House of Commons Hansard #171 of the 36th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was band.

Topics

Health CareOral Question Period

2:20 p.m.

Bloc

Gilles Duceppe Bloc Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC

Mr. Speaker, in the 1995 budget speech, the Minister of Finance said, and I quote “Provinces will now be able to design more innovative social programs—programs that respond to the needs of people today rather than to inflexible rules”.

What happened to the good intentions of 1995? Did the Prime Minister decide, rather than take the approach of the Minister of Finance on federal spending power, to take that of the Minister of Health?

Health CareOral Question Period

2:20 p.m.

Saint-Maurice Québec

Liberal

Jean Chrétien LiberalPrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, the best example is the child tax credit, which was negotiated in the area of social security between the federal and provincial governments.

We injected $1.7 billion in this area after coming to a very good understanding with the provinces. That shows clearly a solution can be found in the presence of good faith.

Health CareOral Question Period

2:20 p.m.

Bloc

Pierre Brien Bloc Témiscamingue, QC

Mr. Speaker, it is the federal government which is responsible for the billions of dollars in cuts that the provinces have had to contend with in the health sector.

Yet, this same government has done its utmost to make the provinces bear the blame for these cuts.

Considering the Prime Minister did everything he could to have the provinces bear the blame for these cuts, how can the prime minister now justify that, as he is about to give back to the provinces a small portion of the money that he deprived them of, his main if not only concern is to look like a saviour and ensure the federal government's political visibility?

Health CareOral Question Period

2:25 p.m.

Saint-Maurice Québec

Liberal

Jean Chrétien LiberalPrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, the federal government wants all Canadians to know exactly what their government is doing for them.

A responsible government that collects taxes should be able to tell taxpayers what it does with their money.

Health CareOral Question Period

2:25 p.m.

Bloc

Pierre Brien Bloc Témiscamingue, QC

Mr. Speaker, if he has any sense of responsibility, will the Prime Minister recognize that it is the federal government that made cuts in the health sector, that accumulated budget surpluses after making such cuts, and that, consequently, it is the federal government that must unconditionally give back to the provinces the money that it deprived them of, so they can provide health services to the public?

Health CareOral Question Period

2:25 p.m.

Saint-Maurice Québec

Liberal

Jean Chrétien LiberalPrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, in order to eliminate the $42 billion deficit which we inherited, we had to make cuts that affected everyone.

Still, the provinces continued to receive federal payments in the form of tax points. Half of the amount referred to earlier by the Bloc Quebecois leader has already been paid back through the tax points that have led to an increase in provincial revenues.

As I just said, the child benefit was used to transfer money to the provincial governments. We hope to have the same kind of co-operation in the case of health.

Health CareOral Question Period

2:25 p.m.

NDP

Alexa McDonough NDP Halifax, NS

Mr. Speaker, my question is also for the Prime Minister.

After years of federal cuts, the government now wants a report card from the provinces as a condition for reinvestment in health care. Surely what is good for the goose is good for the gander. Canadians want the federal government to be accountable too. After all, it is the federal government that massively and unilaterally cut health care transfers.

Why is the federal government advocating accountability for the provinces but avoiding accountability for itself?

Health CareOral Question Period

2:25 p.m.

Etobicoke Centre Ontario

Liberal

Allan Rock LiberalMinister of Health

Mr. Speaker, had the member read what we were saying, we were proposing accountability by governments to Canadians, that both the federal and provincial governments be accountable. We spend $80 billion a year on health care and we do not know what we get for the money.

We are proposing that once and for all, governments work together to measure outcomes and results and report to Canadians on what they are getting for their health care dollar.

Health CareOral Question Period

2:25 p.m.

NDP

Alexa McDonough NDP Halifax, NS

Mr. Speaker, it is obvious that the health minister lacks clout, so I want to direct my supplementary to the finance minister.

The minister hints that he may return 25 cents for every dollar he has ripped out of health care. For this Canadians are supposed to be grateful, to bow down and kiss his ring. Meanwhile, some women are forced to drive 300 kilometres to deliver their babies because there are no hospital beds nearby.

Will the finance minister today agree to return $2.5 billion to health care this year and commit today to long term stable health care funding?

Health CareOral Question Period

2:25 p.m.

LaSalle—Émard Québec

Liberal

Paul Martin LiberalMinister of Finance

Mr. Speaker, the government has made it very clear ever since last spring, the Prime Minister did so in a speech and the Minister of Health has made the same statement as indeed have most of the ministers on behalf of the government, that health care is indeed a priority for this government in this particular budget.

I would simply remind the hon. member that in fact health insurance was brought in by the Liberal Party in 1957, that medicare has been supported by the Liberal Party throughout the whole piece. The foundation for health care in this country was an innovation of Liberal governments and this government is going to protect it in the future.

JusticeOral Question Period

2:25 p.m.

Progressive Conservative

Peter MacKay Progressive Conservative Pictou—Antigonish—Guysborough, NS

Mr. Speaker, most Canadians were shocked and outraged in the wake of a B.C. justice's ruling dismissing charges of possession of child pornography as unconstitutional.

There is an urgent need for clarification for law enforcement agents, the judiciary and all Canadians. The protection of children afforded by section 163 of the Criminal Code should be paramount.

Will the Minister of Justice do more than simply intervene in the B.C. appeal and will she reference the Sharpe case to the Supreme Court of Canada immediately?

JusticeOral Question Period

2:30 p.m.

