Allan Rock

[Health, May 25th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, the Government of Canada continues to believe that it is in the interests of all of those who contracted hepatitis C through the blood system that there be a national approach to this issue. That is why we are taking part in and leading a working group which is already under way, looking at options available to governments to deal with the interests of all of those who got hepatitis C through the blood system.

As soon as that work is concluded and governments have a position I shall report it to the House.

[Health, May 25th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, those reports are absolutely false. Health Canada continues to do business as always. Last December 1, for example, we announced the renewal of the AIDS strategy, phase three. We had long planned to announce later this week particulars of the allocation of that money.

Our work continues in preparing the breast cancer initiative.

Health Canada continues to serve the people of Canada properly by putting programs in place for their health.

[Health, May 25th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, I think we are going to have them over to the department again and take them through the facts one more time.

The reality is that for the first time, Health Canada under this government is requiring all foreign blood product manufacturers to sell their product through a licensed Canadian importer. We put new and stringent requirements in place. The product referred to by the member meets health and safety standards both in the United States and in Canada.

[Health, May 25th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, as recently as an hour ago I asked that very question of officials. I was assured that the product in question meets safety standards not only in the United States but also in Canada.

Last week we invited the caucus colleague of the leader of the NDP to meet with officials in my department. She was given a full explanation of what is going on. The member now knows because officials told her that as a result of a shortage under the special access program we have imported albumin into this country at the request of physicians. It meets standards of safety both here and in the United States.

[Hepatitis C, May 25th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, it was principles that led us to persuade the provinces to join with us in the agreement to offer assistance to 22,000 people who contracted hepatitis C through the blood system.

We have now organized a working group to look anew at all the options for dealing with those with hepatitis C as a result of the fact that at least two of the provinces have changed their positions from the original agreement.

If the member would let that working group get its job done, let ministers and governments examine the options, she would be a lot farther ahead.

[Hepatitis C, May 25th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, it was this government that put the deal in place. It was this government that involved the provincial and territorial governments in making the deal. Until the Prime Minister and this government initiated the process every health minister in the country was refusing to talk about compensating those with hepatitis C.

The instructions of the Prime Minister and the position of this government are that the interests of the hepatitis C victims should be taken into account and compensation to be offered on proper principles. That is exactly what we have done.

[Hepatitis C, May 25th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, the member should know by now the commitment of this government to look after the interests of those with any disease and particularly hepatitis C. As a result of the initiative of this government there is an offer of assistance that has been made to those who received tainted blood between 1986 and 1990 when those responsible could have acted to prevent it and did not.

All provinces at present are taking part in the working group looking at options to take other steps.

[Hepatitis C, May 15th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, I think we struck a nerve. We have identified exactly what the member has been doing these last few weeks. He showed it again yesterday when he tried to get into the camera shots with representatives of the hepatitis C groups.

On this side of the House we are focusing on solutions. On this side of the House we are working with governments. On this side of the House we are committed to a co-ordinated approach by all governments that will be in the interests of the victims, not for narrow political purposes but because we are concerned about the health and the care of those who are ill.

[Hepatitis C, May 15th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, we can say to Canadians that we are the government that put this issue on the agenda, that encouraged provincial governments to join with us in taking responsibility for a period when people were infected because something could have been done that was not.

We are the government that is now co-ordinating efforts toward a national approach in the interests of all hep C victims. This government is very proud of the commitment it has shown for that cause.

[Hepatitis C, May 15th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, the Government of Canada as an objective has a consensus position among governments that will deal with the interests of those who got hep C through the blood system.

Yesterday we identified a variety of options, put them before a working group to come back to ministers with the facts and the implications so that ministers can recommend to their governments a co-ordinated approach. That is what Canadians would want responsible governments and ministers to do.