Lynn Myers

[Energy Efficiency Strategy, February 5th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to speak to the motion brought forward by the hon. member for Winnipeg Centre. I do so on behalf of the residents of Waterloo—Wellington.

Mr. Speaker, let me begin by congratulating the member for bringing this motion to the House. I am pleased to see his commitment to energy efficiency and his interest in the federal buildings initiative, something that is important for all of us.

Energy efficiency helps Canadians save money. It ensures a responsible use of our resources and as has been pointed out, it ensures and protects our environment. Energy efficiency is important not only for government but for all Canadian homeowners, industry, small business, and automobile drivers for that matter.

Energy efficiency is a winning strategy. It contributes and helps in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. It is critical in achieving our Kyoto commitments on climate change. Our commitment on energy efficiency is also key in creating high tech jobs and in making Canada a world leader in this field, something of great note.

My remarks today will focus largely on the role of the Department of Public Works and Government Services in this initiative. As a major property owner in Canada, the Department of Public Works and Government Services has the opportunity to promote and implement energy management initiatives such as the federal buildings initiative.

The federal buildings initiative, or FBI, is a voluntary program which helps government departments and agencies improve the energy efficiency of their facilities. The FBI offers a new approach to updating federal buildings with energy saving technologies and practices with no front end cost.

The federal building initiative employs an innovative contractual arrangement involving a pre-qualified energy management firm and federal government departments or organizations. Through this arrangement the full cost of energy efficiency improvements is financed with the resulting energy savings.

The energy management firm finances a project and supplies and installs the new equipment. The department then pays the resulting lower energy bill to the utility and an amount equivalent to the energy savings to the energy management firm until the full cost of the energy efficiency improvement is recovered. At no time does the department pay more than its pre-improvement energy bill. After the improvements and costs have been recovered, it pays a lot less.

The FBI reduces the cost of government operations. It generates thousands of jobs and in the process lowers greenhouse gas emissions. In many buildings, annual energy savings of between 10% and 15% can be achieved by implementing relatively simple measures such as high efficiency fluorescent lights and motors, and heating-cooling system upgrades. Energy accounts for roughly 30% of a typical facility's operating and maintenance costs so that even modest improvements can add up to improvements that are substantial in nature and substantial in savings.

Let me describe a few success stories. In Winnipeg for example, Public Works and Government Services Canada is upgrading four federal buildings which will result in annual savings of $100,000. Environment Canada reaped annual savings of $880,000 through its retrofit of a Burlington, Ontario facility.

Public Works and Government Services Canada alone has signed 29 contracts representing about $33 million in energy investment by the private sector. This generates over $5.2 million in annual savings for energy costs, reducing CO2 emissions by 80,000 tonnes per year and creating 660 jobs in the process.

By the year 2000, Public Works and Government Services Canada estimates that it will have reduced energy consumption by $12 million per year and CO2 levels by 14%. This is quite remarkable. This is an important element in the government's response to meeting our greenhouse gas emission commitments which were made in Kyoto.

In addition to launching its own projects, Public Works and Government Services Canada as a common service agency helps others departments implement the federal buildings initiative by undertaking project management on their behalf. With its broad expertise in the areas of procurement, fleet management, water management, water conservation and energy efficiency, Public Works and Government Services Canada is well suited for this task.

The hon. member for Winnipeg Centre will be pleased to hear that public works is now pursuing the feasibility of the federal buildings initiatives in all leased buildings it manages. This of course means more energy savings and more job creation.

Virtually every department that owns buildings has made a commitment to pursue this initiative and the programs of the federal government are having an increasingly positive effect on the energy efficiency of government operations. We are also encouraging the private sector to go faster in its reduction of greenhouse gas emissions as well.

It is only appropriate then for the federal government, a big energy consumer itself, to set this kind of important and positive example. Canada is recognized as a world leader in energy efficiency, and deservedly so. That is something we can all be proud of.

Let me assure the hon. member for Winnipeg Centre that the federal buildings initiative is alive and well and will be implemented wherever and whenever possible. It is important that we as Canadians do so.

[Heart And Stroke Foundation, February 4th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, February is heart month in our nation, organized by the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada. The foundation, a federation of 10 independent provincial foundations, raised over $85 million in donations last year to support research and health promotion programs. Approximately 80% of these donations were raised during heart month.

Cardiovascular disease is the number one killer in Canada accounting for 37% of deaths each year. The Heart and Stroke Foundation dedicates itself to funding critical research in the area of heart disease and stroke being the number one funder of such research in Canada.

