House of Commons Hansard #37 of the 37th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was energy.
David Anderson LiberalMinister of the Environment
Mr. Speaker, when the hon. member asks questions which he knows are simply inappropriate in the House, he resorts to personal insults.
I urge him to look at this document, look at the figures in this which deal with the impact on the Canadian economy, look at the measures there to protect certain sectors and others, look at the provisions taken to make sure the impact is fair and even across the country, and then come back to the House with sensible questions.
Beth Phinney Liberal Hamilton Mountain, ON
Mr. Speaker, I recently submitted for the third year my private member's bill requiring automatic defibrillators on all commercial air flights in Canada over two hours.
Many international airlines, such as Qantas, British Airways and American, already carry automatic defibrillators on board their flights. This technology is important as an individual suffering from sudden cardiac arrest has a 70% greater chance of survival if he or she is treated within four minutes.
The Minister of Transport has been overseeing a voluntary process for installation of these machines in Canadian airlines for several years now. Could the minister please update us on where this process stands and when we can expect all--
David Collenette LiberalMinister of Transport
Mr. Speaker, the hon. member for Hamilton Mountain should be congratulated for her private member's bill. I certainly agree with the spirit of that bill.
Happily in this country this is an example of where we do not need legislation or even regulation, because there is voluntary compliance by the large airlines, Air Canada, Air Transat and Skyservice. WestJet will be complete by next summer and the other carriers will certainly be the object of our efforts at persuasion over the coming months. This very valuable device that saves lives in planes is occurring in Canada and will cover the entire industry very soon.
Judy Wasylycia-Leis NDP Winnipeg North Centre, MB
Mr. Speaker, another study, this one by a former director to the Auditor General, shows that private for profit hospitals actually end up costing taxpayers more. It simply confirms that economics works the same in Canada as it does in Britain, Australia and anywhere else that private for profit and public partnerships have been tried.
Still Senator Kirby is out pushing his open door to profit approach.
Will the federal government commit to the evidence based Romanow solution and not the costly Kirby recipe for disaster?
Jeannot Castonguay LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health
Mr. Speaker, this is an important question. In fact, as we discussed yesterday, we have two excellent reports. The commissions consulted all Canadians throughout the country. They even drew upon what is being done elsewhere in the world.
This is why I indicated yesterday—and you no doubt understood—that on Friday of this week, the Minister of Health will meet with the provincial ministers to see, in light of these important reports, how the health care system can be improved for Canadians. This is the approach we have taken and will continue to take.
Wendy Lill NDP Dartmouth, NS
Mr. Speaker, my question is for the finance minister. Under the per capita method of health care funding put in place by the former minister of finance, nearly 90% of the increase in federal transfers in the last three years has gone to Ontario, B.C. and Alberta. The poorer provinces have received almost no increases.
Roy Romanow has called for changes to the federal funding formula to help the poor provinces meet the health care needs of their citizens.
Will the government change this funding formula that discriminates against the citizens of have not provinces like Nova Scotia?
John Manley LiberalDeputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance
Mr. Speaker, as the member points out, Mr. Romanow did not precisely recommend a change to this. I would also point out to the hon. member that in a particular advertising campaign which has been supported by the smaller provinces, they continue to only include cash transfers under the CHST despite the fact that it is noticeable that large amounts of money transferred to provinces under equalization also go to expenditures on health care.
I think it would be useful if we had an informed discussion with all of the provinces about the appropriate method of funding the needs of health care.
Gerald Keddy Progressive Conservative South Shore, NS
Mr. Speaker, only 30% of the $1 billion cost of the gun registry has come from the government's main estimates which are approved by Parliament. Seventy per cent of the cost overruns come from the supplementary estimates. Under the government's own rules the supplementary estimates are only to be used for unknown and unexpected expenses.
Why did the government deliberately hide the cost of the gun registry from Canadians?
Martin Cauchon LiberalMinister of Justice
Mr. Speaker, as I have said many times, we have reported through the main estimates the costs of the gun registry. As I said, it was not reported in a format to the satisfaction of the Auditor General.
As I said many times as well and as I would like to repeat, in the future we will make sure to report in a format that is accepted by the Auditor General, meaning that we have to report for all the other ministries involved in the delivery of the programs.
It does not mean that those numbers were not reported. Those numbers were reported for Justice Canada through the main estimates or the supplementary estimates of the other departments.
Peter MacKay Progressive Conservative Pictou—Antigonish—Guysborough, NS
Mr. Speaker, the Auditor General confirms that the firearms registry database is not only off the rails financially but that it is also inaccurate and untrustworthy. The RCMP made this known in 2001. There are also 900 other police agencies using this database and the Auditor General cannot even examine them.
Clearly, there is no accountability and no ability to do accounting.
When will the Liberal government end this farcical, face saving exercise and cancel the billion dollar bureaucratic blunderbuss?
Martin Cauchon LiberalMinister of Justice
Mr. Speaker, we all know that the costs related to the program have started to go down.
