House of Commons Hansard #108 of the 36th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was students.
Allan Rock LiberalMinister of Health
Mr. Speaker, the member should know by now the commitment of this government to look after the interests of those with any disease and particularly hepatitis C. As a result of the initiative of this government there is an offer of assistance that has been made to those who received tainted blood between 1986 and 1990 when those responsible could have acted to prevent it and did not.
All provinces at present are taking part in the working group looking at options to take other steps.
Grant Hill Reform Macleod, AB
Mr. Speaker, this is just like a broken record. However this is a new issue. The Prime Minister insulted all these victims. He said that if we compensate those victims we are going to have to compensate those who got hepatitis C from dirty needles. This is not about heroin. This is not about crack. This is not about a dirty alley. This is about people who did nothing wrong. Will they apologize now?
Herb Gray LiberalDeputy Prime Minister
Mr. Speaker, unlike the hon. member, I have the exact transcript of what the Prime Minister said. He did not insult hepatitis C victims. He did not intend to insult them. He was merely talking about some factors that deserved to be considered. That is all he did and the hon. member should recognize that.
Deborah Grey Reform Edmonton North, AB
Mr. Speaker, what the Prime Minister did was insult hepatitis C victims regardless of any comments he may or may not have made.
Before the Prime Minister left on this latest junket of his, he could not bring himself to admit that he was wrong regarding compensation for hepatitis C victims.
I would like to ask the following question of the government. Is it not true that the Prime Minister gave one instruction and one instruction only for the health minister when he left on this latest junket which was to scuttle the deal?
Allan Rock LiberalMinister of Health
Mr. Speaker, it was this government that put the deal in place. It was this government that involved the provincial and territorial governments in making the deal. Until the Prime Minister and this government initiated the process every health minister in the country was refusing to talk about compensating those with hepatitis C.
The instructions of the Prime Minister and the position of this government are that the interests of the hepatitis C victims should be taken into account and compensation to be offered on proper principles. That is exactly what we have done.
Deborah Grey Reform Edmonton North, AB
Mr. Speaker, that is some line from the health minister who said the file is closed.
The Prime Minister wrote to Premier Mike Harris stating the following “I note your recent decision to move beyond this principled initiative to play a role in those areas where no government responsibility has been identified”.
I would like to ask the health minister on behalf of his Prime Minister, when is the Prime Minister going to become principled, admit that he was wrong and compensate all hepatitis C victims?
Allan Rock LiberalMinister of Health
Mr. Speaker, it was principles that led us to persuade the provinces to join with us in the agreement to offer assistance to 22,000 people who contracted hepatitis C through the blood system.
We have now organized a working group to look anew at all the options for dealing with those with hepatitis C as a result of the fact that at least two of the provinces have changed their positions from the original agreement.
If the member would let that working group get its job done, let ministers and governments examine the options, she would be a lot farther ahead.
Gilles Duceppe Bloc Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC
Mr. Speaker, according to an internal memo from the Department of Human Resources Development obtained through access to information, 72% of the $6 billion in surplus generated by successive employment insurance reforms was the result of government cutbacks.
Will the minister admit that, out of the $6 billion saved in the EI plan in 1996, $4.3 billion was saved through repeated cuts made on the backs of the unemployed?
Pierre Pettigrew LiberalMinister of Human Resources Development
Mr. Speaker, in working on this employment insurance reform, we have tried to strike a balance in the best interest of all Canadians. We believe that this balance has improved the situation of Canadians with respect to job market.
Pierre Pettigrew Liberal Papineau—Saint-Denis, QC
For instance, as a result of the EI reform, we are more focused on a number of active measures. Members across the way never discuss the reform as a whole or other initiatives which help Canadians get back to work instead of staying on EI.
Gilles Duceppe Bloc Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC
Mr. Speaker, let us talk about balance and improved situation. In 1990, 72.5% of unemployed youth received UI benefits, while in 1997, only 26% did.
Does the minister realize that, while making fine-sounding speeches on youth, he is excluding three young persons out of four from his so-called employment insurance plan?
Pierre Pettigrew LiberalMinister of Human Resources Development
Mr. Speaker, I have stated repeatedly in the House that we are concerned about the participation rate of the unemployed in our employment insurance system, and we have asked Statistics Canada to determine why this is so.
I would appreciate it if the Bloc Quebecois also paid attention to the numerous youth programs we have developed. Instead of forcing them unto employment insurance, we provide them with internship and community work opportunities to help them get into the workforce. That is what we are doing for our young people, and I think this is much more helpful.
Christiane Gagnon Bloc Québec, QC
Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Human Resources Development.
Young people are not the only ones suffering because of the minister's so-called reform. Women too, the very people the minister kept telling everyone would benefit greatly from the reform, are also among the victims.
If he truly wished to help advance the cause of women, what is the minister waiting for to end the discrimination to which they are subject and give them maternity leave benefits under the same conditions as other workers?
Pierre Pettigrew LiberalMinister of Human Resources Development
Mr. Speaker, our reform has substantially improved women's access to maternity leave.
Pierre Pettigrew Liberal Papineau—Saint-Denis, QC
Up until now, the number of women on leave and women who worked part time—
Christiane Gagnon Bloc Québec, QC
Mr. Speaker, the minister should get with it and look at the facts—
Employment InsuranceOral Question Period
The Speaker
I apologize. I thought the hon. minister had finished. The hon. Minister of Human Resources Development has the floor.
Pierre Pettigrew Liberal Papineau—Saint-Denis, QC
Mr. Speaker, what I was attempting to say, when I was interrupted by opposition members, who are unable to face up to the facts of this EI reform, is that 500,000 part-time workers, largely women therefore, were not covered under the system the Bloc Quebecois keeps wanting to bring back.
Christiane Gagnon Bloc Québec, QC
Mr. Speaker, the minister should get with it and look squarely at the facts instead of trying to hide his lack of compassion for women behind a cloud of fine words.
How does the minister explain that, with the birthrate down by 1% in 1997, maternity leave benefits were down by 6%?
Pierre Pettigrew LiberalMinister of Human Resources Development
Mr. Speaker, what the member also continually fails to mention is that women who were not covered in the past are covered now.
Women who were on maternity leave or who decided to raise a family now have access to active measures and training to which they did not have access before, once they have raised their families and decide to re-enter the job market.
Our reform seeks to strike a balance. Once women have raised their families, they are now entitled to assistance in re-entering the job market because of EI reform and they are glad of it.
Alexa McDonough NDP Halifax, NS
Mr. Speaker, unlicensed albumin blood product is being used on Canadians. Health officials say “Don't worry, no problem. It has been approved in the U.S.” The truth is that this blood product manufacturer has been hauled into the courts for extensive safety violations.
The health minister has a responsibility to protect the blood supply. Can the minister honestly assure Canadians that this blood product is safe?