During heart month I urge all Canadians to get in touch with the Heart and Stroke Foundation. The foundation led and supported by 250,000 volunteers plans various activities across the country to educate and build awareness from coast to coast. It makes important efforts to encourage all Canadians to live healthy lives.

I commend the Heart and Stroke Foundation's efforts and ask that all Canadians take time this month and throughout the year to help support its undertakings.

[Supply, February 4th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, the government has committed and will continue to commit the funds necessary for the health care system in Canada. We have done so in the past and we will continue to do so in the future in the best interest of Canadians wherever they may live in Canada.

[Supply, February 4th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member opposite for the question. I reiterate that we at the federal level have worked very hard to ensure there are partnerships in place to deal with all health related matters including the issue of hepatitis C. As members know we have put in place a fund of $1.1 billion relative to that issue. With our provincial and territorial partners we will continue to do the right thing on behalf of all Canadians including those who suffer from hepatitis C.

It is important that we at the federal level continue to do that to ensure that health care as we know it continues as the core fundamental value that it is to Canadians wherever they may live in this great land of ours.

[Supply, February 4th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member opposite for the question. I cannot speak for Premier Tobin in terms of what he may or may not want. What I can do is speak on behalf of the government.

When it comes to health care for Canadians we have over the past number of years worked out a very strong partnership among the federal, provincial and territorial governments to ensure quality care for Canadians wherever they may live in Canada. That is precisely what Canadians want. They want us to work in this kind of partnership to ensure that a health care system is in place for themselves and their families.

[Supply, February 4th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member opposite for the question. What we on the government side have been saying is not theoretical. It is in actuality the reality of what we as a government have been doing over the years to support the health of Canadians. We have done so recognizing that the health care system in Canada is a fundamental core value to Canadians wherever they may live across this great land of ours.

We will continue as a federal government to promote health care and to do the right thing when it comes to health for Canadians. We will do it knowing they want that to be the case for themselves and for their children.

[Supply, February 4th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to have the opportunity to debate the motion today. I do so on behalf of the residents of Waterloo—Wellington.

Canadians place a very high premium on their health and the health of their families. It is a fundamental element of our individual quality of life in Canada. It is more than just the absence of disease. It is a resource for every day living. At a population level we know that a healthy population contributes immeasurably to the social well-being and economic productivity of the country.

Canadians as a population compared to citizens of other countries enjoy very excellent health. Canadians are remarkably healthy by every standard around the world in terms of health such as life expectancy and self-reported health.

Our enviable health status is due in no small part to our commitment to health promotion. That is something of which we an all be very proud because Canada is internationally respected as a world leader in health promotion. The world looks to Canada for leadership in health research, policy and practices that will help all countries make progress in achieving health for all their citizens as well.

For example, Canada was the site of the first world conference on health promotion. We can be proud of this leadership we took in developing a charter for the World Health Organization which set out the prerequisites for a healthy population based on a health promotion approach.

The federal government plays a key role in health promotion. The federal government supports initiatives to help Canadians adopt healthy behaviours: for example, to quit smoking, to achieve a better level of physical fitness, and to have a healthy and nutritious diet.

The results of this work have been truly remarkable. Deaths due to heart disease have declined. Canadians are much more fit than they were even a generation ago. Their eating habits have improved and smoking rates have gone down. We know that by getting Canadians to adopt a healthier lifestyle we can add years of life and health to their lives.

All this is not to say that all Canadians lead a healthy lifestyle. There is much more to be done. The federal government will continue to play a key role in helping Canadians through public education, through education of health professionals such as doctors and nurses, and through supporting action to make our communities healthy and safe places in which to live and to work.

Health is much more than a product of individual choice. We must create the conditions that allow and encourage individuals to make healthy choices: for example, opportunities for healthy child development, for educational and employment opportunities, and safe and healthy workplaces. Most of all we must foster community action which encourages all members of all ages and all levels of ability to contribute to and partake in the benefits of a healthy social, economic and physical environment.

The federal government helps to create the conditions which foster health and healthy choices by all Canadian citizens. How does it do this? It does it by working in partnership with provincial and territorial governments, with the voluntary and community sectors and with the private sector on national strategies to address pressing health issues such as HIV and AIDS, tobacco use, substance abuse, and chronic disease such as heart disease, diabetes and cancer. Time and time again the federal government has through its work in partnership with others helped Canadians gain an upper hand on the disease and health problems that concern them most.

