House of Commons photoWon his last election, in 2000, with 56% of the vote.
Hepatitis C May 1st, 1998
Mr. Speaker, the position adopted this week by the Quebec government is unacceptable. Indeed, it has come up with a very important principle, namely that someone else should pay, not the Quebec government. But this would not be appropriate.
The public knows full well that this is cynical and unacceptable. It is hypocritical.
Hepatitis C May 1st, 1998
Mr. Speaker, the Government of Quebec agreed with us to compensate those victims who were infected between 1986 and 1990. This week, it changed its position with respect to what the appropriate period should be.
This was a cynical and meaningless move. It is politics at its worst. They told victims “You should indeed be compensated, but we will not compensate you”. That is cynical, inappropriate and cruel for the victims.
Hepatitis C May 1st, 1998
Mr. Speaker, the Leader of the Opposition does not understand the callous game that some of these provinces are playing.
I was the one who was at the table. I was the one who was in the room last summer when the minister of health for Ontario said he would not discuss compensation for any victims under any circumstances, saying he was afraid that if he did so, people on waiting lists for surgery who were not operated upon early enough would sue him. I was in the room when the minister of health from British Columbia said compensation for nobody because there are problems with children's aid and they would be suing too.
It was the federal government showing leadership that got this issue on the national agenda.
Mi'Kmaq Education Act May 1st, 1998
moved that Bill C-30, an act respecting the powers of the Mi'kmaq of Nova Scotia in relation to education, be read the second time and referred to a committee.
Hepatitis C April 30th, 1998
Mr. Speaker, after long and arduous efforts we dragged the Government of Manitoba into an agreement in which it became a junior partner, contributing to compensation for the group that was harmed by governments which did not act when they should have.
To listen to this hon. member suggesting that the Government of Manitoba is in some position where it is taking a higher moral ground is impossible for me to tolerate.
This government led the efforts and this government produced an agreement that offers compensation to 22,000 victims of hepatitis C.
Hepatitis C April 30th, 1998
The hon. member refers to Manitoba. The first three times that I met the Manitoba health minister on this issue he would not hear at all about any compensation for anyone. The Government of Manitoba refused completely to talk about it. So did the governments of other provinces. So did Ontario, saying there was no way it was prepared to talk about compensation.
It was only because of the leadership of the federal government that 22,000 victims of hepatitis C have been offered $1.1 billion in compensation.
Hepatitis C April 30th, 1998
Mr. Speaker, what we have done as governments is to offer cash compensation to people who were harmed through fault. For those who are ill, including all of those with hepatitis C, provinces like Quebec and Ontario would do well to look to their responsibilities to deliver services to the sick, services that are consistent across the country, services that respond to their needs.
Instead of playing cheap political games, the governments of Quebec and Ontario should not hide from their own responsibility of providing quality health services.
Hepatitis C April 30th, 1998
Mr. Speaker, it appears that the provincial position, at least on the part of Quebec and Ontario, is that they are still very much a part of the agreement. Premier Bouchard was quite clear in saying yesterday that he remains supportive of the agreement.
However, the cynical part of what he has done is to go beyond that and say that all victims should be compensated and Ottawa should do it. That is completely unacceptable. It is cynical, it is cruel to victims and it is entirely inappropriate.
Hepatitis C April 30th, 1998
Mr. Speaker, the hon. member speaks about compassion, but we know how this crew treats victims. I watched them when I was in justice. They take a victim of crime and exploit them shamelessly. They are doing the same thing with health issues. They are taking innocent victims of health problems and diseases and exploiting them for their own narrow political purposes.
This group is shameful in its conduct.
Hepatitis C April 30th, 1998
Mr. Speaker, what a cynical political position: the Government of Quebec and the Government of Ontario reportedly saying they really should be paid something to raise the hopes of the victims, and then they say “We are not going to contribute a nickel”. What a cynical political position.
The government had the courage to say to Canadians and to those with hepatitis C that it would accept responsibility for that period during which governments should have acted. Those governments of Quebec and Ontario should also have the courage to be frank.