House of Commons photoWon his last election, in 2000, with 56% of the vote.
Health April 13th, 2000
Mr. Speaker, we are fully aware of the need to examine the implications under NAFTA of Bill 11. We raised these concerns with the Government of Alberta. We are doing our own legal analysis through justice and foreign affairs. We are also examining the various opinions that have been made public, including the opinion yesterday from Mr. Appleton.
I assure the member and the House that we will respond at the appropriate time.
Health April 13th, 2000
Mr. Speaker, first, when the Prime Minister was in Calgary three weeks ago he made it very clear that the Alberta government, like all provincial governments, must respect the principles of the Canada Health Act or the Government of Canada will act accordingly. He made that very clear.
Second, in relation to NAFTA, I did raise the concern in my correspondence with Minister Jonson. Frankly, I did not get from Minister Jonson a satisfactory response. We have been examining the implications of this bill under NAFTA. Yesterday we received the opinion from Mr. Appleton, which is under study. Together with the experts at justice and foreign affairs we are looking at those implications now.
Health April 12th, 2000
Mr. Speaker, the hon. member is a little behind the times. Why should this issue be any different?
If the member would look at the record, she would see that in my correspondence with Minister Jonson in November of last year, I squarely raised the NAFTA issue and identified the risk which that issue presents to the health care system of Canada.
Health April 12th, 2000
Mr. Speaker, we made our position very clear last week when I wrote to the Alberta minister of health.
We identified four respects in which we thought there were difficulties with Bill 11. In particular, we asked that the bill be amended to prohibit the sale of enhanced medical services along with insured services in a private for profit facility.
We contend that that combination imperils the principle of accessibility, which is fundamental to the Canada Health Act.
Health April 11th, 2000
Mr. Speaker, Canadians spend $90 billion a year on health care. Money is part of the issue, but a large part of the issue is also how that money is spent and the kind of changes we need to provide services to the people she has referred to.
No less a public personage than Bob Rae, former NDP Premier of Ontario, said that this government has it right: money yes, but connected with a plan to help solve these problems. The NDP Government of British Columbia takes the same position.
Will not the member work with us to make sure that if we spend more money, we spend it to solve problems and not simply to score political points?
Health April 11th, 2000
Mr. Speaker, the hon. member knows full well that over the course of the last 14 months the government has increased by $14 billion the amount of transfers to provinces available for health, that just in the last 14 months the cash portion of the transfer has gone from $12.5 billion to $15.5 billion a year. As the Prime Minister has said, we are prepared to sign on to even more funding long term if there is a sensible plan to address the kinds of difficulties the member has just referred to.
I suggest that governments working together can achieve it.
Health Care April 10th, 2000
Mr. Speaker, I can tell the hon. member that Canadians know whom to trust when it comes to health care in this country and it certainly is not the New Democratic Party. The New Democratic Party happens to believe that pouring more money into the system is going to solve all the problems.
We understand that governments have to work together to introduce the kinds of changes and improvements that are needed to make medicare sustainable in the future. With our partners in the provinces, that is exactly what we intend to do.
Health Care April 10th, 2000
Mr. Speaker, it was Ralph Klein himself who invited a comparison between Bill 11 and legislation in other provinces governing private for profit facilities.
A comparison demonstrated that in Ontario and Saskatchewan for example, those statutes prohibited the sale of so-called enhanced services in private for profit facilities. In response to the premier's invitation we wrote and pointed that out. We quoted the sections and suggested that he amend his statute, among other things, to do what other provinces have done and forbid such practices.
Health April 7th, 2000
Mr. Speaker, indeed there are specific instances in relation to which my department has made and is making inquiries. As I said earlier, any time there are insured services and enhanced or uninsured services together, we have to worry about the principle of accessibility.
I want the member to know that my department and I are always alert to issues that arise and will investigate and pursue cases as appropriate.
Health April 7th, 2000
Mr. Speaker, I would like to take advantage of this opportunity to clarify the position of the federal government.
It is our intention to work in co-operation with the provinces, respecting provincial jurisdictions.
I would like to point out that we have proposed new federal programs for home care, community care and pharmacare, and have offered our support to help the provinces pursue their collective priorities. We have also made a commitment to increase funding to the provinces in order to—