Debates of Feb. 17th, 1999

The Budget

[Grant Hill, Reform, Macleod, AB]

Mr. Speaker, this would all be understandable if we really had a medical emergency. When we started we did not, but the taxman took $2,000 per taxpayer out on one hand and the health care budget dropped by $1,500 per taxpayer on the other hand. That does not equate for Canadians.

My question again is for the Prime Minister who sat in his chair and allowed this to happen. Will that farmer from Manitoba not have to go to the U.S. again for his care? That is my question. Yes or no.

[Elinor Caplan, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister and the minister of health said very clearly—and yesterday the finance minister said it clearly—that health care is a priority for this government.

The $11.5 billion allocated yesterday is the single largest investment that this government has made. That is the answer to the member's question.

[Pauline Picard, Bloc, Drummond, QC]

Mr. Speaker, while hospital staff is struggling with overcrowded emergency rooms, the federal government is spending tens of millions of dollars on developing statistics, carrying out studies and drafting reports on the performance of provincial health systems.

How can the Minister of Finance justify putting millions of dollars into studies and statistical analyses, and at the same time keeping tabs on the provinces, when emergency rooms are overflowing thanks to him?

[Stéphane Dion, Liberal, President of the Queen's Privy Council for Canada and Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, one of the key challenges facing industrialized nations is to have a modern health care system to meet the great challenges ahead in terms of population aging and new technologies.

All levels of government are putting their shoulders to the wheel for advanced research. Should the only modern government, be it federal or provincial, in the world not to make an additional effort in health research be the Government of Canada? Certainly not with this government in place.

[Pauline Picard, Bloc, Drummond, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the minister also announced the establishment of a $25 million fund supposedly designed to remedy the nurses' situation. But the Fédération des infirmières du Québec recently issued a statement to the effect that the fund was far from being an answer to all their problems.

Does the Minister of Finance not consider that the $25 million would be better spent on emergency services than on paperwork?

[Stéphane Dion, Liberal, President of the Queen's Privy Council for Canada and Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, if the member wants to quote sources from Quebec, we will go along with that. One third of all funding for biomedical research from the Medical Research Council of Canada goes to Quebec. I do not think that yesterday's budget will come as bad news to researchers in Quebec, quite the contrary.

[Deborah Grey, Reform, Edmonton North, AB]

Mr. Speaker, today 200,000 Canadians are still on waiting lines in hospitals. But if they are wealthy or desperate they could jump the queue and fly down to the United States for treatment. They could pay cash for health care. If that is not two tier, if that is not American style health care, I do not know what is.

I would like ask the father of two tier health care how will this budget guarantee that Canadians will not have to fly south for health care.

[Elinor Caplan, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, the member knows full well that the priorities and the principles of the Canada Health Act ensure a contract with Canadians that says that when they need health care services it is up to the provinces to deliver those services. The federal government is a partner in funding.

Yesterday we lived up to our commitment by giving the provinces $3.5 billion immediately and $11.5 billion over the next five years. We have helped to ensure that the principles of the Canada Health Act will be ensured and secure for the next millennium.

[Deborah Grey, Reform, Edmonton North, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the member talks about the Canada Health Act. Is she telling Canadians right now that they have equal access to a waiting line? I do not think Canadians would be too impressed about hearing this member rattle on about the Canada Health Act.

This government has stripped billions and billions of dollars out of health care and put a little back in yesterday. The wealthy and the desperate still fly to Minnesota to the Mayo Clinic.

Let me repeat that we are seeing an American health care system. We are seeing a two tier health care system in this country. That goes against the Canada Health Act. That is Liberal health care.

How come Canadians cannot get a hospital bed in our own country?

[Elinor Caplan, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, unlike the Reform Party opposite, this party stands firmly in support of the principles of the Canada Health Act. That party would scrap the Canada Health Act and lead us down the path to American style medicare. Frankly, it cannot accept good news.

The good news is that the budget yesterday has secured Canadian health care for the future. As a partner with the provinces we have given them the resources they said they need. We gave almost $30 billion in cash transfers to the provinces in support of Canadian medicare.

[Paul Crête, Bloc, Kamouraska—Rivière-Du-Loup—Témiscouata—Les Basques, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Finance's budget puts the EI surplus at $4.9 billion in 1999-2000. According to the chief actuary, however, this surplus will be more like $6 billion to $7 billion.

By estimating at only $4.9 billion the amount he expects to take from the EI fund, is the Minister of Finance giving us to understand that there will indeed be a few improvements made to the EI system in the spring?