A good example of Health Canada's partnership work is the heart health initiative. This initiative since its inception eight years ago has created an extensive network involving the federal government, 10 provincial departments of health, the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada, and over 1,000 organizations in the public, private and voluntary sectors.

The objective of the initiative is the reduction of cardiovascular disease by addressing the risk factors and socioeconomic conditions that underlie it. While good progress has been made Canada still ranks in the middle of industrialized countries with respect to heart disease mortality. Federal leadership in this area will help continue this progress, and this we must do.

Another example of Health Canada's partnership work is in the community action program for children. Health Canada has developed partnership arrangements with all provinces for this very important initiative which helps ensure optimal opportunities for healthy childhood development. Through this program Health Canada works with its partners to support community programs and groups to establish and deliver services that address the developmental needs of our children from birth to six years of age who are at risk of poor health or live in conditions likely to give rise to poor health.

This program has been successful in building community capacity. Health Canada works with the provinces and territories toward a strategy for healthy child development through the federal, provincial and territorial advisory committee on population health. The shared vision of this work is the belief that healthy child development is the foundation of lifelong health and that by working together we can achieve optimal health for all Canadian children.

At the other end of the life course Health Canada works in partnership with the provinces and territories to promote healthy aging. It is well known, for example, that a society which encourages and supports independence, autonomy and a good quality of life for its senior citizens is a society that is characterized by the health, vitality and longevity of its seniors population. Health Canada has developed a framework for aging in partnership with the provinces and territories to help all levels of government see our programs policies and services through a seniors lens, something which is very important.

At no time has this been more important than now. After all, this is the international year of the older person. In the years to come our senior population will grow tremendously. The federal government is committed to continue its work in partnership with others to ensure that as a society our seniors have optimal opportunities for health and good quality life.

The federal government is working on many other fronts in collaboration to support health promotion and disease prevention. One of the most important ways is to track and report on progress on the health of Canadians. Together federal, provincial and territorial governments developed a report on the health of Canadians. The first edition was issued by ministers jointly in 1996. The second edition will be released in the fall of this year updating the trends in health status reported in 1996 and giving us an opportunity to celebrate improvements and to recommit ourselves to work on persistent health problems and inequalities.

The federal government has and will continue to play an important role in the health of all Canadians, and rightfully so. Canadians count on us to work in partnership with others and to promote and protect their health wherever they may live in Canada. The achievements in health status over the last century can be attributed in large part to the efforts of the federal government.

We can be justly proud of our record and our respected place on the world stage. It is second to none in terms of health promotion and in other areas. Our health care system is a core fundamental value for Canadians. Accordingly we at the federal level will continue to work very hard to ensure that our health care system remains one of the best in the world. Canadians expect this. Canadians want this. Canadians need this. Quite frankly, Canadians deserve this. We will continue to do this at the federal level and we will do it well.

[White Cane Week, February 1st, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, the first week of February is White Cane Week in Canada. This event, organized by the Canadian Council of the Blind and the Canadian National Institute for the Blind, is designed to focus on the abilities, concerns and needs of people who are blind, visually impaired or deaf-blind. The white cane, associated with people who are blind since the 1930s, has become a symbol of blindness, courage and independent spirit.

White Cane Week was first launched by a group of blind people who felt there was a lack of understanding about what the white cane represented. It continues to be an event to educate the public and to make all Canadians aware of blind people's achievements.

White Cane Week is an opportunity for everyone to find out more about the blind, visually impaired and deaf-blind. We should all be more aware of this condition that affects so many Canadians. If anyone wishes to find out more about White Cane Week they can contact their local Canadian Council of the Blind or the Canadian National Institute for the Blind. They are deserving of our support.

[Canada Customs And Revenue Agency Act, December 8th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for the very good question. The declaration of taxpayer rights really is an evolving piece of legislation that will be part and parcel of this new agency.

It will underscore the kind of commitment that certainly we as a government want to see carried forward in the best interests of all Canadians as it relates to this agency in a manner that is meaningful and consistent with the kinds of information that certainly we on the government side have been given with respect to the importance of carrying forward in this manner.

In answer to the hon. member, the declaration is a very valuable piece of legislation that is in keeping with the kinds of values that we as Canadians want to promote.

[Canada Customs And Revenue Agency Act, December 8th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, I begin by noting that accountability and fairness are the cornerstones of our government's legislation, policies, regulations and processes. Certainly residents in Waterloo—Wellington, indeed Canadians everywhere, understand and know this to be true.

Fairness is an essential foundation to the entire revenue administration. It is a system based on voluntary compliance and if the clients do not believe they are being treated fairly, one cannot expect them to comply voluntarily.

