Deborah Grey

[Health, June 2nd, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, Health Canada ignored medical warnings about 25,000 women's breast implants. In 1986 a Health Canada scientist warned the government that the Meme implant was unsafe. The product was not formally banned until 1993, years later.

The government had a legal obligation to protect Canadians; the government is responsible legally. I would like to ask why it took seven years for Health Canada to heed the scientists' warning and do what was right.

[Foreign Affairs, June 1st, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, I know we all work tremendous hours, but I bet you a dollar there is a Holiday Inn over there that would be a whole lot cheaper than the Excelsior.

I look at the amount of money taxpayers that are on the hook for this. Whether it is $7,000, $8,000, $9,000 or $10,000, it is an exorbitant, horrifying amount of money that the Canadian taxpayer had to fork out. This is scandalous.

There is no way the parliamentary secretary is able to defend this. I will ask him one more time why this amount of money was wasted on Mr. McKechnie by the government when he could have had a free bed at our embassy.

[Foreign Affairs, June 1st, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, Malcolm McKechnie, Canada's deputy ambassador to Italy, was the frontman for the government's recent whirlwind tour over there. McKechnie stayed at the posh Excelsior Hotel for three weeks when he was just getting things ready. The cost was $10,000.

I would like to ask the junior foreign affairs minister this question. Why was this approved by the Prime Minister's office and who was it in there that signed the authorization?

[The Senate, May 27th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, we managed to chase Andrew Thompson out of the Senate last fall, but it looks like Allan MacEachen just does not know when to leave. Legally he should have retired two years ago when he turned 75 years old, but we find out now that he is on Parliament Hill. He has an office, computers and free government telephone services. Surely 12 years is enough at the Senate trough.

I ask the Prime Minister, when will the Liberal Party pay back the taxpayers of Canada for this—

[Hepatitis C, May 26th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, this government knows full well about two tier health care. It just instituted it with these victims.

What is happening is that this so-called working group that the health minister put together is the same group that was put together last July and is offering the same options. What is happening is that the Prime Minister and his government are stalling until they can get to the summer break because the heat is too much. More meetings, more memos, more technical talk is not going to solve the problem for victims.

What does the Prime Minister think about this restructured, same old working group that is going to come up with the same solutions which were not good for all hepatitis C victims? Is he proud of that?

[Hepatitis C, May 26th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, I want to know this from the Prime Minister.

Is he proud of the fact that his health minister obeyed him and scuttled the meeting?

[Hepatitis C, May 26th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, two governments added to the original deal because they operate on principle and did not mind saying that they were wrong.

My question today is for the Prime Minister. I want to catch him quickly before he leaves the country again. I want to ask him about this hep C deal.

Before he flew to Italy a couple of weeks ago he told the health minister to make sure that he scuttled the deal. That worked. That deal was scuttled.

[Hepatitis C, May 25th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, that is some line from the health minister who said the file is closed.

The Prime Minister wrote to Premier Mike Harris stating the following “I note your recent decision to move beyond this principled initiative to play a role in those areas where no government responsibility has been identified”.

I would like to ask the health minister on behalf of his Prime Minister, when is the Prime Minister going to become principled, admit that he was wrong and compensate all hepatitis C victims?

[Hepatitis C, May 25th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, what the Prime Minister did was insult hepatitis C victims regardless of any comments he may or may not have made.

Before the Prime Minister left on this latest junket of his, he could not bring himself to admit that he was wrong regarding compensation for hepatitis C victims.

I would like to ask the following question of the government. Is it not true that the Prime Minister gave one instruction and one instruction only for the health minister when he left on this latest junket which was to scuttle the deal?

[Hepatitis C, May 14th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, on the contrary, the provinces were the ones that called for this get together. It certainly was not the federal health minister who called for it.

David Page of the Canadian Hemophilia Society said this today when he came out of the meeting: “Three provinces, Ontario, Quebec and B.C., are willing to move forward. What is missing is federal money here. With federal money we think the rest of the provinces would be on side”.

Again, will the government commit to leading the way in giving compensation to all victims who need government help, yes or no?