House of Commons Hansard #81 of the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was unions.
Bardish Chagger LiberalLeader of the Government in the House of Commons and Minister of Small Business and Tourism
Mr. Speaker, this is about recognizing that better is possible. This is about recognizing that the current rules that are in place were--
The Speaker Liberal Geoff Regan
Order. I know members are anxious to applaud, but they should wait until the end of the answer. Members will want to listen and hear the answer from the hon. government House leader.
The hon. government House leader.
Bardish Chagger Liberal Waterloo, ON
Mr. Speaker, I will continue with my response.
It is interesting, because even the opposition recognizes that we can do better and that we will do better. That is why the Prime Minister has asked the Treasury Board to create a new policy to govern relocation expenses. Let us not forget that this is the same policy that the previous prime minister and the Harper Conservatives had the opportunity to fix, and they did not.
Brigitte Sansoucy NDP Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot, QC
Mr. Speaker, for over six years, the provinces have been calling on the federal government to abandon the cuts that the Conservative government planned to make to health transfers. Unfortunately, the new Minister of Health confirmed that the Liberal government is going to go ahead with the Conservative cuts.
Can she explain to the provinces and Canadians why her government is going to maintain the $36 billion in cuts imposed by Stephen Harper?
Jane Philpott LiberalMinister of Health
Mr. Speaker, our government invested in a Canada health transfer this year that is bigger than ever, more than $36 billion.
It will increase next year. The Canada health transfer will go up by more than $1 billion. In addition to that, our government is going to make investments in areas where the provinces and territories have agreed with us that there are concerns and priorities, and those include things like $3 billion for home care. We will also work to increase access to mental health care.
I look forward to further conversations with my colleagues.
Brigitte Sansoucy NDP Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot, QC
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals were elected on a promise to renegotiate the health transfers with the provinces. However, this weekend, the Minister of Health confirmed that her government is adopting the Conservatives' formula for health transfers.
Can the minister confirm whether the provinces agree with maintaining the $36 billion in cuts imposed by Stephen Harper?
Jane Philpott LiberalMinister of Health
Mr. Speaker, I have had excellent conversations with my colleagues across this country, the ministers of health in the provinces and territories.
We have agreed upon a number of priorities, areas in which we think the health care systems across this country need improvement. We look forward to a further collaborative relationship.
They are on the front lines. They know where the needs are. We have agreed with what those needs are. We plan to invest in better health care for all Canadians.
Don Davies NDP Vancouver Kingsway, BC
Mr. Speaker, real change is turning into real betrayal real fast.
During the election, the Prime Minister told Canadians that we cannot have Tommy Douglas health care on a Stephen Harper budget. Yesterday the Minister of Health confirmed that the Liberals are adopting Stephen Harper's health care cuts.
The Liberal government was elected on a promise of real change when it comes to health care. Can the minister explain why she will not deliver it?
Jane Philpott LiberalMinister of Health
Mr. Speaker, we absolutely intend to deliver real change on health care. In fact, I wonder how the NDP could have delivered, given its fiscal plans and its agreement to stick to a balanced budget.
We believe in new investments in health care. We will be investing in home care. We will be making sure Canadians have accessible, affordable, and appropriately prescribed prescription drugs. We will invest in innovation. We will deliver on health care for Canadians.
Don Davies NDP Vancouver Kingsway, BC
Mr. Speaker, we will see how the Liberal government delivers better health care on Stephen Harper health care cuts.
The minister is promising millions while cutting billions every year. The truth is that the government's decision will cut over $1 billion from health care next year alone, and a total of $36 billion will be cut from health care over the long term.
The Liberal campaign platform also promised that Liberals would discuss any cuts with the provinces, but instead, they are going to impose these cuts without any negotiating with the provinces, just like Mr. Harper.
Will the minister tell us, do the provinces support these Harper—
Jane Philpott LiberalMinister of Health
Mr. Speaker, Canadians are rightfully proud of our strong, publicly funded health care system.
We will continue to invest, and there will continue to be a growing Canada health transfer, but all health policy experts in this country agree that there is room for improvement. There are areas where Canadians do not have access to the home care they need and where people are lacking access to mental health care.
I have had a very good relationship with my colleagues, and I look forward to further discussions with them next month to invest in those areas.
Luc Berthold Conservative Mégantic—L'Érable, QC
Mr. Speaker, what do the Prime Minister's best friend Gerald Butts, the Prime Minister's chief of staff Katie Telford, the chief of staff of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, and the chief of staff of the Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development have in common? Their bosses have all demonstrated a lack of judgment.
