Debates of May 15th, 1998

Young Offenders Act

[The Deputy Speaker]

The hon. member for Oakville.

National Nursing Week

[Bonnie Brown, Liberal, Oakville, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to remind members of the House and all Canadians that this week, May 11 to 17, is National Nursing Week. The theme is “Nursing is the Key” which appropriately emphasizes the pivotal role that nurses play in delivering quality health care to all Canadians.

This year, 1998, marks the 90th anniversary of the Canadian Nurses Association. This association has consistently worked to advance the quality of nursing by promoting high standards of practice, education and research.

There are now over 200,000 nurses practising in Canada. Please join me in recognizing their committed caring service to Canadians.

To the nurses of Canada I want to say, we salute you and we thank you.

Banks

[Lorne Nystrom, NDP, Qu'Appelle, SK]

Mr. Speaker, earlier this week in London at the opening of Canada House, an embassy that is really owned by the people and the parliament of this country, guess who held a dinner at Canada House? The BCNI, the Business Council on National Issues.

Guess who as at the dinner? The Prime Minister was there and Al Flood was there. He is the president and CEO of the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce. Guess what they were doing? They were sipping champagne and eating caviar. And they were doing this at taxpayers' expense. Ordinary people of this country, senior citizens like George Armstrong in my riding, are paying for the Prime Minister to sip champagne and eat caviar with the president of a big bank.

Guess who this bank wants to merge with? It wants to merge with the Toronto-Dominion Bank. Who was on the board of the TD bank a few years ago? The Prime Minister was on that board a few years ago.

Earlier in the day the Prime Minister was also sipping champagne and who was he doing that with? Matthew Barrett, the president of the Bank of Montreal. That is improper—

[The Deputy Speaker]

The hon. member for Pontiac—Gatineau—Labelle.

Sommet De La Francophonie

[Robert Bertrand, Liberal, Pontiac—Gatineau—Labelle, QC]

Mr. Speaker, today in Moncton the minister responsible for Francophonie is officially opening the offices of the secretariat for the Sommet de la Francophonie, in preparation for the next summit, to be held in 1999.

This summit is a significant landmark in the increasing recognition of francophones. The summit also offers a forum for the exchange of information and cultural values between countries which share a common language and the desire to map out a consistent path toward extending their influence throughout the world.

This stage in the process also marks a concrete commitment by the Canadian government to ensuring that this summit will contribute to the unity of all francophone peoples sharing values as essential as language and culture.

We wish every success to those who will be working so diligently in these Moncton offices in preparation for a summit that is important for the future of all francophones.

St. Francis Xavier University

[Peter MacKay, Progressive Conservative, Pictou—Antigonish—Guysborough, NS]

Mr. Speaker, on May 3, St. Francis Xavier University, situated in my riding in Nova Scotia in the beautiful town of Antigonish, added hundreds of new faces to its illustrious alumni with the graduation of 733 students during the university's spring convocation.

I had the privilege of attending this momentous occasion for graduating students and their families. I was pleased to meet many of the new members of the class of 1998 who are poised to make a significant contribution to their communities, their country and in some instances the world.

In particular I would like to salute the graduating students from my riding who earned university medals. The medal winners were: Kristina Fabijancic and Janise MacIsaac, both of Antigonish, and Belinda Ann Cameron of New Glasgow. As stated by this year's honorary degree recipient, His Eminence Cardinal Carter, St. Francis Xavier is a treasure for the country.

Congratulations to the St. F.X. graduates, the latest riches of our country's treasure.

Calgary Declaration

[Paul Devillers, Liberal, Simcoe North, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased with Monday's report describing the results of Ontario's consultation process on the Calgary declaration.

Ontarians clearly support this declaration. This has been demonstrated by the responses received during the public consultation process. The poll released at the same time shows that 87% of Ontarians support the Calgary declaration and 73% of Ontarians recognize the unique character of Quebec society.

In the light of the results of this vigorous poll and the many other positive results of polls across the country, the figures the Bloc keeps repeating on the Calgary declaration have lost a lot of meaning.

