Debates of April 6th, 2001

Prime Minister

[Herb Gray, Liberal, Deputy Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, there is no conflict of interest, as evidenced by the ethics counsellor's investigation and the RCMP report.

If the hon. member did her job seriously, she would congratulate us for introducing another anti-gang act, because this is a very important measure, but not for the hon. member, it would appear.

[Caroline St-Hilaire, Bloc, Longueuil, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Deputy Prime Minister does not understand that my constituents want to know how the Prime Minister could have got himself into such a mess.

I cannot give them an answer, because the government keeps providing us with meaningless replies that satisfy neither the opposition nor the public.

Could the Prime Minister take the next two weeks, the Easter recess, to think the whole thing over, come to the only logical conclusion and realize that the public will not accept anything less than an independent public inquiry?

[Herb Gray, Liberal, Deputy Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, we have provided clear and specific information to this House many times.

The Prime Minister, the Minister of Industry and myself have tabled the documents requested by the Bloc Quebecois and the other opposition parties.

They will not recognize that there is no conflict of interest. They are only interested in carrying on their smear campaign and that is against the best interests of our country. Why do they not have any real interest in the real issues that concern Canadians?

[Stéphane Bergeron, Bloc, Verchères—Les Patriotes, QC]

Mr. Speaker, paragraph 3(2) of the government's code of ethics says:

Public office holders have an obligation to perform their official duties and arrange their private affairs in a manner that will bear the closest public scrutiny, an obligation that is not fully discharged by simply acting within the law.

Will the Deputy Prime Minister admit that the behaviour of the Prime Minister in the Auberge Grand-Mère affair does not pass the test of paragraph 3 of the code of ethics, and completely fails to meet its requirement of transparency?

[Herb Gray, Liberal, Deputy Prime Minister]

Absolutely not, Mr. Speaker. The answer is no. There is no breach of the code of ethics.

[Stéphane Bergeron, Bloc, Verchères—Les Patriotes, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the same code of ethics requires that “...on appointment to office, and thereafter, public office holders shall arrange their private affairs in a manner that will prevent real, potential or apparent conflicts of interest from arising but if such a conflict does arise between the private interests of a public office holder and the official duties and responsibilities of that public office holder, the conflict shall be resolved in favour of the public interest”.

Can the Deputy Prime Minister seriously maintain that the Prime Minister was serving the public interest when he contacted the Business Development Bank of Canada about a loan for the auberge owned by his friend Yvon Duhaime, given his personal interest in getting paid for his shares in the neighbouring golf club?

[Herb Gray, Liberal, Deputy Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member's premises are completely false. The Prime Minister had no interest in the golf club when he made these representations to the Business Development Bank of Canada.

I wonder why the hon. member did not mention Quebec's justice minister when he was talking about our anti-gang legislation. The PQ justice minister said “We now have a text that, at first blush, seems to be headed in the right direction”. Why no word of congratulation on this initiative?

Freshwater Exports

[Bill Blaikie, NDP, Winnipeg—Transcona, MB]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, in answer to a question from my leader about water exports, the Minister of Foreign Affairs said:

There will be no removal of bulk water from drainage systems in Canada.

However, he also clearly said that there was an entirely different category of water, and that was water entirely within the jurisdiction of the provinces, such as, for instance, Gisborne Lake in Newfoundland.

Does the Minister of the Environment remain concerned about the proposal to export water from Gisborne Lake and, if he does, what is the government's plan with respect to this particular situation? Is there a government plan to prevent the export of water—

[The Speaker]

The hon. Minister of the Environment.

[David Anderson, Liberal, Minister of the Environment]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for his question. Yes, we do remain concerned about the export of water from Gisborne Lake and other jurisdictions in Canada. We believe the best approach is to prevent interbasin transfers of water at source rather than attempting to deal with it at the border.

I have spoken with Newfoundland's minister of natural resources and have explained to him the Canadian position. I have followed the media quite closely. I gather there is substantial opposition within Newfoundland to the proposal. It may be that this suggestion will not proceed.

Health

[Bill Blaikie, NDP, Winnipeg—Transcona, MB]

Mr. Speaker, while we remain concerned about treating water as a commodity, we are also concerned about treating other things as commodities that should not be. I am talking about life forms.

I have a question for the Minister of Health as to what the government position is with respect to the patenting of life forms. Many in the medical community are concerned about the patenting of the use of gene sequences for human genetic testing. This would have serious consequences for our health care system both in terms of cost and the ability to care for patients.

What is the government's plan with respect to the patenting of life forms? Is the government against it and, if so, what—

[The Speaker]

The hon. Minister of Industry.

