Mr. Chairman, could the hon. member opposite comment on the notion that while drug costs are rising it may be a more cost efficient way of treating the illnesses facing Canadians?
Lost her last election, in 2006, with 39% of the vote.
Health Care System June 11th, 2002
Mr. Chairman, could the hon. member opposite comment on the notion that while drug costs are rising it may be a more cost efficient way of treating the illnesses facing Canadians?
Health Care System June 11th, 2002
Mr. Chairman, I listened with great interest to the hon. member opposite. One thing struck me. He talked about a report he asked the Library of Parliament to produce for him that claimed we were spending an enormous amount of money to study health.
First, did the Library of Parliament provide you with the details of where we were spending the money? If we spent as much as you say perhaps you could tell us how it was spent.
Second, you talked about the rising--
Emergency Preparedness Week May 8th, 2002
Mr. Speaker, our country is renown in the world as one of the best places to live and we want to keep it that way.
Recent world events, as well as disasters here in Canada, have raised awareness among Canadians that they are not immune to the risk of having their lives affected by emergency situations, whether natural, technological or deliberately caused by individuals who wish to advance their own agendas.
Therefore it is a pleasure to rise in the House today in support of Emergency Preparedness Week. The theme for this year's week is “Keeping Canada safe--Emergency preparedness begins with you.”
The Government of Canada works in co-operation with provincial and territorial governments, municipal governments, the private sector and non-governmental partners such as volunteer agencies, to ensure that Canada is prepared to respond and recover from virtually any type of emergency situation. To mark this special week a wide range of activities will take place throughout Canada to raise public awareness and encourage our citizens to be prepared for emergency situations.
I ask all members of the House to encourage their constituents to take time during Emergency Preparedness Week to learn what they can--
Supply May 7th, 2002
Mr. Chairman, one of the newer parts of the defence department is the Office of Critical Infrastructure Protection and Emergency Preparedness. Perhaps the minister could tell us what exactly is critical infrastructure. Does all critical infrastructure fall within the purview of the federal government or does the department work hand in hand with other levels of government and the private sector? What has been the nature of this organization since the events of September 11?
Supply May 7th, 2002
Mr. Minister, one thing we have heard on this quality of life sojourn of ours, and to which the auditor general refers as well, is that we seem to be lacking in some of the key technical trades in the forces. Part of it is because we do such a good job of training them that they are then well prepared to go into the private sector and the private sector takes our best trained. We heard that from pilots who were offered astronomical sums of money to fly in any number of air forces across the world.
What we are doing to attract new people of high technical quality and how we are going to try to retain them within the armed forces?
Supply May 7th, 2002
Mr. Chairman, it is most unfortunate to see that coming from a party that purports to want to do things a little differently. Now she leaves after not giving consent. She might want to stay because I might want to ask a few more times.
I appreciate the opportunity to participate in the reviewing of the estimates of the Department of National Defence.
Back in the latter part of 1997 the minister asked SCONDVA to travel across the country and visit various bases around the world where we had CF members to review quality of life. Throughout our review we talked to literally hundreds and hundreds of people. We talked to members of the armed forces in Esquimalt, Cold Lake, wherever there was a base.
When we first started out a number of the CF members, quite frankly, were a little apprehensive and a little skeptical that another committee was going to study their quality of life. However as we began to proceed I think they realized that we had a genuine interest in working with them to resolve some of the quality of life issues.
The minister will know that as a result of our very indepth review of quality of life SCONDVA made 89 recommendations on quality of life.
For members of the House who perhaps were not here at the time that we were doing that, I would point out that we divided it into five general areas. We called them the five pillars of support for quality of life. One was pay and allowances, which was compensation for work. We looked at the housing accommodations. We looked at concerns with respect to injured or retired veterans, the care of air injured personnel, the military family and then we looked at the recognition work, expectations and conditions of service.
As I said, we talked to not only members of national defence at headquarters but we talked to the enlisted men and women. We talked to their spouses, we visited their homes and we talked to their children. We spent hours and hours making certain that we met everyone and that we gave everyone an opportunity to be heard.
Throughout our study of this the minister and all the commanders made certain that each member of the armed forces knew that they could say anything they wished and that they could put any concern before us. Some were still reluctant so,as individual members, we would visit afterward to talk. We had some very frank discussion.
As I said, as a result of those discussion we made 89 recommendations. Throughout our recommendations we added an additional proviso that said that there should be an annual report.
The minister has made several annual reports as a result of our quality of life report. I wonder if he perhaps could tell us where we are with the 89 recommendations, how many recommendations we have fulfilled and how many are still sort of a work in progress.
Supply May 7th, 2002
Mr. Chairman, I am an eternal optimist so I will ask the member for Renfrew--Nipissing--Pembroke if she might want to reconsider and allow me to share my time with the member for Ancaster--Dundas--Flamborough--Aldershot.
National Palliative Care Week May 7th, 2002
Mr. Speaker, May 5 to 12 is National Palliative Care Week, a time for us to reflect on the importance of palliative care. As individuals near the end of life, they and their loved ones often need the kind of holistic care that palliative care provides to manage symptoms and to support the best possible quality of life in all its dimensions: physical, spiritual, emotional and social.
The Government of Canada has an ongoing commitment to quality palliative care. A secretariat on palliative care and end of life care has been established within Health Canada. Health Canada has also injected substantial funding into web based projects such as PALLIUM and start-up funding for the Canadian Virtual Hospice. The federal government has provided funding to the national Canadian Palliative Care Association to develop national norms of practice for hospice palliative care.
I hope the House will join me in applauding the efforts of the many providers of care, from spiritual care and social support to the dedication of health care professionals, volunteers, family caregivers and others who tirelessly dedicate their efforts to bringing quality palliative care to Canadians.
Health and Safety Week May 6th, 2002
Mr. Speaker, from May 5 to 11 we will be celebrating North American Occupational Health and Safety Week. This year's theme, Prevention is the Solution, focuses on taking preventive measures to create safer work environments.
On average in Canada three workers are killed every working day. Unfortunately, young people are the most likely to be killed or injured on the job. We have to keep on working together to protect our young workers.
Canada's labour program is proud of its close collaboration with the Canadian Centre for Occupational Safety and Health and the Canadian Society of Safety Engineering to provide healthier and safer workplaces for today's workers.
I hope members will join me in wishing all participants a very safe and successful week.
Terrorism April 30th, 2002
Mr. Speaker, on Sunday the American television program 60 Minutes broadcast a story that unfairly painted Canada as a haven for terrorists.
When faced with incomprehensible acts of hatred and terrorism it is easy to give in to our initial instincts to barricade ourselves and look for simple solutions. There will always be some element of risk in any free and democratic society. No country is completely immune to this threat. Canada has been working side by side with the Americans in the fight against terrorism.
The events of September 11 were both tragic and frightening, but let us not in our fear turn against those whose own experiences and fear have brought them to our shores. Closing our borders is not the solution. Immigration is what makes this country strong, not weak.
Let us not lose faith in Canada's ability to fight terrorism. We must not delegate our responsibilities and decision making to the Americans. None of the September 11 terrorists came from Canada. Our response to September 11 has been both measured and effective.