Clearly Canadians support the values of compassion, equality, tolerance and diversity expressed in the Calgary declaration. Canadians should be proud of this demonstration of support for one another.

National Defence

[Leon Benoit, Reform, Lakeland, AB]

Mr. Speaker, at the defence committee in response to hearing about the mistreatment of injured soldier Master Corporal Dohlan, the chief of defence staff said that he would personally ensure that the family was well looked after.

That was three weeks ago, but when I phoned Mrs. Dohlan Wednesday night, what she reported was quite frankly sickening. “The military has abandoned us”, she reported. Mrs. Dohlan must look after her husband, who was seriously injured in a parachute accident, as well as her five young children. She feels desperate. All she asks is that the military pay her expenses for driving her injured husband to the hospital twice a week and cover child care. Some home care would be nice, she said.

She is not exactly asking for $2 million for some big retirement party. Instead she has been given a duty driver who is expensive and unwanted.

Is this how an injured soldier and his family are treated when they are getting the special attention of the chief of defence staff? If that is the way they are treated, then how on earth are all other injured soldiers being treated?

Association Canadienne-Française Pour L'Avancement Des Sciences

[Hélène Alarie, Bloc, Louis-Hébert, QC]

Mr. Speaker, this week, Laval University is hosting the most important scientific get-together in the francophone world: the 66th congress of the Association canadienne-française pour l'avancement des sciences, which is taking place in Quebec City from May 10 to 15 with, as its theme, the future of science in Quebec.

There are 5,000 delegates to the ACFAS conference, and some 10,000 visitors are expected to spend the week on the university campus where they will have the opportunity to hear 3,000 scientific talks on subjects ranging from polymer physics to the family to computer art.

Research and development are the pillars of the knowledge economy. They present a major challenge for the future for all societies wishing to advance into the 21st century.

Quebec has closed the gap between it and the other regions of Canada and is now ahead of Denmark, Italy and Norway. In this regard, ACFAS will continue to act as a catalyst, especially by promoting science in Quebec society and encouraging young people to take up the challenge.

Hepatitis C

[Grant Hill, Reform, Macleod, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the hep C compensation meetings yesterday were, in my view, a farce. The victims left those meetings feeling betrayed. They felt betrayed because the health minister went to that meeting and sat meekly in the corner without a position. He was seeking a consensus, while the victims wanted a position from the federal government.

How could this minister have gone to those meetings without a well researched, well thought out federal government position?

[Allan Rock, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, the meeting yesterday produced progress. The member should know that although no final conclusion was reached, the ministers agreed that a working group would examine options which will enable us to do something meaningful for all those who suffer from hepatitis C as a result of the blood system. That working group will get under way immediately. It will work over the short term to present fully researched options to all ministers.

We continue to prefer a national approach to this issue. That was the view of those around the table yesterday. Unilateral action is not the answer. We will continue to work in the public interest.

[Grant Hill, Reform, Macleod, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the hepatitis C issue has degenerated into face saving for the Liberals. The Prime Minister is on record as saying that on his watch there will be no resignations, no backsliding and no face saving. This has ended up saving the image of the Prime Minister rather than looking after the victims. Is this not taking the politics of stubbornness to its newest low?

[Allan Rock, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, as the House knows there was a consensus among all governments in late March. Two governments rejected that consensus and went off in a different direction. At yesterday's meeting that sort of unilateralism was deplored by the vast majority of Canadian governments. Instead we renewed our commitment to finding a national approach to this issue. A working group has been put in place over the short term to look at the options for a national approach. That is the way governments can act most effectively in the interest of all those infected with hepatitis C through the blood system.

[Grant Hill, Reform, Macleod, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Health may use this study group as a hiding tactic, but the victims will not let that happen. They are willing to follow this minister and every Liberal this summer. They are going to go to every parade. They are going to go to every ribbon cutting. They are going to go to every celebration. The hepatitis C signs will be there. They will not give up. The opposition will not give up until the the victims of hepatitis C have fair and just compensation. When will they get it?

