Judy Wasylycia-Leis

[Health, February 26th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, one day the Prime Minister says no new money ever for health cash transfers. The next day he retracts it. It does not matter so much to Canadians who is lying. What matters to Canadians—

[Multilateral Agreement On Investment, February 24th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, let us pass out the pom-poms and tutus to the Reform Party. It is hopping up and down, excited about its new role as cheerleader for the Liberals on the MAI. “Give me an M , give me an A , give me an I ”, say Reformers. Let us have a debate on the MAI as long as it does not involve the other side, the Reform Party says.

Yesterday the Reform member for North Vancouver admitted he preferred Florida's private health care system to the public system in his home province. In Canada poor people can get medical treatment. The member for North Vancouver slams that as no good socialist medicine, not deserving of protection under the MAI.

We need a reinvestment in health care so that everyone can get good care quickly. We need to scrap the MAI which would kill our health care system. We need the Reform Party to throw away its pom-poms and rah-rah cheers and act like a loyal opposition. Support money for medicare and nix the MAI.

[Supply, February 23rd, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, I think the member for Winnipeg South is smarting a bit from the fact that New Democrat MPs in Winnipeg held a public meeting on the MAI just last week and at the drop of a hat over 350 people attended, a sold-out crowd of people deeply concerned about the MAI.

The member does not want rhetoric. He wants a calm debate on this issue. We have been trying to have such a debate. I would like to ask the member for Winnipeg South a question regarding a matter relating to the health committee where we actually tried to have such a debate on guaranteeing that health care, medicare, would be protected from the MAI.

All we got from their side were voices from the BCNI and the Fraser Institute saying trust the Liberal government. There were no arguments, no accountability, no answers.

If this member and this government are so committed to maintaining medicare and believe it is not a threat in the MAI, why will they not agree to a complete exemption for health care in the MAI as opposed to the NAFTA reservations which evoke all kinds of concerns?

[Supply, February 23rd, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, on a point of order, this is very serious. The member should be aware that this issue went before the health committee. A motion was put—

[Supply, February 23rd, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, the more we hear from members of the Reform Party in this debate, the clearer their agenda becomes.

They tried to leave the impression this morning that they are concerned about culture and health care and social services and that they will only support the MAI if reservations that work are entrenched in the MAI.

We have now just heard from the member for Medicine Hat a very clear statement that I think is probably a little more revealing of the truth and a little more in line with the motives of Reform behind this motion today.

The member for Medicine Hat just said that we need more competition in health care. This is after all of his colleagues have stood up in the House and claimed to be concerned about wanting a reservation in the MAI to protect health care.

This all begins to fit. We know that the MAI opens the door to foreign investments and will begin to dismantle medicare.

Where does the Reform Party stand? Is it going to stand up against the MAI and protect medicare or is it going to join with the Liberals, the Conservatives and the Bloc in this House, open the doors and kill medicare?

[Supply, February 23rd, 1998]

Madam Speaker, no one in the House disagrees with the idea of having a consultation on an issue as important as the MAI.

What concerns those of us at this end of the House is the motives of the Reform Party in presenting the motion. It appears to be arising out of panic stricken fear that progressive forces in the country are winning the debate and its side is not being heard.

I ask the member a specific question around a statement made by some friends of the Reform Party. Maybe it is a front for the Reform Party. A representative of the Fraser Institute, Mr. Owen Lippert, appeared before the health committee where the NDP forced a debate on the impact of MAI on health care. He said:

Why don't I believe, then, what the Council of Canadians and Mr. Appleton are saying? Because the government, the Liberal government, tells me it ain't so. They tell me that the reservations in fact properly protect public monopoly, so I'm going to take them at their word.

Is this the problem the Reform Party is now finding itself in? Debate has not been allowed to happen in the country. Public discussion has been stifled by friends of the Reform Party, by the collusion between the Liberals and Reformers in parliament.

[Supply, February 23rd, 1998]

Madam Speaker, I listened very carefully to the member's speech, as I have done all morning on this very serious matter, and I am left with one overriding question. How are we in this House and how are the Canadian people supposed to tell the difference between the Liberals, the Conservatives and the Reformers in this House of Commons?

All three, based on the speeches today are clearly, I hate to use the word in terms of some sort of collusion, operating from the same premise, joining forces in this House to force the government to fire up its propaganda machine in order to convince Canadians that their concerns about the MAI are unfounded.

Is there anybody in this House who will join the NDP and convince the federal government that the MAI is not a good deal for Canadians and that there are serious flaws in the draft agreement that will have very significant ramifications for the future of important programs like medicare and public education, unique cultural programs in this country? Who is going to stand up and join us in this House fighting the MAI?

[Health Care, February 19th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, what will it take for the Minister of Health to stop blaming everyone else, stop giving Canadians nothing but sweet talk and start reinvesting in health care? Will this government stand up for medicare and ensure that no more deaths occur as a result of emergency ward line ups and cutbacks in hospitals?

[Health Care, February 19th, 1998]

Yes, Mr. Speaker.

[Health Care, February 19th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Health. For the first time in the history of medicare, deaths are occurring directly as a result of health care cuts and the blood is on his hands.