Carolyn Bennett

[Supply, February 11th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, I am delighted with this question in that it is the reason when we are held accountable to international standards that we need the kinds of national standards that have come part and parcel of our new social union negotiation. It is only when we have strong national standards that we will be able to ensure that the provinces are not able to let down Canadians in the way I think Ontarians feel has happened in the government of Michael Harris.

I am delighted that the hon. member understands that when we sit on the international stage with the Canadian flag before us that we as a federal government need a way to ensure that all Canadians are able to achieve their visions and values of this country.

[Supply, February 11th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, poverty, in a country as rich as Canada, is very disturbing for this government and for all Canadians. Unquestionably, we should not tolerate even one Canadian living in poverty.

As members of the House well know, poverty is and continues to be a major preoccupation of our government. We are particularly aware of the importance of addressing child poverty, recognizing that giving children in Canada a good start in life is one of the most important investments Canada can make for its future.

I assure the hon. member for Shefford that we are working aggressively to achieve this goal. I remind the House that as of last July we began to invest $850 million per year into the national child benefit. These new funds are over and above the $5.1 billion we already invest in families with children. By July of the year 2000 that additional investment will reach $1.7 billion per year into the national child benefit. That more than compensates for inflation.

We will clearly need to sustain and enhance the benefit over a number of years, something we have committed to do. We do not pretend that this first phase of the program will solve child poverty. Nor do we suggest that a single program can be expected to reduce poverty on its own.

As part of our comprehensive plan to fight poverty we have provided a range of supports to low income families such as the family income supplement for roughly 200,000 low income parents on unemployment insurance and increased deductions for child care. We have also strengthened the community action program for children as well as the Canadian prenatal nutrition program for children at risk.

No one on this side of the Chamber would disagree that there is still much more to be done. However, my hon. colleague must not overlook the government's track record in endowing the country's children with a legacy of greater opportunity.

Neither can the opposition ignore the fact that money is not the entire answer. The fact is the share of government transfer payments to Canadians such as child tax benefits, goods and services tax credits and old age pensions has doubled over the past quarter century. In 1995 these transfers contributed 14 cents of every dollar of income compared with 11 cents in 1990 and less than 7 cents in 1970.

While my hon. colleague's motion is undeniably well intended, it is highly doubtful that simply raising the tax threshold would make a meaningful difference in the war against poverty. Poverty is a deeply entrenched and complex challenge that defies easy solutions. It will take not only money but time and a lot of hard work on the part of all Canadians to turn this situation around. There is no magic formula, but we can work to provide more opportunities by creating the right conditions to fight poverty through a strong labour market.

The reality is that reducing poverty ultimately depends on putting underemployed and unemployed Canadians to work. That has more to do with the individual's age, skills, experience and personal motivation than it does with tax brackets.

Very obviously addressing these difficult issues extends beyond the purview of the finance department or any one level of government. Alleviating poverty requires the concerted efforts of federal and provincial governments along with the co-operation and support of the private and voluntary sectors as well as individual Canadians themselves.

I am pleased to see that the opposition motion acknowledges the need to foster self-sufficiency and self-reliance. Canadians have always striven to maintain a successful balance between taking responsibility for themselves and sharing responsibility for others.

We believe strongly in compassion and fairness as we value individual independence and achievement. This philosophy is reflected in many of the initiatives our government has brought forward aimed at addressing the root causes of poverty and empowering people to help themselves. We have focused much of our efforts on equipping Canadians with the skills and knowledge that they need to succeed in a changing working world because Canada's economic prospects and the eventual elimination of poverty increasingly depend on a highly trained and highly educated workforce.

Anyone doubting this fundamental fact of life in the new economy need only look at the employment numbers. Since 1981 jobs for Canadians with a high school education or less dropped by two million while jobs demanding higher qualifications grew by more than five million.

Clearly Canadians with more education have better job prospects, greater job security and higher earnings. Just as clearly this is key to narrowing the gap between the haves and the have nots. That is why the government introduced the youth employment strategy which helps young people make the transition from school to work, especially those youth at risk.

