Debates of Feb. 7th, 2003

Government Contracts

[Ralph Goodale, Liberal, Minister of Public Works and Government Services]

Mr. Speaker, the first portion of the administrative review has been completed as promised. The work was done between the end of October and the end of January. The work was done by a totally independent, professional forensic accounting consultant. It names certain individuals and details a number of apparent breaches of contracting rules.

As the first step of follow up, the reviewer's report has properly now been given to the RCMP. We will await the RCMP's green light to proceed with our own next administrative steps with all due diligence.

Health

[Svend Robinson, NDP, Burnaby—Douglas, BC]

Mr. Speaker, we witnessed the unholy spectacle of Liberal and Alliance MPs rising together in the House to applaud the rejection of Roy Romanow's key recommendation that medicare be kept out of the hands of private for profit businesses.

If the government will not stand up to privatizers like Klein, Campbell, Eves and Lord, if it will not keep the promise it made to Canadians in the 2000 election, will it at least guarantee that any public money that goes to private for profit health care will be fully reported to the public in a timely way?

[Anne McLellan, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, what we saw on Wednesday was the recommitment to publicly financed health care on the part of the Prime Minister and all premiers.

I believe the hon. member's question speaks directly to accountability and reporting of taxpayer dollars. The hon. member should be aware that there are very important accountability provisions, including the creation of a new health council.

The council will be appointed within the next three months. It will be reporting to Canadians on a regular basis in relation to the implementation of the accord. It will have the opportunity to report on where Canadian tax dollars go in our health care system.

[Svend Robinson, NDP, Burnaby—Douglas, BC]

Mr. Speaker, if that is the same council that the Prime Minister tried to have Don Mazankowski chair that is really reassuring.

Roy Romanow pointed out in his report that diagnostic services such as MRIs and CAT scans are an essential part of medicare and should not be used to queue jump in the public system.

When will the government move to include diagnostic services under the Canada Health Act as insured health services? Who is calling the shots for the government? Is it Don Mazankowski and Senator Kirby or is it Roy Romanow who speaks out against privatizing in health care?

[Anne McLellan, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, it is very plain that all medically necessary services are covered in relation to medical or health insurance.

We are working with the provinces. We are concerned as anyone about the problem of queue jumping. We have identified it as a key concern. Whenever it is brought to our attention or we identify it, we work with provincial officials to solve the problem.

If a violation of the Canada Health Act continues after discussion with provincial officials, we are in a position to withhold dollars in relation to that violation.

[Greg Thompson, Progressive Conservative, New Brunswick Southwest, NB]

Mr. Speaker, there seems to be some confusion on the part of the Minister of Health in terms of how much money will go in under this new agreement. I think the confusion might have started with the Prime Minister himself when he confused new money and old money and new new money with old new money.

Would the minister stand up today in her place and tell the House exactly how much money will go in under the new agreement?

[Anne McLellan, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, as the Prime Minister reiterated yesterday in question period, over three years to fiscal 2005-06, the infusion of new money will be $17 billion and over five years to fiscal 2007-08, the infusion of additional dollars will be $34 billion.

National Defence

[Rex Barnes, Progressive Conservative, Gander—Grand Falls, NL]

Mr. Speaker, the United States has just announced that it will compensate soldiers who were subject to mustard gas experiments during World War II.

When will the Canadian government follow suit and compensate our veterans who were exposed to mustard gas testing, many of whom are sick, suffering and dying as a result?

[Dominic LeBlanc, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, I want to begin by thanking the member for giving me an opportunity to respond to my first question in the House as a parliamentary secretary.

The Department of National Defence is looking at the American decision with respect to compensation. The Minister of Veterans Affairs and the Minister of National Defence will do everything they can to ensure that Canadian veterans are compensated, and deserve the support they have received.

Aboriginal Affairs

[Maurice Vellacott, Canadian Alliance, Saskatoon—Wanuskewin, SK]

Mr. Speaker, with its introduction of the first nations governance act, the federal government had a tremendous opportunity to truly improve the daily lives of aboriginal Canadians. However it has missed the mark. The government has failed to address the issues that aboriginal Canadians have identified as their priorities. Women's rights, matrimonial rights and human rights have all been ignored in the minister's governance model.

Why is the federal government continuing to deny aboriginal Canadians full and complete protection of the Canadian Human Rights Act?

[Bob Nault, Liberal, Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development]

Mr. Speaker, first, I would suggest to the member that if he cared about aboriginal people, he would stop stalling all the bills in the House and let some of them go through so we can work on improving the fundamentals of governance of the first nations people.

Second, he should read Bill C-7. Bill C-7 directly says, if he has read it and I do not think he has because he would not make this comment, that the human rights code will apply to first nations for the first time.

[Brian Pallister, Canadian Alliance, Portage—Lisgar, MB]

Mr. Speaker, only to that government would debating bills be considered delaying tactics.

The Canadian Alliance will never support two tier human rights for Canadians. That is exactly what the minister is doing with his proposal. Its first nations governance act shows it still believes in the divine right of kings too because it is perpetuating unelected, hereditary chiefs.

Will the minister give me the decency of a respectful answer for a change? Why is the government trampling the democratic rights of aboriginal Canadians in support of unelected, hereditary chiefs?