Revenue Canada is already a world leader in treating citizens in a fair and equitable manner in the delivery of customs and revenue programs.

Despite this excellent record, the Minister of National Revenue launched the fairness initiative in March of this year to solicit feedback on the fairness of the department's programs. More specifically, it looked at the measures that were in place, evaluated how well the department was doing at providing fairness and identified improvements that will be made to provide a greater level of fairness to Revenue Canada's clients.

The consultations were broad and comprehensive. Canadians from all walks of life were asked for their views on the department's record at being fair as well as to identify opportunities which would make the system even fairer. Consultations included speaking to and listening to the general public, the department's independent advisory committees, stakeholder groups and Revenue Canada's managers and frontline staff.

To ensure the entire process would be objective, Revenue Canada partnered with the Conference Board of Canada to analyse results, hold a national symposium to verify priorities and to produce an independent report.

As well, a comparative assessment was undertaken of the best practices of other customs and revenue administrations around the world. As a conference board report states, Revenue Canada is well regarded among Canadians and among international customs and revenue agencies as a leader, an innovator and an effective organization, truly a strong voice of confidence to it.

Many suggestions have been received to make further improvements to the fairness of Revenue Canada, and its officials are in the process of developing an action plan for the minister's consideration. This action plan, along with the conference board report, will be released by the minister in early 1999.

One message was crystal clear in all this. Revenue Canada needs to continue strengthening the organization to make fairness an ongoing part of every employee's job. Taking the responsibility for fairness out of Revenue Canada and giving it to the taxpayers' advocate and ombudsman or an office of taxpayer protection is not what Canadians are calling for. The conference board reports that Revenue Canada has already made significant strides in this direction and is well equipped to provide fairness to Canadians. Revenue Canada is constantly striving to improve its services to all Canadians. We are living in a constantly evolving world and Canada's business, economic and social environment is dramatically changing. It is one of the reasons that the agency is being created, to respond to those changes and to provide better service to all our clients. Good service is fair service always.

Fairness means being open, clear, courteous, responsive, timely and accessible. Applying legislation fairly for Revenue Canada and for the new agency then means applying it impartially, consistently and responsively. It means as well that commitments Revenue Canada makes to fairness will be commitments for the Canada customs and revenue agency. That agency is all about providing better and more effective and efficient service to Canadians. Fairness is part and parcel of service and an efficient organization that is not fair to its clients is not an effective one.

Feedback as well from the fairness initiative reinforced the longstanding practice of building commitment to fairness throughout the organization as opposed to isolating it in a separate office.

Creating and office of taxpayer protection as some have suggested would also carry additional expense and would detract from the ability of members of parliament to deal directly with the Minister of National Revenue to resolve their constituents' problems.

Members of parliament should have the right to call the minister to task if the agency appears to behave unfairly in its ways and to its clients. The agency's clients should also have the right to have a member of parliament raise concerns directly to the minister in the House of Commons on the actions of the agency. That is very important.

Some hon. members have also suggested entrenching a taxpayer bill of rights in the legislation. Their rationale is that the agency may become out of control, leading to taxpayer complaints on the scale of those facing the United States Internal Revenue Service in recent years.

I remind them that Revenue Canada's declaration of taxpayer rights was the first of its kind in the world, introduced in 1985. The declaration has been periodically updated to remain current with the law and societal needs and is entrenched in the day to day operations of the department and is part of the public service ethos that will carry over to the agency.

In addition, feedback to date from the consultations on the fairness initiative indicates that Canadians are pleased with the current declaration of taxpayer rights.

The Canada customs and revenue agency will not be an arm's length agency like the IRS and therefore what it might need is not what we need.

Garth Whyte, vice-president of national affairs for the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, pointed out when he appeared before the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance on November 24: “The problem is once you put it in the act it is pretty hard to enforce. We want to see this as a cultural change happening in the department and a dedication to service. You can write it in the act, and we have seen many things written in the act but then people think it's done. I think it should be done at the department level”. That is well worth remembering.

In addition to not being necessary, adding a taxpayer bill of rights to the agency legislation would have the effect of amending program legislation such as the Income Tax Act.

Provisions such as those proposed should therefore be directed specifically at that act and other similar statutes the agency would administer.

Unlike the situation with the IRS, there will continue to be a minister of national revenue who will continue to be accountable to the public and in the House of Commons for all aspects of the agency's performance, including its fairness.

Canadians certainly expect no less and Canadians deserve no less. I therefore urge all members to support this very worthwhile legislation.