Debates of Feb. 11th, 1999

Health Care

[Grant Hill, Reform, Macleod, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the minister would like to direct attention elsewhere because he has a record that he is not very proud of. While he has raised taxes by $40 billion, he has wrung $16 billion out of the health care system, not a record that anybody should be very proud of.

My question is very simple. When taxes are at record highs, why is health care in such a sorry, sorry state?

[Allan Rock, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, the problems one sees on the ground are being coped with by provincial governments. We are going to be there next week in the budget to announce measures we believe will help them.

Let me make clear that the measures we will announce will be intended to strengthen our public system of medicare in the country supported by the Canada Health Act. That is not something the Reform Party understands or appreciates.

We all know what the Reform Party would do. It would repeal the Canada Health Act. It would have American style medicine in Canada. It would have private insurance. That is something we will never do.

Export Of Candu Reactors

[Maud Debien, Bloc, Laval East, QC]

Mr. Speaker, on Tuesday the Minister for International Trade revealed here in the House that the federal government wishes to continue exporting CANDU reactors.

My question is for the Prime Minister. Given the lack of scientific and social consensus on the safety of Canadian nuclear technology, can the Prime Minister guarantee that his government will not advance the billions of dollars required to purchase new CANDU reactors to Romania and Turkey?

[Ralph Goodale, Liberal, Minister of Natural Resources and Minister responsible for the Canadian Wheat Board]

Mr. Speaker, obviously with respect to future transactions, no one can predict what might happen in terms of future business relationships.

On the scientific point, the hon. member does this Canadian technology a grave disservice by implying that it is somehow inherently unsafe. In fact, the Candu has the safest track record in the world.

[Maud Debien, Bloc, Laval East, QC]

Mr. Speaker, my supplementary question is for the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Can the Minister of Foreign Affairs tell us whether he intends to follow up on the recommendation of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs calling upon Parliament to conduct “a separate and in-depth study on the domestic use, and foreign export of, Canada's civilian nuclear technology”?

[Lloyd Axworthy, Liberal, Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, we are actively looking at the very interesting recommendations from the committee. We have 150 days to respond. I can assure the hon. member that we will be responding in a very comprehensive way within that time period. I am sure that we will be able to provide the kind of answers she is looking for.

Health Care

[Val Meredith, Reform, South Surrey—White Rock—Langley, BC]

Mr. Speaker, under the new health care accord that the Prime Minister and the health minister mentioned this afternoon, three provinces may end up paying more than they receive. If the additional health care funds are transferred under the existing formula, the citizens of Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia will pay more than they receive.

In the interests of fairness and equity, will the Prime Minister commit to transfer the additional funds for health care on a per capita basis?

[Jean Chrétien, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, I was there and all the premiers said it was a very good deal.

I do not know where the member is getting that from. Some are presuming that perhaps if we decide to cut taxes, the provinces will have to cut taxes. Everybody will note that the Reform Party is against any tax cuts by the federal government because it might affect the provinces.

[Val Meredith, Reform, South Surrey—White Rock—Langley, BC]

Mr. Speaker, it is very clear to those under the Canada health and social transfer that there are three provinces in this country that pay more.

I remind the Prime Minister that the first principle of the social union that he signed a week ago was to treat all Canadians with fairness and equity. Why is the Prime Minister so willing to put that aside one week later?

[Jean Chrétien, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, it is why the premiers signed. It is why they said thank you to the federal government. It is why they said it was a very innovative way to operate the federation, that everybody would be better off with this new system than with the old system.

I know that the Reform Party is in very bad shape these days to raise questions like that.

Human Cloning

[Pauline Picard, Bloc, Drummond, QC]

Mr. Speaker, at the initiative of the Bloc Quebecois, the House will soon debate the basic question of human cloning.

Could the minister tell us whether the government intends to proceed with this matter and could he tell us why he is trying to amend the bill in order to delay its implementation?

[Allan Rock, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, it is common knowledge that the present government opposes human cloning. In Canada, we have had a voluntary moratorium since 1995, and a year ago, we introduced Bill C-47 to ban this and other practices.

We are currently examining a bill to do the same thing, and I intend to table it shortly.

Aboriginal Affairs

[Nancy Karetak-Lindell, Liberal, Nunavut, NU]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Secretary of State for Children and Youth.

Inuit communities across the north suffer from among the highest rates of unemployment in Canada. Can the Secretary of State for Children and Youth tell this House what is being done to help Inuit find and keep jobs?

[Ethel Blondin-Andrew, Liberal, Secretary of State (Children and Youth)]

Mr. Speaker, I was pleased today to have the hon. member for Nunavut with me to sign a national accord with the Inuit Tapirisat of Canada.

The accord recognizes that a one size fits all solution does meet the needs of the Inuit people in the labour market. It will empower Inuit people to design and deliver their own programs. The national accord replaces the existing national framework agreement and signals the beginning of a new five year program that we are going to undertake for the Inuit. The details will be announced by the government at a later date.