[Bob Nault, Liberal, Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development]

Mr. Speaker, the custom codes of first nations have been in place for almost 100 years. I find it quite surprising that the member just realized that there are different systems of governance on first nations.

The first nations governance legislation would allow first nations to develop the kind of governance structures they need within the democratic principles that our society accepts.

I will give the member the respectful answer for which he is looking. He is in committee now. If he would show up from time to time, he could make these presentations to the committee.

Gasoline Prices

[Benoît Sauvageau, Bloc, Repentigny, QC]

Mr. Speaker, last week, we learned that the big oil and gas companies were making huge profits. To add insult to injury, the price of a litre of gas today is outrageous. Drivers feel they are being bled dry.

Will the Minister of Industry finally wake up and bring into line the major oil and gas companies who are holding car drivers, taxi drivers, truckers and farmers hostage?

[Allan Rock, Liberal, Minister of Industry]

Mr. Speaker, prices are influenced by a wide range of factors. In any case, the provinces have jurisdiction in this matter.

[Benoît Sauvageau, Bloc, Repentigny, QC]

Mr. Speaker, for many years, the Bloc Quebecois has condemned this situation, as have independent retailers and all those concerned.

One of the major problems with this industry is vertical integration, which allows companies to control extraction, production, refining, distribution, and sales at the pump.

Will the government finally side with the public, take action and ban vertical integration in the oil and gas industry, or will it continue to be silenced by the hundreds of thousands of dollars that these major oil and gas companies contribute to the government's campaign fund?

[Allan Rock, Liberal, Minister of Industry]

Mr. Speaker, I would point out that provincial jurisdiction must be respected, and I invite the hon. member to speak to the Quebec government about this.

Child Pornography

[Ken Epp, Canadian Alliance, Elk Island, AB]

Mr. Speaker, we have presented thousands of petitions, with thousands of names, in which Canadians are calling for an end to child pornography.

Bill C-20, the government's current legislation, does nothing to strengthen the law. It is just a rewording of current legislation that does not work. That is why we are getting the petitions.

Why does the Liberal government continue to introduce ineffective half measures that simply do not protect our children?

[Martin Cauchon, Liberal, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, as the House knows, we have tabled Bill C-20, which touches on the question of protecting our children. We all know that it is our top priority.

In that bill we touch on the question of defence, following the Sharpe decision. As well, we create a new offence to offer increased protection to our children, our young between 14 and 18 years of age. Also, we have tougher sentencing.

I recommend the hon. member read the bill.

Homelessness

[Peter Goldring, Canadian Alliance, Edmonton Centre-East, AB]

Mr. Speaker, a man has died in Red Deer because of a failed federal homeless policy. Three years and practically no new shelter space, absolutely no new affordable, independent living homes for single persons, and $753 million squandered for what. The homeless counts are up nationally. In Edmonton the homeless were lodged in public transit stations.

Will the Prime Minister stop the carnage, investigate the waste and redirect the resources to build safe, secure housing for homeless single persons?

[David Collenette, Liberal, Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member has described a situation that does not correspond with reality. My colleague, the Minister of Labour, has presided over a very successful effort to deal with this national tragedy, and she should be complimented.

In cities across the country the money, which was allocated by the federal government, is seeing positive results, as people who are homeless are not receiving the proper shelter.

He should not use the facts in such a way as to give the wrong impression to Canadians. This policy is working.

Foreign Affairs

[Mac Harb, Liberal, Ottawa Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, in October of 2002 the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, along with his counterpart in Quebec, announced special measures to deal with the Algerian file.

I would like to ask the parliamentary secretary this. Since the minister just returned from a trip to Algeria three weeks ago, could he report on that visit?

[Sarkis Assadourian, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the hon. member for Ottawa Centre for his question and interest on this file.

During his active visit to Algeria, the minister met with the minister responsible for overseas community, ministers of foreign affairs, justice and interior, as well as the prime minister of Algeria and the president.

The minister also expressed a desire to establish a working group with these ministers to address issues related to the movement of people. Further, the minister also met with editors of major newspapers to discuss the situation in Algeria. He also met with Algerian human rights NGOs to discuss the situation of human rights in Algeria. Overall, it was a very successful visit.

National Defence

[Cheryl Gallant, Canadian Alliance, Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the chief of defence staff has confirmed the expansion of the JTF2 is in the capabilities not in the actual numbers. The high stress and burnout rate in the unit has led to a manpower shortage and a lowering of the recruiting standards. Current recruitment is not even enough to keep up with attrition rates. The troops in the regular forces just are not there from which to recruit.

Why is the minister committing JTF2 forces when it does not even have the manpower to fulfil those requirements that it is tasked to do?

[Dominic LeBlanc, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, the minister has been very clear that JTF2 represents a very important strategic asset for the Canadian forces, both to support our allies in missions abroad and to protect Canadians domestically. That is why we announced a sizeable increase in the budget for JTF2.

I can tell the hon. member that when I was in Afghanistan with the minister last summer, we met a number of the JTF2 forces who were doing a phenomenal job. They did not tell us that their budgets were as critical as the hon. member pretends.