House of Commons Hansard #112 of the 36th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was gst.
Bob Mills Reform Red Deer, AB
Mr. Speaker, this government has slashed $24 billion out of health care since it came to office. The report states that health care expenditures are expected to increase a whopping 247% over the next 25 years. It is a question of priorities. This government now spends $15 billion on health and social transfers and $17 billion on boondoggle prone grants and contributions.
Why are boondoggles more important to this government than the health care of Canadians?
Allan Rock LiberalMinister of Health
Mr. Speaker, over the last two years there has been a 25% increase in cash transfers to provinces for health. When we came to office in 1993 the total transfers to provinces were $28 billion per year. This year they will exceed $30 billion.
Apart from providing more money, and more money we will provide, the other thing we have to do as a Liberal government is to stand guard over the Canadian public health care system.
The Canadian Alliance would rescind the Canada Health Act and replace it with an American style private for profit health care system. That is not what Canadians want and we will never allow it.
Monique Guay Bloc Laurentides, QC
Mr. Speaker, if there is one issue on which the federal government should avoid all confrontation with the Government of Quebec, it is that of young families and parental leave.
Could the federal government not drop its old habits, for once, and think only of the wellbeing of young families?
Herb Gray LiberalDeputy Prime Minister
Mr. Speaker, it is obvious that we are working for young families and poor families.
We set up a program of parental leave some thirty years ago. We are prepared to add important values to it and in so doing we will work together with all the provinces. However, the provinces must want to work with us, which does not seem to be the case with the separatist government of Quebec.
Monique Guay Bloc Laurentides, QC
Mr. Speaker, parental insurance was established in 1996 as the third part of Quebec's family policy.
Why is the government persisting in its thinking that Quebec has reacted just after the federal government, when in fact it announced its parental insurance program, the third part of its family policy, in February 1996?
Jane Stewart LiberalMinister of Human Resources Development
Mr. Speaker, I would remind the hon. member that our program of parental support has been in place for 30 years.
What we see today, and as a result of the last budget, is that we want to expand that benefit to all Canadians, including Quebecers.
What we also want to say is that if there is a province or territory that wants to add to those benefits, we would absolutely applaud them in doing so.
John Cummins Reform Delta—South Richmond, BC
Mr. Speaker, the Supreme Court of Canada said that Bud Sparrow had an aboriginal right to fish for salmon at the mouth of the Fraser River because his ancestors had done so from time immemorial.
In Van der Peet, the supreme court established the test for the aboriginal rights such as Mr. Sparrow's. It said that for such a right to be recognized the activity had to be a practice integral to native society prior to contact with Europeans. Does the minister believe that the food fishery for lobster that he has permitted on the east coast meets the test in Van der Peet?
Herb Dhaliwal LiberalMinister of Fisheries and Oceans
Mr. Speaker, clearly the Sparrow decision allowed a food fishery, and this is a food fishery both on the west coast and east coast. It is clear that under Sparrow, we were required to provide aboriginal people with access to a food fishery for food, social and ceremonial purposes, which is exactly what we are doing.
John Cummins Reform Delta—South Richmond, BC
Mr. Speaker, the minister is ignoring the Van der Peet decision. Earlier this year, Professor Stephen Patterson, the chief government witness in the Marshall case, provided evidence on behalf of the minister to the federal court. He said that he was not aware of any historical record of the Mi'kmaq catching lobster nor of Mi'kmaq stories or traditions relating to the catching and eating of lobster.
Given there is no evidence of Mi'kmaq harvesting or eating lobster, there can be no basis for recognizing an aboriginal right to a lobster food fishery. Since the court is not driving the minister's food fishing agenda, what is?
Herb Dhaliwal LiberalMinister of Fisheries and Oceans
Mr. Speaker, what is driving the agenda is, first of all, the court's ruling, whether it is the Sparrow decision or the Marshall decision.
The problem with that party is that when it does not like a decision, it wants to use the notwithstanding clause. We saw it under the Marshall decision when those members stood up. The only solution they had was to use the notwithstanding clause. We rejected that. We said that we would abide by the supreme court ruling and we will continue to do that.
Pierre De Savoye Bloc Portneuf, QC
Mr. Speaker, it seems that the Canada Day budget is divided as follows: Out of $7 million, Quebec will receive $5 million; Ontario, $554,000; the Atlantic provinces, $432,000; the western provinces and the territories, a little less than $825,000.