There are active employment measures under employment insurance which provide opportunities for skills upgrading, wage subsidies and job creation partnerships, financial assistance to those who want to go back to school and self-employment assistance.

Canada jobs funds create sustainable jobs in areas of high unemployment.

The employment assistance for persons with disabilities initiative, a federal-provincial partnership introduced last year, is helping increase the participation of Canadians with disabilities in the workforce.

The aboriginal action plan is to ensure the integration and the equality of aboriginal people in the economy and all sectors of society.

The Canadian opportunities strategy helps Canadians upgrade their skills and knowledge whether they are still in school or already in the workforce to improve their prospects for employment.

The overriding objective of all these initiatives is to help ensure that Canadians, especially those at greatest risk of exclusion, have better and more opportunity to participate in the demanding new economy and to share in its benefits. The evidence to date indicates that this strategy is working. Unemployment is now at the lowest rate since 1990. Since we took office 1.6 million new jobs have been created, 449,000 last year alone. Of those 449,000 new jobs, 143,000 went to young Canadians and some 299,000 women found work in 1998, the majority in full time jobs.

Tinkering with tax brackets as the opposition proposes will not result in numbers like these. Ensuring more Canadians receive the supports they need to help themselves to better jobs and better futures will.

I believe the hon. member for Shefford is truly committed to bridging the divide between rich and poor. I encourage her to work with the government to help us as we prepare young children to get off to a good start in life and as we prepare Canadians for the challenges and opportunities of the 21st century economy. I am convinced that together we stand a much better chance of helping all Canadians shake off the shackles of poverty.

[Financial Institutions, February 11th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, today the government introduced legislation that will allow foreign banks to open commercially focused branches in Canada.

Can the Secretary of State for International Financial Institutions please tell the House what this means for the financial services sector in Canada, and particularly what it means for consumers?

[Supply, February 9th, 1999]

Madam Speaker, this past summer being in Nunavut and recognizing the importance those people place on water and how important it is to their everyday lives and in terms of the international perspective they feel in terms of Canada's responsibility to make sure the world, the north and all the polar nations look after their water, I heartily agree with the hon. member.

I believe that consultation with the first nations is an extremely important part of this government's next step in terms of the consultation process and that they will be involved.

I think the hon. member is right. We must on a daily basis remind all Canadians that we cannot count on anything. We can ruin this resource and that we have to always be prudent caretakers of our most precious resource and that calling it renewable, if we are not taking care, is indeed incorrect and foolhardy.

[Supply, February 9th, 1999]

Madam Speaker, I will be sharing my time with the member for Waterloo—Wellington.

Usually when I speak on the identity of Canadians I find myself speaking on our health care system. Today I am pleased that I am able to speak on what is truly our Canadian heritage which is clean lakes and rocky shores.

This discussion is a welcome response to the efforts begun by the federal government over the last year to review and update the 1987 federal water policy. Last summer we began a dialogue with all the provincial and territorial agencies with an interest in water management and on the development of a federal freshwater strategy. Provinces and territories indicated their interest in working with us on solutions to the full range of freshwater issues. Their involvement is important given their primary responsibility for water management in Canada.

The Government of Canada recognizes the priority that Canadians place on clean, productive and secure freshwater resources and ecosystems. It recognizes its responsibility to provide leadership. We believe that stewardship over waters is the responsibility not only of governments but of all Canadians. This dialogue in the House today advances participation, decision, commitment and action by all of us on the entire spectrum of concerns.

I would like to put the discussion on this topic in perspective in the context of our endowment of freshwater resources from coast to coast to coast and the full range of issues which challenge us.

The proposed federal freshwater strategy will focus on issues where we can strengthen co-operation and ensure a more effective response to the challenges we share in the management of our inheritance. It will provide a snapshot of the state of freshwater in Canada, a review of the federal policy over the last 10 years and an overview of federal objectives, principles and strategies and a summary of issues and policy directions.

When the hon. member prepared this motion I am sure he was struck by the breadth, depth and complexities of the issues that define the scope of freshwater policy in Canada today. I hope we can all agree that the policy concerns that face us are much broader and pervasive than the single issue of bulk water exports.

