Debates of Oct. 30th, 2007

Health

[Tony Clement, Conservative, Minister of Health and Minister for the Federal Economic Development Initiative for Northern Ontario]

Mr. Speaker, over the past two years, the government has committed over $2 billion in new money for health care.

I would say to the hon. member that she and I are on the same side. We both want to see reduced prices for generic drugs, which is why I have said to my counterparts at the provincial and territorial levels that we can work together. It cannot be a situation where the hon. member supports the idea that we are the blank cheque that rights this. We have to work together to have innovation and reform in our health care system, which is why I am willing to work with my territorial and provincial counterparts in that regard.

[Judy Wasylycia-Leis, NDP, Winnipeg North, MB]

Mr. Speaker, we have reasonable recommendations from the Competition Bureau and from the pharmacists of the country, yet when it comes to helping families pay less for their drugs, the government is going in the wrong direction. There are some very reasonable things it could do.

It could start with catastrophic drug coverage for all families, move on a national pharmaceutical strategy, help the provinces and territories coordinate bulk buying, and stop extended patents on brand name drugs. Why is the government ignoring these reasonable ways to help Canadians save money on the drugs they need but cannot afford?

[Tony Clement, Conservative, Minister of Health and Minister for the Federal Economic Development Initiative for Northern Ontario]

As the hon. member well knows, Mr. Speaker, first and foremost these are issues that are of the provincial and territorial governments, but I would say to the hon. member that the federal government can be part of the solution. Typically for the NDP, its only solution is to tax Canadians more, spend more of their hard-earned money and not work on the innovative solutions that are there, in place, and can be done.

We are for innovation. We are for better health care. We are not for wasting the taxpayers' money.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Peter Milliken]

The hon. member for Mississauga—Streetsville. I am sorry. I missed the hon. member a minute ago.

[Wajid Khan, Conservative, Mississauga—Streetsville, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The government has taken a leadership role in the fight against cancer all across Canada.

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[Wajid Khan, Conservative, Mississauga—Streetsville, ON]

If those members would sit back and listen they could learn a thing or two from the government.

I understand that the Minister of Health recently attended an event of the Terry Fox Foundation. Would the minister inform the House of the action the government is taking to deal with cancer?

[Tony Clement, Conservative, Minister of Health and Minister for the Federal Economic Development Initiative for Northern Ontario]

Indeed, Mr. Speaker, earlier this week I was on hand in Toronto for the official launch of the Canada-wide Terry Fox Research Institute. That is why we are here: because we are helping that research institute, just as we have created a Canadian partnership against cancer, just as we have spent over $250 million on cancer health research, and just as we have put $10 million directly into that foundation.

Terry Fox was a true Canadian hero. We are on the side of the research institute. We are on the side of the foundation. We are going to help find a cure for cancer.

Income Trusts

[Paul Szabo, Liberal, Mississauga South, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the government not only broke its promise to not tax income trusts, but it failed to be open, transparent and accountable. Expert witnesses testifying before the finance committee proved that the analysis presented by the finance minister was flawed, false and just plain wrong.

The finance minister did not challenge or refute that testimony nor did he provide one shred of evidence to defend the indefensible. Why has the minister failed to be accountable to Canadians, especially seniors from whom he took $25 billion of their hard-earned retirement savings?

[Ted Menzies, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. finance minister would love to be accountable to Canadians and he would like to do it in the House this afternoon by providing an update on the fiscal situation in Canada, but unfortunately he is unable to.

We are providing tax fairness to Canadians. We will continue to do that with or without the support of the Liberals, whether they sit or stand.

[Paul Szabo, Liberal, Mississauga South, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives will not answer the House and they do not answer Canadians.

The expert witnesses were very specific in their reasons for concluding that the estimated income trust tax leakage was unfounded, incorrect and unsubstantiated. For example, the experts pointed out that the finance minister forgot to take into account legislative tax changes that came into effect in 2007.

Will the minister confirm that he made a mistake and will he finally be open, transparent and accountable and release the correct analysis?

[Ted Menzies, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, thank you for the opportunity to speak again about what this government has done for Canadians.

There are many different opinions and we can bring up expert opinions on both sides of that issue, but the fact is that Canadians want to be taxed fairly. The Prime Minister and the finance minister have repeated that we will cut taxes for businesses, for corporations, for small businesses and for individuals. We will continue to do that.

Air Transportation

[Joe Volpe, Liberal, Eglinton—Lawrence, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Transport's no fly list keeps failing the test of privacy and sovereignty. Even as the United States secretary of state admits American error in the Arar case, the minister cannot get Mr. Arar or any other Canadian removed from the U.S. no fly list. But the minister now has his own list, one he apparently must share with, among others, the United States homeland security office.

Will the minister tell the House how he can secure the removal of Canadians wrongly placed on the American no fly list when the United States secretary of state cannot?