[Paul Martin, Liberal, Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, the surplus is looking better because many more Canadians now have jobs. It is looking better because the economy has improved and things are going much better. I am very happy with things the way they are.

[Paul Crête, Bloc, Kamouraska—Rivière-Du-Loup—Témiscouata—Les Basques, QC]

Mr. Speaker, will the Minister of Finance confirm the comment made on a radio station this morning by the Secretary of State for Agriculture and Agri-Food that there would be changes to the EI system in the spring?

[Pierre Pettigrew, Liberal, Minister of Human Resources Development]

Mr. Speaker, as you know, the EI system was completely reformed two and a half years ago so as to serve Canadians better, with the result that there are far fewer unemployed Canadians today than there were a few years back.

This reform was evaluated and monitored, and I will have the privilege of tabling a report in the House in the coming weeks on our findings.

It is on the basis of these very specific evaluations that we will determine what, if any, improvements are needed.

[Art Hanger, Reform, Calgary Northeast, AB]

Mr. Speaker, since this Liberal government has come into power it has slashed $7.8 billion from the defence budget itself.

Before yesterday's budget, the defence minister said that he needed $700 million to make ends meet. He got only $325 million.

If that is the best this defence minister can do, maybe it is time he stood aside.

[Art Eggleton, Liberal, Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, as usual, he has it all wrong. The $325 million is one year but the $700 million is over a number of years.

What happened yesterday is good news for our troops. It was the first increase the Canadian forces have had in their budget in over a decade. It also ensures that we can implement the quality of life measures in a comprehensive way as was recommended by SCONDVA.

[Art Hanger, Reform, Calgary Northeast, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the defence minister said that he needed $700 million. He goes to the negotiating table, gets pushed around and comes up with what, less than half of what he needs. That is humiliating at best.

When will the defence minister step aside and let someone else do the job?

[Art Eggleton, Liberal, Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, it sure would not be the hon. member because he was touting a billion dollar cut in the last election. I would imagine that if the Reform Party would want to honour its commitment it would be cutting it a great deal.

We are investing money in our troops to ensure they get decent pay, decent housing, support for their families and care for the injured.

[Odina Desrochers, Bloc, Lotbinière, QC]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, during the lock-up prior to the budget, government officials could not tell us whether or not the assistance already provided by Quebec to farmers would be deducted in calculating the amount of federal support.

My question is for the Minister of Agriculture. Can the minister clearly indicate whether his department will deduct the assistance provided by Quebec from the financial support that Ottawa is about to give to farmers?

[Lyle Vanclief, Liberal, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food]

Mr. Speaker, the program that will be put in place and is being put in place by the federal and provincial governments will treat every farmer who triggers the criteria in Canada exactly the same. It will not matter what province they live in.

Armenian Community

[Sarkis Assadourian, Liberal, Brampton Centre, ON]

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

The courage and determination of Canada's Armenian community has made an indelible impression on the national fabric of Canada. Following the debate on Motion No. 329 in the House on Monday, what new steps are underway to foster and improve communications along with dialogue with the Armenian community of Canada?

[Lloyd Axworthy, Liberal, Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, it is very important that Canadians recognize the serious tragedy experienced by the Armenian people. To further that I have asked the Canadian Armenian community to meet with me so that we can foster a broad dialogue that will help develop understanding, heal wounds and forward the process of reconciliation among all Canadians about this very serious tragedy that occurred many years ago.

The Budget

[Rahim Jaffer, Reform, Edmonton Strathcona, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the Canadian Federation of Independent Business called yesterday's budget a disappointment and a missed opportunity.

Small businesses have never worked harder to keep what little they earn after this finance minister is done with them.

This year he increased CPP taxes 73%, he changed the rules to keep $5 billion in EI funds and has increased user fees to crippling levels.

Why is the finance minister punishing small businesses with a tax hike when it is they, not this government, that create jobs for Canadians?

[Paul Martin, Liberal, Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, what the government did along with the provinces, despite all the objections of the Reform Party, was to save the Canada pension plan.

In addition, what we brought in in the budget was not only no tax hikes but $16.5 billion worth of tax reductions over the course of the next three years. These are tax reductions which are primarily directed at the middle class, basically the spine of small business in this country.

We are very proud of this budget. We are very proud of the tax reductions it has in it.

[Rahim Jaffer, Reform, Edmonton Strathcona, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the finance minister would not have tax relief in his vocabulary if not for the official opposition. It is because of us working that word over the last few years that the minister has adopted it in his own vocabulary. He takes a lot more time to talk about it, as we saw yesterday. We would actually deliver on it.

Small businesses represent 80% of the jobs created in Canada—