With regard to the database, the RCMP is fully aware of the situation. It has been very proactive. Of course when we are talking about the quality of the database we are talking as well about the numbers.
Let me say exactly what we are talking about. It is to increase safety in our society and to have safer communities. We have started to see the benefits from this. For example, if we compared the homicide rate using firearms in the United States and in Canada, it is six to nine times higher in the United States.
Rob Merrifield Canadian Alliance Yellowhead, AB
Mr. Speaker, yesterday a leading member of the Liberal caucus and a spokeswoman on health issues said, “As a caucus we have decided to hug Romanow”. She also said, “We don't have time to consider other health issues”.
We all know where Romanow is on a state monopoly. Does this mean that the government will eliminate alternative delivery options in the provinces?
Jeannot Castonguay LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health
Mr. Speaker, perhaps my hon. colleague would like me to give him a hug. We can do that later in the hall.
The beauty of this Parliament is that people here are entitled to their opinion. We are having debates. On the basis of these debates, we will be able to come up with very meaningful programs for all Canadians.
With the information available to us and following the debates we are no doubt going to have in this House, we will be able to sit down with our provincial counterparts and develop great programs—
Rob Merrifield Canadian Alliance Yellowhead, AB
Mr. Speaker, Senator Kirby also noted the rejection of a guaranteed patient time in the government's Romanow commission. The lack of timely access to quality health care services is the number one health care concern of Canadians.
What is the point of having a great system if we cannot access it? Does the minister think that Canadians deserve guarantees of timely access?
Jeannot Castonguay LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health
Mr. Speaker, I am trying to keep the discussion in relatively simple terms, so that everyone can understand. Perhaps I am not making myself clear.
For two days, I have been saying in this House that we have two very interesting reports, namely the Kirby report and the Romanow report. A few moments ago, the Prime Minister mentioned that we had reports, be it the Mazankowski report or the Clair report, that will provide background for the debate. We will have this debate in the House to ensure—
École de médecine vétérinaire de Saint-HyacintheOral Question Period
December 3rd, 2002 / 2:50 p.m.
Bloc
Yvan Loubier Bloc Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot, QC
Mr. Speaker, the minister says we should not worry, to have faith, to be patient. My question is for the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food.
Does he believe that on December 9, the dean of the École de médecine vétérinaire de Saint-Hyacinthe will be able to say to the American association, “Do not worry. There is nothing on the table, but do not worry”? I think it is irresponsible to expect that.
École de médecine vétérinaire de Saint-HyacintheOral Question Period
Prince Edward—Hastings Ontario
Liberal
Lyle Vanclief LiberalMinister of Agriculture and Agri-Food
Mr. Speaker, I will repeat it again. The government is fully aware of the situation in Saint-Hyacinthe and at other veterinary colleges in Canada. We will do all we possibly can to make sure they do not lose any accreditation.
Yvan Loubier Bloc Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot, QC
Mr. Speaker, once again, the situation is as follows. The École de médecine vétérinaire de Saint-Hyacinthe is the only school that is in danger right now, the only one to have lost its accreditation. For 25 years, the federal government has not put a cent into the school's infrastructure, yet it has provided significant support to the University of Guelph, the University of Saskatoon and the University of Prince Edward Island.
My question is for the Prime Minister. Is it not now time to put an end to the unfair treatment of the École de médecine vétérinaire de Saint-Hyacinthe? This would be a good opportunity to demonstrate that he thinks it is.
École de médecine vétérinaire de Saint-HyacintheOral Question Period
Prince Edward—Hastings Ontario
Liberal
Lyle Vanclief LiberalMinister of Agriculture and Agri-Food
Mr. Speaker, I will remind the hon. member again that the college at Saint-Hyacinthe has applied to the Canada Foundation for Innovation, which is an arm's length foundation. The applications are reviewed by peers. The veterinary college at Saint-Hyacinthe has received approval for money in the past and is at liberty to make further applications as it wishes.
Kevin Sorenson Canadian Alliance Crowfoot, AB
Mr. Speaker, in October 2000, the former solicitor general issued a formal response to the justice subcommittee report entitled “A Work in Progress: the Corrections and Conditional Release Act”.
Contained within the solicitor general's response was a clear statement that the government intended to take actions on 46 of the committee's 53 recommendations. We know that the government has failed and failed miserably to implement those recommendations.
Why has the government refused to take action on the 46 recommendations?
Wayne Easter LiberalSolicitor General of Canada
Mr. Speaker, the government has not refused to take action. It is the opposite. We are taking action. This is clearly a work in progress.
Kevin Sorenson Canadian Alliance Crowfoot, AB
Mr. Speaker, the government has a lot of work in progress but the Canadian public still has yet to see evidence or fruits of that labour.
The failure of the former solicitor general to implement, as promised, the changes to the CCRA effectively dismisses the work of the subcommittee and, in particular, puts Canadians at risk to those who would reoffend on statutory release.
When will the Solicitor General make good on his predecessor's promise? When will the Corrections and Conditional Release Act be amended as recommended?