Allan Rock

[Health, November 16th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister has already made clear that health will be the focus of the next major reinvestment by the government. The hon. member can count on us to keep our word.

What is passing strange is that this question would come from a member and from a party that if given the opportunity would gut the Canada Health Act, would repeal it and would end medicare.

This is the member and this is the party that called the Canada Health Act outdated legislation. It is shocking that this man would stand in the House and ask a question about the very medicare, given the chance, that he would destroy.

[Tobacco, November 16th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, as I said, the member should be aware that we are devoting $100 million in the coming five years to enforce the Tobacco Act, which is the toughest anti-smoking legislation in the western world, and to efforts directly aimed at young people to discourage them from starting to smoke.

I should also remind the member that our statute and powers are to control tobacco as a substance and to increase the warnings on tobacco packages for which we now have proposals in front of us that are under consideration.

I can assure the hon. member that this government will follow through on its commitment to encourage young people not to start smoking.

[Tobacco, November 16th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, the member should know that this government has taken important and effective action to discourage young people from starting to smoke. We have done that by introducing some of the toughest and smartest anti-tobacco legislation in the western world, which restricts access by young people to tobacco and indeed creates offences for those who sell tobacco to persons under the legal age.

In addition, we have already announced the intention to spend over the coming five years $100 million in the administration of that statute and in efforts to discourage young people from smoking.

[Health Care, November 6th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday I spent time with the president and executive of the Canadian Nurses Association. I assured them, as I have throughout, that they must be an integral part of the health system in the future as it is changed and improved to meet the needs of Canadians.

We have appointed an executive director of nursing policy at Health Canada so that nurses will be a part of planning the future. The nurses know, as does the Canadian public, that making this work, making nurses part of the system, will take more than the empty rhetoric of the NDP. It will take the resolute action of this government.

[Hepatitis C, November 6th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, as I have already said here in this House, I informed my colleagues in September of the offer by the Government of Canada to share the cost of all the medical services required in the treatment of the hepatitis C infection among the people who contracted the disease through our blood system.

This is our offer, to make sure the sick receive treatment and the necessary medical services. This is the position of the Government of Canada, and it is a—

[Transfer Payments, November 6th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, the federal government transfers some $26 billion every year to provinces to assist not only with health, but with post-secondary education and social services.

The hon. member should know that without that transfer it would be impossible for the infrastructure of health services in this country to be delivered.

The federal government plays a unique role in the whole medicare system and will continue to do so. This government will ensure that that role is strengthened in the future.

[Aboriginal Affairs, November 6th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, let me fill the member in on the facts.

Health Canada investigated the original complaint. A site visit and a letter from the homeowner confirmed that this earlier problem had been corrected. Health Canada has since received a new letter of complaint regarding other problems with a different homeowner within this tribal council. An official has investigated this new problem and is currently working with the band and council to correct the matter.

Those are the facts. The hon. member should be assured that Health Canada is looking after the problem.

[Health, November 5th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, as I have already said, work continues on research and the effects of MMT, which is a subject of inquiry not only in Canada but around the world.

As more is known about the health effects of MMT, government policy will reflect those research results.

[Health, November 5th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, Health Canada oversaw the work done on research into MMT and the health effects. We made the results of that research available to other departments. Indeed, work continues to examine the health effects on humans, in particular children, with respect to MMT. As that science is done, using research not only here in Canada but around the world, we will continue to make the results available to those who are making policy.

[Health, November 5th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, he may be getting close, but he is not getting close to the truth.

The truth is that Health Canada—