Jean Charest

[Iraq, February 2nd, 1998]

Before.

[Iraq, February 2nd, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, with all respect it is not the position of the Russians, the French or the British that we are interested in. We are interested in what is the position of the Canadian government.

Contrary to the practice of this government, this is not another Kyoto and it should not be. If Canada may end up at war soon, the Canadian people deserve to know what the position of the Government of Canada is.

Will the prime minister make a full statement to the House of Commons? Will he strike a joint House of Commons-Senate committee and call before the committee the minister of foreign affairs, the minister of defence and the chief of defence staff?

[Iraq, February 2nd, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Prime Minister.

I spoke with the Prime Minister on the phone yesterday. I sent him a letter concerning the situation in the Gulf and the possibility of an armed conflict with Iraq, among other things. It is quite possible that Canada will find itself in a war situation before very long.

I would like to know whether the Prime Minister intends to make a statement in the House of Commons informing the Canadian people of his government's position on this conflict.

[Federal-Provincial Relations, December 11th, 1997]

Mr. Speaker, we hope that leadership would happen in all areas. Let us start with youth employment. I do not think national leadership would be qualified as setting a full half hour aside to discuss youth unemployment at a first ministers conference.

The government has since admitted that it has no new ideas, no new plans. Could we reiterate today the demand made by the unions, all the business groups in the country and now the provinces that the government decrease EI premiums to $2 to allow young Canadians to get back to work? Exercise leadership.

[Federal-Provincial Relations, December 11th, 1997]

Mr. Speaker, in the years leading up to this first ministers conference the provincial governments have been saying that rather than having unilateral decisions by Ottawa in areas of shared jurisdiction, there should be agreed upon national standards. Rather than having unilateral cuts from Ottawa there should be a shared funding agreement and rather than having unilateral sanctions from Ottawa, there should be shared mechanisms for some of the conflicts.

Will the minister or the government agree today that it is now time for a new agreement, a new approach, a national covenant between the provinces and the federal government?

[Social Programs, December 9th, 1997]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians will be happy to know that after pursuing many of our past ideas he has now decided to pursue our new ones.

Will the prime minister take up, on behalf of Canadians, the offer of the provinces to enter into a partnership on standards and delivery of health care services? He will find ideas for a Canadian covenant in “Let the Future Begin”. Will he put that idea on the table at the first ministers conference?

[Social Programs, December 9th, 1997]

Mr. Speaker, the least we can say is the prime minister has a lot of nerve telling the provincial governments he does not want the money to be lost in the shuffle after he guaranteed funding for health care and cut it by 35%.

Yesterday his ministers of finance and health played a practical joke on provincial governments with their smoke and mirrors show.

Could the prime minister confirm today the real fact that seven out of ten provinces over the next six years will see a net reduction in cash transfers?

[Social Programs, December 8th, 1997]

Mr. Speaker, this effort to clean up the nation's finances was made at the expense of the sick and the unemployed.

I would like to know whether this government is going to do like it did in 1993 when it guaranteed Canadians funding for health care and education then cut unilaterally $6 billion. I would like to know whether at the FMC it will propose principles of shared management in the areas of shared jurisdiction so that never again will we have a government that cuts transfers unilaterally as was the case in the last Parliament.

[Social Programs, December 8th, 1997]

Mr. Speaker, we heard all the fine rhetoric from the Liberal Party of Canada in 1993, when it guaranteed Canadians funding for health care and education. Instead, it has unilaterally cut transfers by $6 billion.

I would like to know today if this government will, first, give provincial governments the assurance that it will not make unilateral cuts and, second, agree to the principles of joint management and decision making in areas of shared jurisdiction.

[Charitable Organizations, December 4th, 1997]

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the majority of members in this House I would like to thank his government for that decision. It is certainly the right decision.

My question is for the prime minister and concerns the first ministers conference which will take place in one week. I was intrigued by the comment made by the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, who said that “unique society” and “distinct society” basically mean the same thing. The minister says yes, thank you.

Why is the agenda of the first ministers conference still not known, barely one week before the conference.