Pierre Pettigrew

[Canada-U.S. Relations, October 6th, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, our relationship with the United States is a fundamental cornerstone of our foreign policy. We mentioned it in the Speech from the Throne yesterday. Our government is absolutely determined to strengthen the relationship with the United States.

We will continue to have an independent voice in the world. We will want to increase Canada's influence abroad, but we will want to make sure that the North American continent that contributes so much to our prosperity and where we have built the best continent in terms of justice and human rights continues to be a thriving continent.

[Government Appointments, October 6th, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, Mr. Charbonneau has been an outstanding member of the House of Commons. Being a member of the House of Commons should not discredit any individual for future jobs or the future career of an individual.

Mr. Charbonneau will be a very good ambassador for this country. He will represent the views of our country and our diplomacy.

[Government Appointments, October 6th, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, Mr. Charbonneau has extensive experience which makes him very well placed to fulfill the role of Canada's ambassador to UNESCO. He has worked for years and years in the field of education, human rights and the environment. He was an outstanding member of the House of Commons and represented very well his constituents and the Government of Canada.

As Mr. Charbonneau assumes his new position, he will represent Canada very well and reflect the views of the government on all of the issues.

[Health, May 12th, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased that the right hon. member is asking this very pertinent question. For many years the HIV-AIDS strategy that the Government of Canada set up has been very useful to Canadians. I am pleased to say that I will be making an announcement shortly that we will double the funding for the HIV-AIDS strategy over the next five years to $84 million.

[Health, May 12th, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, there has been money invested to help the victims of hepatitis C. We are monitoring the fund with care. We do care for these people with hepatitis C and we will continue to do that job in the next few years.

[Health, May 12th, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, the Government of Canada is quite sensitive to the people living with hepatitis C. I will gladly look into the specific case that the member has raised in the House at this time.

[Health, May 11th, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, we have been working on catastrophic drugs; it is in the health accord of 2003. This is a government that will continue to work with the provinces. We are working on the home care front. We want to do a better job on primary care with the provinces. We will be looking into doing more on the pharmacare side, as we already have done in the health accord of 2003.

Our health system is a work in progress. We believe it needs to be improved year after year to reflect the values and interests of Canadians and the evolution of our society.

[Health, May 11th, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, let me be very clear. If the opposition member has a difficulty seeing the difference between us and them, I will tell her that between the tax cutters, who pretend that while cutting taxes substantially they would be able to build a new health care system, and the mega-spenders, who live in the 1970s and want to have the health care of the 1970s, we Liberals have a way to build a plan which we will build with the provinces. It is a plan that Canadians will be able to trust because it will be between the tax cutters and the mega-spenders. It is a balanced approach.

[Health, May 11th, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, the Government of Canada is committed to working with the provinces and territories to identify ways we can best serve rural areas. Provinces have the primary responsibility for the organization and delivery of health care services to their residents. The Government of Canada confirmed its commitment to improving access to quality health care for all Canadians by increasing its support by $34.8 billion over five years.

In October 2003, Health Canada and the CIHR--

[Supply, May 11th, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, I would like some clarification from the member for Hochelaga—Maisonneuve, who says that we should take Mr. Romanow's 25% funding model. Mr. Romanow was very specific, however. He said that the Canadian government should invest some 25% of funding in health, but that money alone would not be enough.

The supplementary sums of money to be invested in the health care system must allow us to make some changes that would ensure the long-term sustainability of our health care system.

I would like the hon. member to explain just how far he is going with Mr. Romanow. Did he just happen to focus on the 25% but not think it necessary or important to look at the recommendations in the Romanow report, which states that this money must be invested, in a sense, to ensure the long term sustainability of our health care system?