Allan Rock

[Krever Inquiry, November 21st, 1997]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member is profoundly wrong. The Government of Canada went to the federal court at first instance in order to assert important principles having to do with findings of wrongdoing against former federal officials.

Our position prevailed. We were found to be right. We then dropped out of the litigation and it went to the Federal Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court of Canada without our involvement.

The hon. member is wrong.

As to the Krever report, we have been awaiting it a long time and we look forward to receiving it today.

[The Environment, November 21st, 1997]

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of the Environment has made it very clear that our intention is to bring to Kyoto a position which reflects Canadian interests in general. We are consulting with all stakeholders.

The provinces are very much involved in this process. At Regina, just 10 days ago, a conference was held to ensure that the position reflects their interests as well. That is what we are going to do.

[The Environment, November 21st, 1997]

Mr. Speaker, I think it is important that instead of relying on speculation and piecemeal press reports we await the development of a position that takes into account all the points of view on this issue.

I hope the hon. member is not surprised that the Prime Minister and the Minister of the Environment are consulting with provincial premiers on these issues. I hope the hon. member favours consultation with provincial partners because they are very much involved.

The effort has been to develop a position which reflects all interests, and that is what we will do.

[The Environment, November 21st, 1997]

Mr. Speaker, as the minister said in this House, we intend to propose a position for Canada that reflects the best interest of the people of Canada and elsewhere. This is what we will do at the conference in a few weeks.

[The Environment, November 21st, 1997]

Mr. Speaker, as the Minister of the Environment said here in the House of Commons, the government is currently consulting all interested parties in order to prepare Canada's position for the conference coming up in a few weeks.

[Health, November 20th, 1997]

Mr. Speaker, I wish the hon. member would confine herself to the facts when she speaks about the safety of children. It is not fair to children or their parents to create misimpressions about these things.

We recently received and looked carefully at data about the safety of toys. We satisfied ourselves that all the toys tested had levels of materials that did not pose a threat to the safety of children.

This is National Child Day. I urge the hon. member to join with me and the government in celebrating our children, not in scaring them in this way.

[Tobacco Sponsorship, November 19th, 1997]

Mr. Speaker, our commitment to public health in reducing the levels of smoking, especially among young people, is well expressed in the Tobacco Act. We are proud of that legislation. We will soon be spending effort in a co-ordinated way across the country to educate young people about the perils of smoking, to influence them in the choices they make about—

[Tobacco Sponsorship, November 19th, 1997]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member should know that this is a government that respects all its commitments.

That includes first of all—

[Aboriginal Affairs, November 19th, 1997]

Mr. Speaker, what the hon. member should know is what we said three weeks ago when the auditor general's report was tabled, namely that we have been at work in Health Canada for some years putting in place across the land technology to ensure that pharmacists will be able to ascertain that every prescription presented is legitimate and should be filled.

That will be in place by the end of this calendar year. It will save money and, more important, it will save lives.

[Questions On The Order Paper, November 17th, 1997]

(a) Performance pay covering the fiscal years of 1996-97 and 1997-98 has not been awarded. However, in the course of the 1996-97 fiscal year and in accordance with the Treasury Board secretariat instructions issued in August 1996, performance pay was awarded to eligible staff in the health protection branch for the 1995-96 review period.

(b) The following categories in the health protection branch are subject to performance pay:

1. The executive group

2. Scientific and professional category, medicine officer subgroup*

3. Administration and foreign service category.

4. Other members of the scientific and professional category are not subject to performance pay. They receive increments up to the applicable maximum based on the relevant collective agreement.

(c) Health protection branch employees subject to performance pay: 29 executive level employees; 7 science and professional category, medicine subgroup; 4 administrative and foreign service.

(d) See appendix A for details on performance pay awarded.

(e) In accordance with the Treasury Board guidelines for performance pay, lump sum payments were paid in October 1996, and in-range increases for eligible staff were authorized January 1, 1997.

(f) Performance pay is awarded in accordance with the Treasury Board performance pay plans and is based on the employee's overall performance. .*space39