Allan Rock

[Pesticides, June 4th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, this morning the hon. member was good enough to mention before question period that he was going to raise this issue.

I will provide a more detailed written response. For the present, let me point out that while the numbers quoted by the member are accurate, it should also be observed that none of the levels comes up to the point where the experts consider there is any danger. In other words, the amounts have doubled but the total concentration is still within safe limits of the total maximum allowable.

When we created the pest management regulatory agency some years ago, it was for the purpose of examining all pesticides before approval. They are looked at from the point of view of safety in advance of going onto the market. We will continue doing that.

[Agriculture, May 28th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, the member was kind enough to raise this issue with me yesterday directly. After our conversation I learned that the application will be considered on its merits.

As the member knows the PMRA has to balance public safety and environmental concerns against the needs of producers and growers. We will do the very best we can and the agency will respond as soon as possible.

[Marijuana, May 26th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, what was passed yesterday by the House of Commons was the amendment proposed by the government.

As I have made perfectly clear, we intend to act soon. Before this House breaks in June, in fact, I intend to table the details of the research we are going to propose.

[Pensions, May 14th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, the President of the Treasury Board has made it clear on a number of occasions here in the House and elsewhere that these pension plans are created by statute. They have their own particular characteristics. The steps proposed by the government are entirely consistent with the nature of those pension plans and entirely fair to the members.

[Health Care, May 14th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, it is my full time job to come to grips with exactly that kind of issue.

Let us be clear. The provincial governments are responsible for delivering health services. The federal government transfers money to assist them to do that.

What I am telling the hon. member is that I have a very good idea of the challenges faced by Joan Marie Aylward. She is doing a tremendous job facing those difficulties in Newfoundland.

We have increased the transfers to the provinces very substantially over the coming five years with stable and higher levels of funding. We will be there to help and to work with provincial ministers, including in Newfoundland, but ultimately the province must deliver those services.

[Health Care, May 14th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, there are tens of millions of reasons why Newfoundland is in a better position today than it was three months ago to deal with those health issues.

In the budget in mid-February we increased the transfers to the provinces over the coming five years by $11.5 billion. We did that on a per capita basis and Newfoundland will get its per capita share.

I know that throughout the country provincial ministers of health face real challenges in delivering quality services with an aging population and increased costs. All health ministers are working together now with additional money provided by our budget to help meet those needs on the ground.

[Marijuana, May 14th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, I will be very clear. No decision has yet been made on the source of the marijuana for medical purposes, and, as I said clearly, I am awaiting the results of the work by officials.

[Marijuana, May 14th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, officials are currently working on preparing proposals for clinical trials. We will get started in a few weeks. I am awaiting the report and the results of their work.

[The Nursing Profession, May 12th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, the essential role played by nurses in our system is too often overlooked. The member for Kitchener Centre has been very instrumental in helping this government do something about it.

I am pleased to announce today, during nursing week, the appointment of Judith Shamian as executive director of nursing policy at Health Canada. In this new and important role, Nurse Shamian, who has an international reputation for her knowledge of nursing matters, will help the Government of Canada to ensure that everything it does is consistent with the best interests of nurses and the interests of the public.

We also created a $25 million nurse fund in the recent budget.

[Health, May 12th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member seems to like his sums today, so let us try a number on him which maybe he does not know. The member apparently likes the American system of health care. The member did not mention that over 100 million Americans do not have medical insurance because they cannot afford it. The member did not mention that there are tens of millions of working American families who worry that one day they are going to have to choose between their health and their homes.

If the hon. member likes that system, then he is free to go and join them. I will tell him one thing, we will never opt for the American style of health care.