Elsie Wayne

[Veterans Affairs, April 3rd, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, there are 40 restrictions so they are not totally equal. The men and women of the merchant navy have become so disillusioned that they are planning a hunger strike on Parliament Hill for May 12 if they are denied again what is rightfully theirs.

Why now are we failing to help those who gave us freedom? These men and women are requesting a small compensation settlement for the many years in which they were not recognized. Is the minister's plan to wait until they are all gone or will he act immediately to correct this injustice?

[Veterans Affairs, April 3rd, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Veterans Affairs.

Last Saturday I had the pleasure of meeting with some members of the Merchant Navy Association in my riding. These men and women along with all merchant navy vets risked their lives during World War II to supply our troops on the front lines with the necessities of battle.

The minister keeps saying that the merchant navy vets are equal under Bill C-84 but there are 40 restrictions applied to them that are not applied to the other vets. Will the minister correct this injustice by enacting legislation that would grant these veterans full veteran status under the act and make them equal?

[Hepatitis C, April 2nd, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, whether we are Liberal, whether we are Conservative, or whether we are NDP, we have to do what is right for the people. We cannot have two standards.

Will the federal Minister of Health agree today to sit down with his provincial counterparts to discuss a more just compensation package for all victims, seeing as now the ministers at the provincial level are saying we have to take another look?

[Hepatitis C, April 2nd, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, West Germans were aware of the process to secure blood prior to 1986. In the meantime Canada was purchasing contaminated U.S. prison system blood products for its people.

Justice Krever stated in his report “Compensating some needy sufferers and not others cannot in my opinion be justified”. It cannot be justified by an Canadian. With this in mind, why is the minister refusing to treat all victims equally?

[National Defence, April 1st, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, there was a rally today at CFB Gagetown in New Brunswick because the people there know what is happening at CFB Goose Bay. They are frightened.

It is hard enough to find a job today but if someone happens to work at CFB Goose Bay, this government tells them that they can take a pay cut, they can take a job outside their province or they can take a hike.

Will the minister of defence explain why he has given a contract to the contractor with the worst bid but he happens to be the best Liberal—

[Hepatitis C, March 31st, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, the West Germans have been aware of a process to secure blood safety prior to 1986, and it has been brought to our attention. In the meantime Canada was purchasing contaminated blood products for our people from the U.S. prison system.

Justice Krever stated in his report: “Compensating some needy sufferers and not others cannot, in my opinion, be justified”. I do not think there is anyone in this House who could justify what this government is doing. It cannot be justified.

With this in mind, why is the minister refusing to—

[Hepatitis C, March 31st, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, the medical community recognizes that those affected with hepatitis C are the sickest of the sick. These individuals will suffer greatly along with their families. The reality is they will die through no fault of their own.

Knowing this, why would the Minister of Health use such a small timeframe for compensation when he knows full well the problems started years earlier than 1986?

[The Atlantic Groundfish Strategy, March 24th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, my question, once again, is for the minister of fisheries.

I have to say that recommendation No. 2, as was stated by one of my colleagues, would cease giving permission to Canadian companies to hire foreign vessels and foreign crews to catch fish in Canadian waters.

The reply from the parliamentary secretary was: Does the PC Party want to put people out of work in Nova Scotia? What we want to do is put people to work in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and across the whole of Canada.

Considering the thousands of Atlantic Canadians who are unemployed, will the minister inform this House and Atlantic Canadians that he too agrees with recommendation No. 2?

[Fisheries, March 24th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, can the parliamentary secretary confirm that he also agreed with the recommendation to remove senior DFO personnel until he came under pressure from within his own government who threatened to remove him from his position as parliamentary secretary?

[Fisheries, March 24th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday the fisheries committee tabled the east coast report. The committee recommended that senior DFO personnel who are viewed by the fishing community as being responsible for the crisis in the fishery be removed from the department.

Does the Minister of Fisheries agree with this recommendation?