[Lawrence Cannon, Conservative, Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, my hon. colleague knows that we have come forward with a passenger protect list. Within the passenger protect process, that list does provide the opportunity for Canadians who have been mistaken on that list, and that is very exceptionally rare, to follow a procedure to be able to get themselves off that list.

If there is any confusion on that, my hon. colleague is probably barking up the wrong tree, because in passenger protect we do have provisions that have been validated by the information commissioner to be able to do it.

[Joe Volpe, Liberal, Eglinton—Lawrence, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I think he is in denial and his assurances are not having any impact when the Americans continue to demand copies of passenger lists for U.S. overflights.

Is he aware that such lists will provide American authorities with names of Canadian business persons travelling to Cuba? Is he aware as well that the Helms-Burton Act imposes American law and its consequences on foreign companies and their officers doing business in Cuba?

How will he then defend Canadian interests and Canadian sovereignty? What protection from American interference is he offering Canadian citizens?

[Lawrence Cannon, Conservative, Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, I am wondering if my hon. colleague is aware that Canadians should also know that Canada-Cuba flights are only possible with United States cooperation. Every flight between Canada and Cuba requires U.S. air traffic controllers in Miami to talk to their Cuban counterparts.

Agriculture and Agri-food

[André Bellavance, Bloc, Richmond—Arthabaska, QC]

Mr. Speaker, today the Fédération des producteurs acéricoles du Québec is holding its annual general meeting in Victoriaville.

The sugar maple growers of eastern Quebec are going through difficult times. Some have had their production decrease by up to 70%, with financial losses of 40%, or $25 million for these 1,000 producers.

The CAIS program does not meet the needs of sugar maple growers. When there is assistance, it comes much too late and only covers part of the losses. What is the government waiting for to provide a real income support program?

[Christian Paradis, Conservative, Secretary of State (Agriculture)]

Mr. Speaker, as my colleague knows, we are working on the new agricultural policy framework.

As for the sugar maple growers, my colleague knows very well that interim payments of significant amounts were made. We will continue to work in the interests of producers in this matter.

[André Bellavance, Bloc, Richmond—Arthabaska, QC]

Mr. Speaker, to listen to the Secretary of State, all is well and good; however, that is not the case. Producers have something to complain about. I would like to hear what the new Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food has to say about this.

The CAIS program places those companies that have diversified their activities, which is most of them, at a particular disadvantage.

I hear the Conservatives boasting about taking action. What about their promise made in 2005 to include a true catastrophic component in the existing program?

[Christian Paradis, Conservative, Secretary of State (Agriculture)]

Mr. Speaker, if they want to talk about numbers, so be it. To date, $3 million has been paid out to 225 producers. Fifty applications are still being processed.

If they want to talk about action, then the member and his colleagues should explain why they voted against supply management as raised in the throne speech. This is historic and is now part of the record. The Bloc voted against it. Now it should explain to the producers why it did so.

Fisheries and Oceans

[Lawrence MacAulay, Liberal, Cardigan, PE]

Mr. Speaker, there are strong indications that the fisheries minister is considering eliminating transferring a portion of the gulf snow crab quota to inshore fishermen who rely heavily on the snow crab draw which is held every spring from the proceeds of that transfer.

I ask the minister to show some support for the inshore fishery and do the right thing in this House today. Through you, Mr. Speaker, I ask the minister, will he inform this House that he does not plan to eliminate the gulf crab draw in the gulf region?

[Loyola Hearn, Conservative, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans]

Mr. Speaker, through you, let me inform the member that as usual he has his facts all wrong. Last week we saw him cause all kinds of concern about those huge draggers that would be taking all the herring. He found out that he was wrong.

I come from a small boat inshore fishing background. I will make sure we look after the small boat inshore fishermen.

The Economy

[Daryl Kramp, Conservative, Prince Edward—Hastings, ON]

Mr. Speaker, after 13 years of Liberal dithering and a leaderless economic vision that saw Canada's continued decline in competitiveness and productivity, this government, led by our Prime Minister, has put Canada back on track and punching above its weight. Unlike the party opposite of a thousand or more priorities that just did not get it done, this government has got it done.

Could the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Industry please describe to this House some of the successes in Canada's economy and jobs?

[Colin Carrie, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Industry]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member for Prince Edward—Hastings for all his work on economic development.

I am pleased to let him know that Canada is back on track. Since the start of this year, we have added almost 300,000 new jobs. We have the lowest unemployment rate in a generation, at 5.9%. Eight out of ten manufacturers are looking at increasing or maintaining employment levels over the next quarter. CIBC's Benjamin Tal says that Canada's high-paying jobs have improved dramatically. Manufacturers are competing or paying higher wages. Job losses are being offset by gains with higher employment quality in other sectors.

Despite the--

[The Speaker, Liberal, Peter Milliken]

The hon. member for New Westminster--Coquitlam.