In Canada we are in situation unique in the world. Our supply of water is abundant. In our rivers almost 10% of the world's renewable supply of water flows to the sea. Our lakes cover more than 7% of our land and our wetlands cover almost 15%. Our needs for water are many. Essential for all life, water is required for irrigating crops, supporting fish and wildlife, commercial fisheries, farm animals, recreation, tourism, transportation, manufacturing, for living in a city or at home. Most of our industry and population is located within that narrow band along our southern border. Most of our rivers flow north to the Arctic Ocean.

As a group, Canadians are not doing a very good job of managing our supply of water. At home each of us uses more than 300 litres a day, twice as much as the average European. But there is good news. Manufacturers are making steady progress toward more efficient use of water. In the steel, pulp and paper industries new technology, recycling and higher efficiencies are substantially cutting the amount of water used in production processes.

As elected officials, custodians of our natural resources, we must meet the challenges of conserving, enhancing and passing on to our children and grandchildren our great wealth in water resources. Some of the opposition today raised concerns about drinking water and sewage systems in our cities and towns. This is an issue that must be addressed in the full context of managing our waters. The provision of municipal water and sewer infrastructure is primarily the responsibility of provinces, territories and municipalities in Canada. They are facing significant challenges. Demand for water is increasing while water revenues have not kept up with maintenance costs. Canadians rank second in the world in their per capita water consumption and pay only half the costs of water supply. Over the next 10 years the costs of maintaining this infrastructure are estimated at $40 billion to $70 billion.

Federal water policy has been clear on this issue since 1987. We want to ensure that Canadians have ready access to safe, clean drinking water and to protect our freshwater systems from pollution for municipal sewage systems. We have also worked through the council of Canadian Environment ministers on a plan to encourage municipal water use efficiency.

One of the best ways we have to protect our water is to reduce the demand. Canadians must begin to take steps to conserve this precious resource. In recent years the federal government has contributed over $700 million to water and sewer infrastructure improvements in Canadian communities.

In another area public attention is focused on atmospheric change. Human induced changes to the atmosphere including climate change, ozone depletion and pollution have the potential to profoundly affect the health and viability of ecosystems. Increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases may play a role in increased frequency of floods, tornados, severe storms and similar events.

These could cut down our supplies of clean, productive and secure freshwater sources in various parts of our country.

The government will continue to co-ordinate and conduct research on the impact of atmospheric change on our freshwater ecosystems. The federal government's commitment to research into our water resources is reflected in the science, impacts and adaptation component of the climate change action fund. This fund, which was created in the 1998 budget, commits $50 million per year for the next three years.

Pollution is another important issue. Merely looking at the lakes and rivers in our country, let alone entering the water or drinking it, makes it obvious that pollution is a most urgent concern. Federal legislation in recent years, along with such programs as pollution prevention, a federal strategy for action, has achieved some success in preventing the growth of pollution.

Increasingly aggressive management of toxic substances has responded to Canadians' concerns about the protection of public health. The federal government is committed to having strong legislation and effective programs to protect human health from all forms of pollution, especially those that threaten safe drinking water.

The federal government is co-operating with provincial and territorial governments to advance the science of flood prediction and provide information and services for weather warnings to enhance our forecasting capabilities.

I have indicated the water context in which this motion should be considered. There are many aspects to federal freshwater policies and programs as urgent as bulk water exports.

Let me for a moment address the opposition's concern related to the interbasin transfers of water. The federal government, as clearly articulated in the 1987 federal water policy, does not support in principle interbasin transfers because of the potential impact on the social, economic and environmental integrity of our watersheds. Most provincial water management regimes also respect this principle.

Examples of impacts on interbasin transfers include the potential biotic transfer and contamination, the fragility of our ecosystems, particularly northern ecosystems which are very vulnerable to even small changes and recover slowly or not at all, the concerns of first nations whose ways of life are intimately tied to the cycles of abundance of water, depletion of water resources available to downstream communities and the loss of recreational and commercial benefits.

