him so that he is satisfied. He knows, and I have acknowledged it in the House, that there is an issue that has to be dealt with in future agreements, that is the application of tolling arrangements.

I invite the hon. member to give his ideas on how we could effect a better policy for a national highway program.

Fisheries

[Gurbax Malhi, Liberal, Bramalea—Gore—Malton, ON]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans. It is my understanding that Canadian approved inflatable personal flotation devices, PFDs, will soon be available for Canadian boaters. How will these new inflatable personal flotation devices help to improve safety for Canadians?

[Wayne Easter, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of Fisheries and Oceans]

Mr. Speaker, safety is a primary concern to the Canadian coast guard.

The initiative my hon. colleague talks about is about saving lives. Current research indicates that many people when they are in the water and boating do not wear PFDs because of their bulkiness. The new devices will differ from current devices in that they are lighter and more comfortable to wear and it is assumed people will use them.

Immigration

[John Nunziata, Independent, York South—Weston, ON]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the minister of immigration.

The minister is now seized with a report which recommends that people who cannot speak French or English should not be allowed to immigrate to Canada. Is the minister prepared today to categorically reject this racist recommendation?

[Lucienne Robillard, Liberal, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration]

Mr. Speaker, I think the hon. member should have listened to my statements on the consultations I am currently holding across the country.

I personally expressed some concerns regarding such a recommendation. Strict adherence to these criteria would, I believe, prevent some very good potential citizens from immigrating to our country. This is true not only for the language requirement, but also for age and education. I have made it very clear that I myself have some reservations.

[John Nunziata, Independent, York South—Weston, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I did not hear a categorical rejection of that recommendation. Her own leader at Queen's Park said yesterday “I cannot support any federal immigration policy that contradicts the spirit of Canada's tradition”.

I put the question to the minister again. Will she today categorically reject the racist recommendation?

[Lucienne Robillard, Liberal, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration]

Mr. Speaker, again, during these consultations, which end tomorrow in Ottawa, I heard various groups express their concerns on the issue.

However, these groups showed much more moderation in their comments than the hon. member does. They told us that, indeed, learning a new language is an asset for someone coming to Canada. However, to make this an essential requirement would be going too far.

Obviously, we will look at what Canadians think about this requirement and apply the best—

[The Speaker]

The hon. member for Beauport—Montmorency—Orléans.

Shipping

[Michel Guimond, Bloc, Beauport—Montmorency—Orléans, QC]

Mr. Speaker, recently 40% of the passengers on the Norwegian Star were infected by a virus on three consecutive cruises.

As tourists from cruise ships are vital to the economy of the ports along the St. Lawrence, the government intends to implement a program to carry out health inspections on all cruise ships calling in the ports along the St. Lawrence.

My question is for the Minister of Transport. Who will pay for the new service: the passengers, the shipowners, the port authorities or the government?

[David Collenette, Liberal, Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, we are very concerned about what goes on in ships in Canadian waters. The hon. member should know that the federal Department of Health has been concerned about some of the incidents of lack of hygiene on the ships. It is moving to try to bring in better standards to ensure that safety is paramount when these ships arrive at Canadian ports.