Debates of June 1st, 2010

Offshore Drilling

[Christian Paradis, Conservative, Minister of Natural Resources]

Mr. Speaker, that is nonsense. The National Energy Board, an independent, quasi-judicial tribunal that has been in place for 50 years, is responsible for oversight including applications, regulations and project management. It can require operators to provide guarantees, emergency response plans and interventions. It can take action at any stage of the process.

It is also holding public consultations and will study what is going on in the Gulf of Mexico so that it can learn more to improve our regulations. They should stop discrediting this independent national organization.

Medical Isotopes

[Carolyn Bennett, Liberal, St. Paul's, ON]

Mr. Speaker, last week, when the supply of medical isotopes was at 10%, Lantheus negotiated a supply deal with Israel to get doctors the isotopes they need to diagnose and treat their patients. This request was turned down by Health Canada.

Could the Minister of Health explain why Health Canada has turned this essential supply down and why two and a half years after this crisis began, we still have yet to have a secure supply of medical isotopes for Canadian patients?

[Leona Aglukkaq, Conservative, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, as I have said before in the House, we are dealing with a global shortage of TC99. We have been working with the medical community in Canada to look at alternatives to TC99 to mitigate the impact of the global shortage of supply.

We continue to work with the international community and encourage the medical community to apply for a special access program so that the supply of TC99 can be made available in Canada.

[Bernard Patry, Liberal, Pierrefonds—Dollard, QC]

Mr. Speaker, as a doctor, I have a question for the Prime Minister. Health Canada has a program for health professionals under which all Canadian hospitals can import isotopes from Israel as long as Lantheus, a company accredited by Health Canada, carries out quality control. However, this kind of piecemeal approach is impossible to manage.

Why does the government not issue blanket authorization to import generators from France, as it did in 2008?

[Leona Aglukkaq, Conservative, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, the supply of medical isotopes is a global issue and a challenge for all of us in Canada. We have been working with the international community for a year and a half in looking for alternatives to TC99 and approving products for Canada for TC99 when it is available.

We encourage the medical community to submit an application to Health Canada under the special access program and those applications are reviewed within a matter of days.

Offshore Drilling

[Paule Brunelle, Bloc, Trois-Rivières, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the BP drilling platform in the Gulf of Mexico did not have a relief well, which has led to catastrophic consequences. To avoid a similar event occurring off the coast of Quebec, the Quebec natural resources minister has asked Newfoundland and Labrador to consider a moratorium on drilling in the Newfoundland sector of the Gulf of St. Lawrence.

Does the Minister of Natural Resources also intend to write to his Newfoundland and Labrador counterpart urging her to consider a moratorium?

[Christian Paradis, Conservative, Minister of Natural Resources]

Mr. Speaker, no applications have been made or authorizations given to date. No applications have been submitted for exploration or drilling in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. My colleague knows perfectly well that the Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore Petroleum Board is responsible for such matters in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. This board has very strict regulations, as does the National Energy Board.

I would remind the House that on May 11 the National Energy Board announced that it would hold hearings and conduct a review to better understand what happened in the Gulf of Mexico. The public will be invited to participate in these hearings to improve our regulations—

[The Speaker, Liberal, Peter Milliken]

The hon. member for Gaspésie—Îles-de-la-Madeleine.

[Raynald Blais, Bloc, Gaspésie—Îles-de-la-Madeleine, QC]

Mr. Speaker, Magdalen Islanders are especially worried about the exploration activities recently announced by Corridor Resources, less than 80 km from the Îles-de-la-Madeleine. The Gulf of Mexico disaster has completely disrupted the way of life of coastal people, especially the fishers.

To prevent a similar situation from occurring here, will the Minister of Natural Resources join his Quebec counterpart and suggest to Newfoundland and Labrador that it declare a moratorium on drilling?

[Christian Paradis, Conservative, Minister of Natural Resources]

Mr. Speaker, the Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore Petroleum Board has not received any drilling applications from Corridor Resources for the Old Harry sector, which my colleague mentioned. Before applying for authorization to drill a well, Corridor Resources must conduct an environmental assessment, apply for an operating licence and obtain approval to drill a well, which it has not yet done.

The board is already tightening up its safety measures, in light of what is happening in the Gulf of Mexico, to improve our regulations, which are the best in the world.

Securities

[Daniel Paillé, Bloc, Hochelaga, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives apply a double standard to Quebec. When the time comes to require French in the Supreme Court, they will not budge, claiming that it would divide Canada. But when the time comes to create a securities commission, which Quebec opposes, the Conservatives insist on moving forward and say that it is too bad if it divides the country; too bad for Quebec.

Why do ministers and members from Quebec insist on stripping Quebeckers of their powers and financial autonomy? Are they non-token Quebeckers, perhaps?

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

Mr. Speaker, a Canadian securities regulator is the right thing to do to protect Canadians' investments. However, it is voluntary. Any province that wants to join is welcome to.

The reason we are doing this is to protect investors. The main reason we are doing it is to increase investments into this country. No longer should we have 13 different regulatory bodies across the country that slow down and in fact impede investment into this country. We encourage everyone to voluntarily get on board.