[Allan Rock, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, if it was not evident before now what this man is, we all see it for ourselves today. He is the ambulance chaser of Canadian politics.

It was pathetic. While ministers yesterday were upstairs working toward a solution, this man was in the lobby straining to get into the camera shot with the victims. He is a disgrace. He lowers the level of debate.

Those of us who are committed to a real solution will continue to work toward it.

[Chuck Strahl, Reform, Fraser Valley, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I will tell you about the commitment of the member for Macleod. He has had to help people who have been in ambulances. This minister may have seen them in court, but he has never in his life helped a person out of an ambulance.

This health minister has failed dismally every step of the way. The file has been pried open despite his efforts to keep it closed. Why does the minister not admit that he did not take a position into that meeting yesterday because he did not want the meeting to succeed? The hepatitis C victims have been let down and this minister let them down by leading the way.

[Allan Rock, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, the member has no idea what went on inside the meeting yesterday, so I will tell him. Ministers sat around the table and examined the options available to governments to help those who contracted hepatitis C through the blood system.

We agreed that a national approach with all governments working together is the best approach. The governments ought not to act unilaterally. Then we agreed over the short term to ask a working group to examine the options available to us so we can select the best one.

That is the responsible way to proceed in these circumstances.

[Chuck Strahl, Reform, Fraser Valley, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the leadership of the Hepatitis C Society now openly condemns the health minister, saying, from firsthand experience, that he cannot be trusted. They have said that he has a duty to help those people in need and he has failed miserably. He had a duty to bring a position to that meeting and he failed to do that.

He has but one duty left. Will he perform it? Will he do his duty and resign as the health minister of this country?

[Allan Rock, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, as a result of this government's leadership there are 22,000 victims of hepatitis C who received an offer of compensation from all governments. Where was the Reform Party last year? Where was the Reform Party last winter when that work was going on? It is this government which led that effort.

Yesterday this government led the effort to pursue a national approach to this issue and we will work with governments, as we have in the past, until a solution is found.

I can tell the hon. member that all governments are committed to an approach that is in the interest of all those who suffer from hepatitis C as a result of the blood system.

[Suzanne Tremblay, Bloc, Rimouski—Mitis, QC]

Mr. Speaker, my question is also for the Minister of Health.

If the minister had truly shown leadership, as he claims, he would have had something to show us yesterday. He should admit his responsibility and be prepared to put up the money to resolve the hepatitis C problem. Instead, he has done nothing.

Will he admit what all observers are saying today, that his real mandate was to make sure the conference failed?

[Allan Rock, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member is mistaken. Yesterday, we discussed a co-ordinated approach by all governments with all ministers, including the minister from Quebec. We agreed to have a task force and to look at all our options together.

We feel that a co-ordinated Canada-wide approach is in the best interest of hepatitis C victims. That is this government's objective.

[Suzanne Tremblay, Bloc, Rimouski—Mitis, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the minister should understand that what victims want is not studies, but compensation. They are fed up to the teeth with this minister's studies, which keep going over the same ground, but never produce a solution.

Will the minister admit that his government is quite simply incapable of showing compassion, although it is not for lack of funds.

[Allan Rock, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, it was the Government of Canada that initiated the process to compensate hepatitis C victims 12 months ago.

Quebec declined to take part last July, last fall and in January of this year. We have finally persuaded them to join us. It was the Government of Canada that set this process in motion.

[Maurice Dumas, Bloc, Argenteuil—Papineau, QC]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Health.

Today, we expect the federal government will announce a budget surplus of between $4 and $8 billion for the 1997-98 fiscal year.

Does the minister realize that, with such a surplus, the government has ample means to express its compassion and that it should compensate all victims of hepatitis C?

[Allan Rock, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, together we are looking for a way to treat all those who have contracted hepatitis C through the public blood supply system appropriately. This is the objective of all governments. We are trying to come up with a collective approach.

Every year, Quebec and the other provinces receive money for their health care systems from the Government of Canada through transfers. We share this responsibility annually.