House of Commons photoWon his last election, in 2000, with 56% of the vote.
Health May 3rd, 2000
Mr. Speaker, unlike the hon. member opposite, this Prime Minister was in this House when those five principles were put into law. Unlike that member, this Prime Minister does not just talk about the five principles of medicare, he acts to protect them. This is the first government in the history of this country that has used the power under the Canada Health Act—
Health May 2nd, 2000
Mr. Speaker, the question does not get any better as the hon. member raises his voice. The answer is quite obvious. I have expressed the concern of the Government of Canada to the Government of Alberta about NAFTA.
The matter is being debated in the Alberta legislature. There are amendments before that body and we will determine the result when the vote is taken.
My point is that the NDP comes to this discussion with no fresh ideas about how to improve medicare. It is the same old status quo from the same old NDP. It is not good enough for this government and it is not good enough for Canadians.
Health May 2nd, 2000
Mr. Speaker, the position of the NDP on health is always the same. First, they believe that the status quo is sufficient; second, they seem to believe that simply adding more money is enough. That is not right.
Everybody else in this country, the government and even the Canadian Alliance, has put ideas on the table to change health care because we believe that is the way to improve it. Why has the NDP not come forward with a single new idea to reform and improve health care in this country? Why will NDP members not join with us in making an effort to improve medicare?
Health May 1st, 2000
Mr. Speaker, if this hon. member is to be the critic for the Canadian Alliance, he had better do his homework. He would find out that over the last 14 months the government increased by $14 billion the amount available to the provinces for health. This government has health as its priority.
The Reform Party would insist that we respect provincial jurisdiction, and indeed we do. When the provinces come to us to talk about improvements to the health care system, it means more than just more money; it means better management. We are prepared to work with our provincial partners to make sure that happens.
Health May 1st, 2000
Mr. Speaker, the member will know that the management of hospitals is in either regional or provincial hands.
The member should also know that if the question of money were the only issue, we should remember that the Government of Quebec has some $800 million from last year's budget still sitting in a bank account in Toronto.
If money were the only answer, then that problem would be solved.
Health May 1st, 2000
Mr. Speaker, I went to Calgary a few weeks ago and expressed in some detail the reasons why this government thinks bill 11 is not in the public interest and expressed the concerns we have with the bill. Since then I have given detailed requests to the minister that the bill be amended to accommodate the real concerns we have.
The bill is before the legislature. There are amendments before that body and the debate continues. We do not yet know the final form the legislation will take when it emerges from the Alberta legislature.
One thing that is clear is that we will focus on and protect the five principles of medicare.
Health May 1st, 2000
Mr. Speaker, we raised NAFTA concerns in our initial reaction to the Alberta government's proposal back in November. Since that time, various legal opinions have been received.
We have raised more than NAFTA concerns. We have expressed the view that this is bad policy and it will not solve the problems that Mr. Klein thinks it will. We have asked him to make specific changes in the legislation now before his legislature.
We are watching with interest as the public of Alberta expresses their own displeasure at this legislation. We will see whether the legislature actually adopts the bill, and in what form, in the days ahead.
Health April 14th, 2000
Mr. Speaker, the report released yesterday contains both good news and bad.
On the positive side, the incidence of some cancers is down. Recovery rates are higher because of new treatments and early detection. But there are also troubling signs. We know that the death rates particularly in lung cancer and especially among women are way up. We are told that in 15 years the incidence of new cases is going to increase by 70%.
The signals are clear. First of all, lifestyle and other changes to prevent cancer, early detection, but also new treatments and renewing medicare so that we can afford to properly treat the—
Health April 14th, 2000
Mr. Speaker, the national Minister of Health, from the beginning of this debate in November, has made it very clear that the Government of Canada will safeguard the principles of our national health care system. We have done precisely that in the positions we have taken and on the issues we have identified for the Klein government, including NAFTA.
I tell the hon. member that not only NAFTA, but the combination of enhanced services being sold at a private for profit hospital, elements of conflict of interest and overnight stays enlarging the role of private for profit hospitals at an accelerated rate are all issues that have been taken up with the Alberta government, and we will continue to do so.
Health April 14th, 2000
Mr. Speaker, first, there are differing points of view on that question. The hon. member has expressed one, there are others.
The job of this government and its lawyers is to examine those various interpretations to determine which is the most sensible, and then develop policy on that basis. That is what we are doing.
The NAFTA is only one of the concerns we have about Bill 11. We think it is bad policy. We have also written to the Alberta government saying that enhanced services should not be sold for profit at a private for profit hospital.
The bill has not yet passed. Amendments will be coming before the Alberta legislature. We hope the bill, as it emerges—if it emerges—will not contain that feature.