Pauline Picard

[Drinking Water, November 4th, 1997]

Mr. Speaker, the federal government will get involved in the area of drinking water through its health department, on the grounds that it must protect public health in Canada.

Is this not an excuse for the federal government to take complete control over drinking water, thus taking over responsibilities which Quebec already exercises and which come under provincial jurisdiction?

[Tobacco Act, November 3rd, 1997]

Mr. Speaker, several times now I have asked the Minister of Health if he intended to take other sports and cultural events besides the Grand Prix into account in his bill to amend the Tobacco Act, and each time the minister has refused to answer.

Will the minister admit that a bill to amend the Tobacco Act that did not take all sports and cultural events into account would create a completely discriminatory situation?

[Tobacco Legislation, October 30th, 1997]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday the Minister of Health announced that he was going to table amendments to his anti-tobacco legislation, so that the Grand Prix could be televised in Canada.

Can the minister tell us clearly whether or not he intends to take the necessary action to support other sports and cultural events?

[Tobacco Legislation, October 29th, 1997]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Health.

Yesterday, the Minister of Health said that he would amend the anti-tobacco legislation so as to allow international Grand Prix races to be held. The secretary of state for regional development indicated, and I quote: “It goes without saying that the Formula 1 changes will apply to all events”.

Will the minister confirm the statement by his colleague, the secretary of state for regional development, that the measures applied in the case of the Grand Prix races will apply to all major sports and cultural events?

[Tobacco Act, October 28th, 1997]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Health.

The government announced measures which will soften its anti-tobacco legislation and which will likely help keep the Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal.

Will the minister explain why the Liberal cabinet decided to adopt measures which will only help the Grand Prix, while leaving other major sports and cultural events to fend for themselves?

[Tobacco Act, October 22nd, 1997]

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Health cannot remain indifferent to the problems his anti-tobacco legislation is causing promoters of cultural and sporting events in Quebec, who have been left without a leg to stand on.

In light of the ambiguous statements made by the government during the last election campaign, could the minister tell us whether the changes to the anti-tobacco legislation promised by the Prime Minister apply only to the Montreal Grand Prix or to all cultural and sporting events jeopardized by this legislation?

[Aboriginal Peoples, October 9th, 1997]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Health.

In his report, the auditor general noted serious flaws in health programs for aboriginals. These flaws cost $1 billion, lead to drug abuse and cause serious addiction problems.

The exploitation of aboriginals by health professionals is a problem that has been known for ten years. How can the minister explain to Canadians that his department has not yet found one single solution to this problem?

[Criminal Code, October 9th, 1997]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-247, an Act to amend the Criminal Code (genetic manipulation).

Madam Speaker, I am pleased to introduce in the House a bill aimed at amending the Criminal Code on genetic manipulation. The purpose of this bill is to ban the cloning of human embryos. I believe it is important to set limits within which science can develop in the service and the best interests of all.

Medically assisted reproductive techniques give rise to a number of questions: ethical, moral, religious and scientific. There may be much debate still to come on how these techniques will be monitored but there is, I believe, a broad consensus on the necessity of banning the cloning of human beings.

Yet there is no legislation at the present time to reflect that desire. Over and above science, medicine and politics, human cloning is also a question of human dignity, which transcends all partisan politics.

For this reason I am asking all members of this House to support this bill, which reflects the will of those who elected us.

(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)

[Tobacco Act, October 7th, 1997]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Health.

Less than 24 hours after the Tobacco Act was passed and on the eve of the last election campaign, the Prime Minister partially recognized his mistake and promised to amend the legislation so as to remove certain restrictions on international racing event sponsorships.

Does the Minister of Health intend to keep his government's promise to make the legislation more flexible in order to satisfy international racing event organizers?

[Speech From The Throne, October 2nd, 1997]

Madam Speaker, I would like to respond to the last comment made by the hon. member. I should remind him that what we have been saying for the past 30 and perhaps even 300 years is that we are one of the two founding peoples of this country and that we want to be recognized as such. That is what we call freedom.

I would also like to comment on some of my hon. colleague's remarks regarding the National Forum on Health. This forum was established following the last throne speech. The government was committed to travelling across Canada to find out what works and what does not work in each province's health care system.

This was to be done in co-operation with provincial ministers and representatives. The ministers and their representatives said no, as they considered this to be outright interference in an area of provincial jurisdiction.

Under the Constitution—which you like to bring up when it suits your purpose—the federal government is only required to transfer tax revenues. These amounts are to be distributed among the provinces on the basis of population, and the federal government is required to transfer some of the money to help the provinces carry out their responsibilities in the area of health.

Need I remind the House that health care management is the responsibility of each province. Health is an exclusive provincial jurisdiction. I hope that is clear.

As for the Canada social transfer, we read on page 58 of red book II: “A new Liberal government will raise the CHST cash floor to $12.5 billion beginning in 1998-99”. The $6 billion increase in health spending announced by the Liberals is a sham. This is not new money; it comes from the cancellation of cuts the Liberals had planned to make. This money is spread over five years. It is definitely not extra money the federal government will be transferring to the provinces every year. So, don't tell us—