Again I congratulate the hon. member for initiating a dialogue in the House on this important issue. However, when we consider what legislation and regulation is required, it is vital that these encompass all the major issues. We must not approach legislation piecemeal.

We must work in co-operation and collaboration with provincial and territorial governments which have primary and direct responsibility for the water resources of this country.

This debate is timely. We can support those parts of the proposed motion that call for co-operative action with the provinces and territories and for a focus on the prohibition of interbasin transfers. The federal government continues to work with the provinces and territories to protect, preserve and conserve our freshwater resources for future generations.

We are applying a comprehensive approach that will examine the demands and environmental pressures on Canada's watersheds and water basins. We will be inviting interested Canadians to participate in the development of a federal freshwater strategy this spring. I look forward in the future to a debate on the full range of issues which comprise a proper federal freshwater strategy.

[The Budget, February 5th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday was a great day for Canadians and we now know that there will be stable funding for all our cherished social programs.

We need one thing. We need the money. We want to know whether the Minister of Finance will be able to tell this House today when he will table his budget.

[Supply, February 4th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, it is interesting again that some of my colleague's suggestions are things that would be a national standard. We need to be on the international stage showing that we are sticking up for these kinds of things, whether it is child poverty or accessibility to university. One of my constituents has seen McGill University documents courting Americans who will pay more but she cannot get her son into McGill.

There are national standards we want to see throughout this country. It is a matter of our sticking together and saying that it should not matter where we live in this country, that we are entitled to have good health care, good access to post-secondary education and good social programs. We are going to figure out how we measure that so that every Canadian, regardless of their postal code gets the same kind of care.

[Supply, February 4th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, it is a pleasure to talk today about health care but I am saddened that yet again we seem to be talking about turf.

The motion is filled with words about turf and not about the welfare of Canadians. Words like jurisdiction, unconditionally, encroach and health care field actually mean that we refuse to discuss what is most important to Canadians individually but also to Canadians' role in the international field.

I would like to talk to this motion from two perspectives.

Canada on the international stage when sitting at a meeting with other countries with the Canadian flag in front, needs the ability to be responsible for the kind of health care delivered across the country.

Mr. Speaker, I forgot to mention that I will be sharing my time.

Canadians across the land need to know that when they are represented internationally they will not be embarrassed. Canadians hold their health care system with huge pride. They have expressed that medicare is their badge of honour.

Canadians feel that fairness in the delivery of health care across the country is the most important thing to them. They do not think the size of somebody's wallet should determine where one stands in line for a required procedure. It is extremely important to remember that the provincial responsibility has been for the management and the delivery of health care, but the federal government has always had a role in health care promotion and prevention.

Prevention is the most important thing we can do for our health care system. It must not and can never be separated from actually what is the vision and values of health care for the country. It is integral to doing a good job in health care.

The federal government has always had an important fiscal component in health care. The central vehicle of this has been the CHST. The CHST has been an important lever in terms of a cash transfer. Up until now it has been our only way of insisting on the provisions of the Canada Health Act which are actually essential to the security and confidence that Canadians have in the system.

Public administration, comprehensiveness, universality, portability and accessibility are important aspects to Canadians but as I have said before, unfortunately the Canada Health Act says nothing about quality.

Canadians risk losing confidence in their health care system. It is imperative that the federal government has a way of ensuring high quality care. That begins with an understanding and co-operation in terms of measurement.

It is thrilling that today with the social union talks we have begun discussing things like accountability. I remember last summer when the Minister for Intergovernmental Affairs first mentioned in terms of the social union talks the word accountability. A lot of us were thrilled that there was the beginning of a discussion on how we ensure to Canadians that it is not the federal government checking up on the provinces but it is a matter of both levels of government being able to report to Canadians on how these outcomes are being done.

Today we see in the document things like achieving and measuring results, monitoring and measuring outcomes of social programs, sharing information and best practices, something we know we need to do in order to find the savings. Just giving money is never going to be enough, unless we can ensure that health care is delivered in a collaborative way where all the provinces get to share their good ideas with one another and professionals get to determine what are best practices and a cost effective way of spending the money.