Edmonton West Alberta

Liberal

Anne McLellan LiberalMinister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada

Mr. Speaker, I reassure the House this government takes very seriously the protection of our children. This government takes very seriously allegations of child pornography and child abuse. As the hon. member is aware, carriage of this case lies primarily with the attorney general of British Columbia who has appealed this case to the B.C. court of appeal. He has asked for an expedited appeal.

Last week I made the decision to intervene on behalf of the Government of Canada and the people of Canada to defend the constitutionality of this law before the B.C. court of appeal.

JusticeOral Question Period

2:30 p.m.

Progressive Conservative

Diane St-Jacques Progressive Conservative Shefford, QC

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

Does the minister feel that child pornography legislation constitutes a reasonable restriction on freedom of expression? If so, should she not take immediate action, in the best interests of our children, and refer this matter to the Supreme Court of Canada right away?

JusticeOral Question Period

2:30 p.m.

Edmonton West Alberta

Liberal

Anne McLellan LiberalMinister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada

Mr. Speaker, as the intervention of the Government of Canada before the B.C. court of appeal points out, we are defending the constitutionality of that section of the Criminal Code. We believe that law to be constitutional.

Ethics CounsellorOral Question Period

February 1st, 1999 / 2:30 p.m.

Reform

Deborah Grey Reform Edmonton North, AB

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister's ethical questions grow longer every day. The ethics watchdog has now become the Prime Minister's own personal guard dog. I just received a personal letter from the ethics counsellor defending the Prime Minister and his actions. Is this the new Liberal definition of ethics?

Ethics CounsellorOral Question Period

2:30 p.m.

Saint-Maurice Québec

Liberal

Jean Chrétien LiberalPrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, she should be grateful that the ethics counsellor is willing to give all the information on the conflict of interest rulings made public in this House in June 1994. He is the one who advises every one of us, including me. He advises members from both sides of the House. He is always happy to give the information to anybody who wants it. That is why he met with reporters in the past. I always follow the instructions of the ethics counsellor.

Ethics CounsellorOral Question Period

2:30 p.m.

Reform

Deborah Grey Reform Edmonton North, AB

Mr. Speaker, it would be so handy if the Canadian public and this parliament knew exactly what the ethical code and guidelines are. Nobody seems to know what they are. The ethics counsellor simply has coffee with and reports to the Prime Minister but not to parliament. He is accountable to parliament. Could the Prime Minister stand in his place and make this determination: I am committed, as I said in the red book, to have an independent ethics counsellor who will report to parliament and not simply to the Prime Minister?

Ethics CounsellorOral Question Period

2:30 p.m.

Saint-Maurice Québec

Liberal

Jean Chrétien LiberalPrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, there was none of that. We established this institution to help all members of parliament. In the final analysis the Prime Minister is responsible to the House of Commons when there are problems of that nature. There were some cases where he met with members of parliament to explain the situation. He has been very open to the press. At the end of the day the responsibility for the good conduct of cabinet is that of the Prime Minister. This Prime Minister always discharges his responsibilities.

HealthOral Question Period

2:30 p.m.

Bloc

Pauline Picard Bloc Drummond, QC

Mr. Speaker, the intentions of the federal Minister of Health are clear. He wants to control the provinces' exercise of their constitutional rights with respect to health.

Will this federal interference in health matters not mean more public servants, statisticians and inspectors, rather than more doctors, nurses and clinical staff, which is what the public really wants?

HealthOral Question Period

2:30 p.m.

Saint-Laurent—Cartierville Québec

Liberal

Stéphane Dion LiberalPresident of the Queen's Privy Council for Canada and Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs

Mr. Speaker, as always, the Government of Canada intends to respect the Constitution fully.

HealthOral Question Period

2:30 p.m.

Some hon. members

Oh, oh.

HealthOral Question Period

2:30 p.m.

Liberal

Stéphane Dion Liberal Saint-Laurent—Cartierville, QC

We intend to work with the provinces in a spirit of respect for the Constitution as it applies to the health sector, just as a certain federal minister wanted to work with the provinces in the education sector 10 years ago.

That minister was Lucien Bouchard, and he said as follows: “We must also remember that... what we are now tackling, in co-operation with the provinces, are questions such as improved accessibility to student assistance, increased funding for university research, and funding for improved post-secondary education research and information.”

That minister had respect for the Constitution.

HealthOral Question Period

2:35 p.m.

Bloc

Pauline Picard Bloc Drummond, QC

What a lot of nonsense, Mr. Speaker.

The five tenets of Canada's health system are: public administration, universality, accessibility, comprehensiveness and portability.

Are we to understand from the behaviour of the federal government that it is unable to ensure these five tenets and wants to add a sixth, its own visibility?

HealthOral Question Period

2:35 p.m.

Saint-Laurent—Cartierville Québec

Liberal

Stéphane Dion LiberalPresident of the Queen's Privy Council for Canada and Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs

Mr. Speaker, one can always look through the wrong end of the telescope, the way the Bloc Quebecois does.

The fact remains that Canada is a modern federation and the Canadian government has weighty responsibilities in the matter of health, which are completely consistent with the Constitution and which are as follows: drug licensing, screening for epidemics, international health agreements, food inspection, health research, collection of statistics, criminal law—it is against the law to knowingly endanger someone else's health—, aboriginal health care, monitoring of immigration at border points with respect to health, public health information campaigns, military hospitals, health services—

HealthOral Question Period

2:35 p.m.

The Speaker

The member for Calgary Southeast.