[Brian Tobin, Liberal, Minister of Industry]

Mr. Speaker, as the hon. member will know, we recently announced funding for five regional centres for genome research in Canada. As part and parcel of the first funding announcement of $136 million, each centre and each project selected, some 22 across the country, have funds put in place for proper analysis of the legal and ethical questions and, of course, the question of Canadian values associated with this research.

In addition to that, CIHR is giving government advice on this issue. The Canadian biotechnology advisory committee is giving advice—

[The Speaker]

The hon. member for Richmond—Arthabaska.

[André Bachand, Progressive Conservative, Richmond—Arthabaska, QC]

Mr. Speaker, after three years of study and $12 million in spending, the national forum on health submitted its exhaustive report to the Prime Minister.

Most of the provinces have done studies or established commissions on the health care system. The other House is working on this very issue. Despite all, the government is setting up a commission of inquiry. Why?

Why not ask the members of this parliament to study this and draft policies, as they already know all the ins and outs of the problem?

[Allan Rock, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, we are very happy and very proud that Mr. Romanow has agreed to act as commissioner in examining the long term future of our health care system.

The viability of our health care system is a matter of great importance. This is why we appointed Mr. Romanow. He will be working with our partners, in the provinces and elsewhere, to ensure we have a health care system not only today but in the future.

[André Bachand, Progressive Conservative, Richmond—Arthabaska, QC]

Mr. Speaker, if parliament is mature enough to study the impact of bulk water exports, should it not be mature enough to study health care? The problems within the system are well known. Elected representatives know what is at stake.

They have a vision of what could be done. They talk to people. They meet people. Why on earth by creating this commission is the government making official its immobility for at least 18 months?

[Allan Rock, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, I think it was evident from the reaction to Mr. Romanow's appointment that the public and governments throughout the country see the wisdom of going to someone with experience in running a provincial system who believes strongly in the basic values of Canadian health care; someone, a third party independent, to assess the present state of play, engage in a dialogue with Canadians and come back with recommendations for constructive change as Emmett Hall did some 40 years ago.

Obviously any proposals that involve legislation would come to parliament and we would consider any such legislation. Mr. Romanow has a remarkably important contribution to make.

[Diane Ablonczy, Canadian Alliance, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I guess it is true that Canadians would applaud any sign that the government is taking the crisis in our health care seriously.

I remind the minister that many Canadians are facing long delays in receiving the medical treatment they need. We have obsolete and inaccurate diagnostic equipment. There is a crisis as a result of the shortage in health care providers. Why the long delay in dealing with these very important matters for Canadians today?

[Allan Rock, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, I have had very recent and a very personal occasion to observe for myself how hard health care providers are working, sometimes under very difficult circumstances.

May I take this as my first opportunity today in the House since my return to express on behalf of myself and my family my warmest thanks to friends and colleagues on all sides of the House for their generosity and their thoughtfulness and the very many warm greetings I received from them.

In response to my friend's question we take very seriously the problems to which she has referred. The whole accord with the provinces last September was about reinvesting and working on a plan for renewal. Mr. Romanow will look at the long term and it is that to which he will now turn.

[Diane Ablonczy, Canadian Alliance, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

Mr. Speaker, in the short term Canadians are experiencing some real problems with receiving prompt, quality health care when they need it and medical providers are stretched to the limit. What is the minister proposing to do today to address these very serious issues?

[Allan Rock, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, the member is right. They are serious issues and they deserve our attention today.

That is why the Prime Minister marshalled all governments and last September arrived at an agreement to which they all subscribed: $23 billion of additional federal transfers and, apart from that, a concrete plan to deal with key issues such as a shortage of doctors and nurses, renewing equipment and adding information technology to the system.

We are working on those today. We are working on that plan this week and next. Those are the short and medium term steps which we are taking urgently. We agree with the member. We will continue that work.

Summit Of The Americas

[Francine Lalonde, Bloc, Mercier, QC]

Mr. Speaker, while business figures had access to the texts we are still being denied and will have access to the heads of state during the Quebec summit, ordinary members of the public will be restricted to a parallel event.

Thousands of individuals, parliamentarians and other members of civil society from all countries in the Americas, Cuba included, will be meeting in the people's summit. No bridge has been constructed between these two summits.

Will the Prime Minister make a commitment to providing access by representatives of the people's summit to the heads of state of the Americas so that they may make known their—

[The Speaker]

The hon. Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

[Denis Paradis, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, the people's summit is an important approach to the summit of the Americas.

Both levels of government have a hand in its funding, the Canadian government having made $300,000 available to the organizers and the government of Quebec another $200,000 to assist in its organization.

It is of course important for civil society to have an opportunity to be heard.