Shearwater Development Corporation

[Lee Morrison, Reform, Cypress Hills—Grasslands, SK]

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

Three days ago Shearwater Development Corporation ceased operations after blowing $2.6 million in public money. In spite of ACOA largesse and a good income from airport operations Shearwater did not pay its principal contractor, Frontec Corporation, last year and has been hit with a $677,000 judgment.

Does the minister have any idea where all the money went and is the government responsible for the debt to Frontec?

[Fred Mifflin, Liberal, Minister of Veterans Affairs and Secretary of State (Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency)]

Mr. Speaker, as I said a week or so ago, the Shearwater Development Corporation was put together to ameliorate the effect of the downsizing of Shearwater. Cornwallis did very well by the way.

The question was, where did the money go. The money went to keep the airport operating. The airport was still operating and the assets are still there.

Regrettably Shearwater Development Corporation is not in business any more. The future of the property and indeed the airport is now between the Government of Nova Scotia and the Government of Canada through public works and government services.

[Lee Morrison, Reform, Cypress Hills—Grasslands, SK]

Mr. Speaker, Shearwater has given a brand new meaning to the term not for profit corporation.

Shearwater's chairman, Charles Keating, is a high profile Liberal operator. His executive director worked for former MP Ron MacDonald. Neither one of them has any transportation expertise, yet they talked of turning Shearwater into a “multimodal transportation hub”.

They made lots of money running that airport. Where did the money go? Will the minister launch an investigation?

[Fred Mifflin, Liberal, Minister of Veterans Affairs and Secretary of State (Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency)]

Mr. Speaker, as I said before, there is no need for an investigation. The money was spent to keep the airport open. As the delivery agency, ACOA accounted for the money. Due diligence was done. Everything was done properly. There is no need for an investigation. There will be no investigation.

Health Care

[Yvon Godin, NDP, Acadie—Bathurst, NB]

Mr. Speaker, emergency rooms throughout the country are in a state of crisis because of the cuts imposed by this Liberal government. The situation is critical in Montreal. Patients are waiting 48 hours on stretchers before getting a bed. In Toronto, the Ontario government is contemplating sending sick children to the United States. B.C. immediately invested $10 million, Quebec, $20 million.

Will this Liberal government assume its share of the responsibility and reinvest today? It is today we need money in health care across the country.

[Allan Rock, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, clearly for us health is a key priority. Clearly, as the Prime Minister said, we will be reinvesting in health care significantly in the coming budget.

I would ask the hon. member to wait for next week's budget. We will take steps to improve the situation.

[Peter Mancini, NDP, Sydney—Victoria, NS]

Mr. Speaker, I am glad that health is a priority for the government because my question is also for the health minister.

A report released this afternoon by the Sierra Club of Canada, co-authored by renowned experts in environmental health and safety, is a scathing indictment of the Can-Tox study co-sponsored by Health Canada last year regarding Frederick Street. The findings of the now flawed Can-Tox study were the basis for the government's inaction.

Will the Minister of Health continue to leave the people of Frederick Street at risk or will he show that it is a priority and do the right thing for the people in that community now and not next week?

[Allan Rock, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, along with the Minister of the Environment I met with the residents of Frederick Street some months ago when I was in Sydney. I said to them then and I repeat now that our concern is for their safety and for their health.

Let me say two things. First, the Can-Tox study was made public. We believe it was right, but we are going to look at the report which we are receiving this afternoon and we will study it carefully.

Second, a joint action group made up of people from the community is looking at strategies. That is where the strategy should start. We will support that process now and in the future.

The Economy

[Scott Brison, Progressive Conservative, Kings—Hants, NS]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians' after tax income has declined by 7% since the early 1990s. One in five Canadian children are now living in poverty. All Canadians, particularly low end Canadians, need tax relief now.

In the last budget the finance minister took $2.5 billion of Canadians' money to put into a millennium scholarship fund. How much of that money has benefited Canadians this year when they need it?

[Jim Peterson, Liberal, Secretary of State (International Financial Institutions)]

Mr. Speaker, the member certainly outlines how from day one in our first budget, even though we had a huge deficit, we have been investing in the future of Canadians. One of our first major investments was to increase the floor of the transfers for health care.

We realize that we cannot have a strong country unless we have the best trained and best educated young people. That is why we have made this huge investment in the future of our young Canadians.

[Scott Brison, Progressive Conservative, Kings—Hants, NS]

Mr. Speaker, that was the long answer. The short answer is zero. Not one red cent of that $2.5 billion taken from Canadians was reinvested in Canadians this year. Will the minister stop playing Mother Hubbard with Canadians' money? Will he reduce taxes for low income Canadians next week by fully reindexing tax brackets and by raising the basic personal exemption to $10,000?

I ask the secretary of state not to say that he cannot comment on the budget because everybody knows that the minister has been leaking like a sieve.