My question is simple. How do the Prime Minister and his ministers justify their lack of judgment in authorizing such astronomical relocation expenses?
Bardish Chagger LiberalLeader of the Government in the House of Commons and Minister of Small Business and Tourism
Mr. Speaker, as you and everyone else knows, this policy on the reimbursement of moving expenses has been in place since the 1970s. It was the previous government, Stephen Harper's government, that developed the policy currently in place. The office of prime minister Stephen Harper approved more than $300,000 in moving expenses, including over $93,000 for one person.
We know that this policy needs to be reviewed and that is why the Prime Minister has asked the Treasury Board to draft a new policy.
Luc Berthold Conservative Mégantic—L'Érable, QC
Mr. Speaker, in English or in French, a broken record is a broken record. The Leader of the Government in the House of Commons needs to lead by example and put an end to these excessive expenditures.
According to Liberal ethics, they just pay some of it back if they get caught and then wait for the whole thing to go away. That will not happen, because the official opposition will not let this go as long as the Liberals continue to whoop it up on the taxpayers' dime.
Will the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons explain her own lack of judgment to the House?
Bardish Chagger LiberalLeader of the Government in the House of Commons and Minister of Small Business and Tourism
Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for his question.
Our government knows that the policy needs to be reviewed. If they continue to ask the same question, I will continue to give the same answer. It was our Prime Minister who asked the Treasury Board to draft a new policy. We will do better. We can and we will do better.
Karen Vecchio Conservative Elgin—Middlesex—London, ON
Mr. Speaker, the environment minister gave her staff over $116,000 to come to Ottawa. Her office admits that only $28,000 was actually used for moving. After getting caught, other Liberals have admitted their claims were unreasonable.
When will the minister come clean and explain to Canadians what they got for the rest of the money?
Bardish Chagger LiberalLeader of the Government in the House of Commons and Minister of Small Business and Tourism
Mr. Speaker, it gives me another opportunity to remind us that these reimbursement policies for reallocation costs have been in place in since the 1970s. The previous government had an opportunity to fix it, but it did not. That is why it is our government that recognizes that these policies need to be reviewed.
Let me remind Canadians that it was prime minister Stephen Harper's office that approved $300,000 in relocation expenses and $93,000 for one single individual. That is why our Prime Minister has asked the Treasury Board to create a policy to govern relocation expenses. As for the work that the Minister of Environment—
Karen Vecchio Conservative Elgin—Middlesex—London, ON
Mr. Speaker, the minister is hiding behind the so-called rules, these same rules that they are talking about today. They had the choice. Each and every minister had the choice. The environment minister should be able to answer this question. She signed off on this money. She should be able to tell us where it went.
What is the minister hiding and where did the money go?
Bardish Chagger LiberalLeader of the Government in the House of Commons and Minister of Small Business and Tourism
Mr. Speaker, these are not so-called rules; these are the rules and every expense was made in accordance with the guidelines. That is the issue. It is our government that recognizes the previous Conservative government had an opportunity to do more. It did not. Our government recognizes that more can be done. That is why our Prime Minister has asked the Treasury Board to review the policy and bring in a new policy for relocation expenses.
Blaine Calkins Conservative Red Deer—Lacombe, AB
Mr. Speaker, this weekend we learned that some Liberal staffers who received moving expense payments will be paying a fraction of that money back. These ministers gave their friends personalized cash payments, but now, after being caught red-handed, they are paying back what they feel is unreasonable.
Canadians want to know more about these personalized cash payments, or is this just the 2016 term for brown paper envelopes?
Bardish Chagger LiberalLeader of the Government in the House of Commons and Minister of Small Business and Tourism
Mr. Speaker, I cannot tell if the members opposite are making light of the situation, or heavy. This is a policy that our government recognizes needs to be reviewed and I will remind Canadians that this is a policy that has been in place since the 1970s. These are the same rules that also apply to the military, the RCMP, and the public service. The previous prime minister, Stephen Harper, also approved $300,000 in relocation expenses, including $93,000 to one individual.
Our government recognizes that better is always possible.
Blaine Calkins Conservative Red Deer—Lacombe, AB
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Infrastructure is no stranger to wasteful spending. First we had sky palace 2.0, and now we find out he has signed off on over $50,000 in moving expenses for one of his staff. Canadians are losing their homes and their jobs, but the Minister of Infrastructure is more concerned about making sure his staffer collects tens of thousands of dollars in so-called moving expenses.
How much of this payout was used as unaccounted for personalized cash payments?