Today we have publicly recognized the respective roles and contributions of all levels of government. But we also know that when funds are transferred from one government to another for the purposes agreed upon it is extraordinarily important that this not be passed on to the residents in some other way. We need to make sure that the dollars for health care are spent on health care and that they are spent wisely on health care.

Involving Canadians in some sort of vision exercise is going to be the most important thing we do. We have to ensure that there are effective measures for Canadians to participate in what it is they want and the ability of the federal government to make sure that it happens.

There are certain places within the provinces that do extraordinarily good things. The kind of standard that is now in Quebec in terms of home care is a model for the country. We should share that information across the country and talk about how we get that for all Canadians. Recently when we saw the B.C. outcomes in cancer, we were all a bit jealous and wanted to know what was being done. It is up to the federal government to be the clearing house to make sure those good ideas happen.

Whether it is waiting lists or outcomes or how people are doing in early discharge, we have to measure the readmission rates, if we are going to boast about early discharge in terms of maternity for example. We need to know about hysterectomy rates and Caesarean section rates and birth weight. We are judged internationally as to how we are doing on things such as birth weight. It is not good enough that we leave the accountability for the provision of health care without holding our own valued responsibility to Canadians in terms of how the dollars are spent.

Traditionally the federal government has had some small direct spending ability. Today in the talks it was again articulated. Federal spending power should be used in making transfers to individuals and organizations in order to promote equality of opportunity, mobility and other Canada-wide objectives. When the federal government introduces new Canada-wide initiatives funded through direct transfers to individuals and organizations, it is going to give notice and co-operate with the provinces.

Look at our CAPC program. There are a lot of areas in Quebec where that is hugely welcomed and gratefully received. It is that kind of initiative Canadians have benefited from again irrespective of turf.

I implore my colleagues across the way to help us decide. There were social union discussions today. The next step must be to move to a proper vision exercise to decide together what kind of country this is and what are the values and the vision for this country. Then we must continue to co-operate in a way that is good for Canadians and accountable to Canadians.

[Science, Research And Development, February 4th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, much of our future depends on the insights and the capacity for innovation of our country's young scientists and engineers. Since 1964, NSERC has singled out more than 100 researchers for the prestigious title of E.W.R. Steacie Memorial Fellow. These are 100 of our brightest and most productive research stars, individuals who have made a profound contribution to their fields and to Canada.

Today my colleague, the Secretary of State for Science, Research and Development, announced the names of the four newest fellows. Like their predecessors they have distinguished themselves by rapidly acquiring at a relatively early stage in their careers an outstanding reputation in advanced research.

I ask members to join me in congratulating professors Norman Beaulieu of Kingston, Douglas Bonn of Vancouver, Mark Freeman of Edmonton and Barbara Sherwood Loolar of Toronto who are this year's recipients of NSERC E.W.R. Steacie Memorial Fellowship. Their achievements provide convincing evidence of our ability to develop and keep young research talent in the country.

As part of this award NSERC will contribute $180,000 to the recipients' universities in their names.

[Finance, February 2nd, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, people have always gone to the Mayo Clinic when there has been a conundrum up here and I think we will never stop that. It is important in terms of the choice of Canadians.

The hon. member must remind himself that sometimes we see specialized care from watching ER or other American television. Specialist driven care is not the best health care, as the member mentioned. We actually know in terms of research that we have good care in Canada where 50% of medical practitioners are family doctors and are good case managers. People do not end up with unnecessary tests. People end up being counselled in terms of prevention and stress.

We actually have a great system. We need to begin to look at accountability. We need to take time with Canadians to explain the options. We need affluent Canadians to stick up for our system. If we lose the confidence of the affluent people to speak up for our publicly funded system, we actually lose our best allies.

I would counsel anyone to have a look at the outcomes of some of the specialist driven things that have come from Harley Street. Going from specialist to specialist to specialist is not good care. We have a great system. Our family doctors are platinum trained. They are being recruited to the United States which ends up with a cost effective care that is actually managed care, not the kind of managed costs that is a concern in the HMO and managed care system in the United States.

I am hugely optimistic that we know how to do it here and that it is actually better care.