[Daniel Paillé, Bloc, Hochelaga, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the coalition goes beyond Quebec, and includes the director of the Capital Markets Institute at the University of Toronto, Jeffrey MacIntosh. All experts agree, from Pierre Lortie to Henri Brun. They are unanimous.

By destroying the passport system and betting on conflicts among the regulatory bodies, the government will, in the process, force issuing companies to get caught up in the tentacles of a Canada-wide commission.

Why does the government not admit that the voluntary approach is nothing but smoke and mirrors and nonsense that just tries to create uncertainty—

[The Speaker, Liberal, Peter Milliken]

The hon. Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance.

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

Mr. Speaker, it is the opposite. We are trying to increase certainty for those who want to invest in this country.

However, I do have to agree with one thing. I guess the coalition that he refers to is growing. The NDP leader said that we are fortunate to have a better structure than some other countries but that there are improvements, like moving toward a national securities regulator. That is from someone within this House who agrees that we should move forward with this.

Status of Women

[Lise Zarac, Liberal, LaSalle—Émard, QC]

Mr. Speaker, last week I asked the Prime Minister to stand up and tell us, in both official languages, that women are free to choose and that he will never allow a bill to pass if it restricts that right.

He refused to answer and delegated his ministers to again provide a series of evasive responses.

On behalf of Canadian women, I would like to once again repeat my request of the Prime Minister. I would like him to stand up and answer my question in both official languages. Does he not have the courage to do so?

[Rona Ambrose, Conservative, Minister of Public Works and Government Services and Minister for Status of Women]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister has reiterated this government's position several times. This government has no interest in reopening this debate. What Canadians are interested in is getting on with our maternal health and child initiative. They want us to work with developing countries to save the lives of millions of women and children.

Instead of having this divisive debate, I encourage the member to work with us to save the lives of women and children.

[Lise Zarac, Liberal, LaSalle—Émard, QC]

Mr. Speaker, their flawed rhetoric will not save the lives of the women that they are condemning. The Conservatives have shifted Canada's development policy. They have refused to include the environment on the G8 agenda, against the advice of the international community.

What right does the Prime Minister have to shift Canada's foreign policy for partisan reasons? It is costing $1 billion of public money to defend the Conservative Party's interests.

[Rona Ambrose, Conservative, Minister of Public Works and Government Services and Minister for Status of Women]

Mr. Speaker, what we do know is that our policy is guided by great advice from people like those with World Vision who tell us that 24,000 children under the age of 5 will die today in the developing world.

That is why we are focusing the G8 initiative on saving the lives of women and children. We have an historic opportunity. We have an obligation to support these women and children in the developing world, and that is exactly what our government will do.

Health

[Kirsty Duncan, Liberal, Etobicoke North, ON]

Mr. Speaker, last week was World MS Day, a day to stand in solidarity with two million people worldwide who suffer from multiple sclerosis.

In Canada, patients diagnosed with devastating MS are actually discriminated against and deprived of imaging necessary for diagnosis and treatment of blocked or narrowed veins draining the brain.

Will the minister commit to ending this unfair discrimination and implement a practice that is consistent with charter values?

[Leona Aglukkaq, Conservative, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, the member's question is so far from the truth.

Our government is committed to the health and safety of Canadians. We recognize how difficult it is for people living with this devastating illness. I had a very productive meeting with the MS Society a few weeks ago and we are working together to pull in the research community to deal with this issue, along with the Canadian Institute of Health Research.

Ultimately, at the end of the day, we are both working together to ensure that the procedure that is talked about in the community is safe and effective for all Canadians.

[Kirsty Duncan, Liberal, Etobicoke North, ON]

Mr. Speaker, where is the money? MS patients with a clear obstruction of blood flow from their brains are being denied treatment. They are denied angioplasty, a well-known universally practised procedure. It is not experimental and it is very low risk.

Will the minister explain to those MS patients in the gallery and to tens of thousands across Canada why they are being discriminated against? They are asking for $10 million, 100 times less than the G8 and G20 boondoggle. Why?

[Leona Aglukkaq, Conservative, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, as is the case for all new scientific developments, researchers will conduct further studies to validate these findings and determine their implications for treatment.

As well, when I met with the MS Society, we had a very productive discussion. I am working with the MS Society and the Canadian Institute of Health Research and we are encouraging MS researchers to apply for the available funding in order to further this research and treatment.

Our government has invested $120 million for this disease.

Eliminating Entitlements for Prisoners

[Cathy McLeod, Conservative, Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister and our government were outraged when we discovered that prisoners, like child killer Clifford Olson, received taxpayer-funded seniors benefits. We committed to taking swift action to end this practice and today our Conservative government introduced the eliminating entitlements for prisoners act. This bill is yet more proof that our Conservative government follows through on its commitments to Canadians.

Would the minister please tell the House more about this important bill?

[Diane Finley, Conservative, Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development]

Mr. Speaker, I was very pleased today to table in the House the eliminating entitlements for prisoners act. This bill would put an end to the practice of prisoners, like child killer Clifford Olson, collecting taxpayer-funded old age security benefits.

This bill would ensure fairness for hard-working taxpayers and their families. It is obviously a key part of our government's commitment to putting victims first.