Could the Minister of Canadian Heritage tell us if this strange imbalance is why, last week, she refused to answer all our questions on this issue?
Sheila Copps LiberalMinister of Canadian Heritage
Mr. Speaker, I did not refuse to answer. I invited all members of parliament to celebrate both Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day and Canada Day with us.
I am glad that the member raised this issue, because it gives me an opportunity to do a bit of promotion for the Old Port of Montreal. On June 29, Jesse Cook and Joé Armando y su Banda Picante will perform. On June 30, it will be Marc-André Gauthier, Perry Canestrari and The Tea Party. On July 1, we expect Bruno Pelletier, Chantal Kreviazuk, Jodie Resther, Gino Vanelli and 250,000 other Canadians—
Pierre De Savoye Bloc Portneuf, QC
Mr. Speaker, as we can see, western Canada will receive six times less money than Quebec for the Canada Day celebrations. Ontario will receive ten times less and the Atlantic provinces 12 times less.
Is the government desperate to the point of thinking that spending three quarters of the Canada Day budget in Quebec will make Quebecers change their deep convictions?
Sheila Copps LiberalMinister of Canadian Heritage
Mr. Speaker, I believe it is the first time that I hear Péquistes and Bloquistes complain about money coming from Canada.
It may be because they do not believe in Canada. However, last year, 250,000 people came to the Old Port of Montreal, and more than 250,000 are expected this year to celebrate with Bruno Pelletier, Chantal Kreviazuk, Gino Vanelli and Jodie Resther. I invite the hon. member to come to celebrate Canada Day—
Rick Casson Reform Lethbridge, AB
Mr. Speaker, judging from the Prime Minister's latest announcements, it is becoming clear that an election is just around the corner. This government has returned to the time-honoured Liberal tradition of trying to buy votes with Canadians' own money.
However, as the Prime Minister promises more pork barrel spending, the Canadian Federation of Independent Business reports that user fees and red tape are hurting the productivity of Canadian farmers.
Instead of promising more pork barrel politics, why will this government not get serious about helping farmers and rural Canada and immediately reduce the burden of high taxes, user fees and over-regulation?
Lyle Vanclief LiberalMinister of Agriculture and Agri-Food
Mr. Speaker, I will remind the hon. member again of the considerable amount of support that this government has given farmers.
We have frozen cost recovery fees. Last Friday I announced $10 million for the agriculture environment strategy initiative to help farmers address the issues of soil management, water management and erosion. The government has been and will continue to be there for farmers.
Rick Casson Reform Lethbridge, AB
Mr. Speaker, some of the user fees that the minister mentioned have gone up 300% since 1995. They are nothing more than thinly veiled taxes.
How can the government justify spending billions of dollars on unnecessary election promises when our primary producers are fighting just to stay on the land?
Lyle Vanclief LiberalMinister of Agriculture and Agri-Food
Mr. Speaker, I again remind the hon. member and his party of the incredible cuts that they would make to the agricultural industry. We just need to look at the campaign material Canadian Alliance members had before the last election. Canadian farmers are very pleased that they are not in power.
Caroline St-Hilaire Bloc Longueuil, QC
Mr. Speaker, we learned from the weekend edition of La Presse that, according to a report by the official languages commissioner, French and English are far from sharing equal status in the Canadian sports system. This flagrant linguistic inequality is depriving national teams of gifted athletes.
Will the Secretary of State for Amateur Sport finally admit that the best way of helping francophone athletes would be to create a program for elite sport trainers to learn French?
Denis Coderre LiberalSecretary of State (Amateur Sport)
Mr. Speaker, according to procedure, the official languages commissioner will table her report on June 14.
I will wait for the report to be tabled so that I can examine its contents, as well as how it is received. I would also point out that I have not waited for questions from the member or anyone else, but have gone ahead and taken action in the last ten months.
Not only have we signed a formal agreement with the Canadian Olympic Association to respect and promote official languages, but I have met with all federations. On the ground, one thing is clear and that is that this government is serious about official languages.
Amateur SportOral Question Period
The Speaker
Order, please. The hon. member for Hastings—Frontenac—Lennox and Addington.