Debates of April 27th, 1998

Depository Bills And Notes Act

[Paul Szabo, Liberal, Mississauga South, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. I wonder if you would consider seeing the clock as being 6.30 p.m.

[The Acting Speaker (Mr. McClelland)]

I believe that the hon. member for Mississauga South would like the House to proceed to the adjournment debate. Do we have agreement to see the clock as being 6.30 p.m.?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

A motion to adjourn the House under Standing Order 38 deemed to have been moved.

[Judy Wasylycia-Leis, NDP, Winnipeg North Centre, MB]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to have this opportunity to elaborate on the question that I posed in this Chamber on March 30 pertaining to compensation for all those who have suffered from the results of contaminated blood, in particular those who are suffering from hepatitis C.

This is a timely opportunity to have a further debate on this issue. It allows all members of this House to think through their positions very carefully before the vote in this House tomorrow evening, a critical vote for all Canadians and in particular the thousands of blood injured Canadians.

On March 30 I posed a question flowing from Justice Krever's report which all members will know resulted from a very long, thorough and in depth review of the tainted blood scandal. In that report Justice Krever said “ The compassion of a society can be judged by the measures it takes to reduce the impact of tragedy on its members”.

I remind all members of this Chamber of those words on this critical evening, on the eve of a very important vote in this Chamber. I appeal to everyone, in particular the members of the Liberal Party who are in a very difficult position this evening as they think through this issue and make a final determination on how they will vote tomorrow. I appeal to those members to listen to their hearts, to listen to their consciences, to act on the basis of principle, the principle if not of their own party, then of the kind of society we believe this country is all about.

I ask all members not to listen to arguments that have no basis in fact. I urge all members not to listen to the speaking notes being circulated to members of the government side which are nothing more than a partisan rag. I urge all members to listen to the voices of those who deal with this disease day in and day out, who have felt they have received no satisfactory response from this government.

Let me very quickly outline the arguments that have been posed by this government which have to be refuted one by one and then let me conclude by referencing a number of constituents of mine and people from across this country who have spoken out so clearly and so passionately to try to move this government to put in place full compensation for all blood injured Canadians.

Let us put aside the arguments around the period of 1986 to 1990, being the period for which this government is legally liable. Let us not forget that the test to determine hepatitis C in the blood supply was available long before 1986 and was in fact recognized by our scientific community as a meaningful test to determine hepatitis C in the blood supply.

Second, let us remember that what we are talking about is not something that is precedent setting but is in fact dealing with regulatory failure and is not to be confused with medical misadventure.

I have a question for the Liberals. If they take that line of argument how can they in fact acknowledge the compensation for thalidomide victims and for HIV victims? Surely it is time to put our hearts and our heads together and agree with the voices of so many Canadians.

I conclude by indicating that many Canadians are worried and concerned. I have received just in the last day 500 names of constituents in the city of Winnipeg expressing their concern and urging the government to employ compassion—

[The Acting Speaker (Mr. McClelland)]

The hon. Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister.

[Rey D. Pagtakhan, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, I am delighted to reply to the question.

Let me start by saying that the federal government, along with the provincial and territorial governments, offered $1.1 billion to compensate the patients for whom the disease could have been avoided from 1986 to 1990.

This was a decision arrived at by all provincial governments including the two NDP governments of British Columbia and Saskatchewan. It is not a package that was given without careful and thoughtful consideration for the victims of hepatitis C for whom the disease could have been avoided.

If we extend the package to those in the absence of fault, we ought to extend the compensation as well for all kinds of diseases as a consequence of injury from blood, not only hepatitis C but even allergies or even shock from blood transfusions.

The hon. member who raised the question has not told the House that she has approached the NDP premiers of Saskatchewan and British Columbia. Neither has she told the House that she has approached the health ministers of British Columbia and Saskatchewan, her own NDP counterparts.

If the federal NDP member has a commitment to change the package announced by the government, why has she not informed the House that she has already spoken to those NDP premiers and NDP governments?

The NDP minister of health in Saskatchewan has said that those who use this issue for the point alone as indicated by the NDP member are using political opportunism.

[The Acting Speaker (Mr. McClelland)]

The motion to adjourn the House is now deemed adopted. Accordingly, this House stands adjourned until tomorrow at 10 a.m., pursuant to Standing Order 24(1).

(The House adjourned at 5.28 p.m.)