House of Commons photoLost her last election, in 2015, with 36% of the vote.
Health September 28th, 2010
Mr. Speaker, while countries all around the world are taking tougher action to curb smoking and educate consumers, the government is actually moving in the opposite direction.
Not only are Conservatives backing away from new warning labels, they have cut anti-smoking commercials altogether.
When will the minister stop putting the tobacco lobbyists' concerns ahead of the health of Canadians and do more to protect Canadians from the dangers of smoking?
Health September 28th, 2010
Mr. Speaker, Health Canada has quietly dropped its plans to put stronger warnings on cigarette packages.
The provinces, anti-smoking organizations and health care professionals all agree: the decline in the rate of smoking has levelled off in the past five years.
This decision does nothing for the health of Canadians, but it pleases the tobacco companies.
Why have they abandoned their plans for new anti-smoking warnings?
Petitions September 28th, 2010
Mr. Speaker, the second petition concerns junk mail or unsolicited mail.
Some 1,300 pieces of unsolicited mail yearly arrive at our doorstep. Therefore, the petition asks the federal Minister of the Environment to consider introducing some kind of legislation that would require unsolicited ad mail and flyers to be produced using recyclable paper, to phase in the use of hemp paper and that distributors of flyers also obey no flyer signs in Canada.
Petitions September 28th, 2010
Mr. Speaker, I have two petitions to present. The first petition is with regard to funding for KAIROS.
As we have heard in the House, KAIROS received notice from the Canadian International Development Agency that $7 million in funding was denied. The petitioners are saying that this decision severely impairs the capacity of this respected ecumenical organization to improve the lives of millions of people living in poverty and conflict around the world and that hurts communities helped by these progressive projects. These petitioners come from around Nova Scotia.
Health September 27th, 2010
Mr. Speaker, those promises were made years ago. The government is delaying the whole process by holding back $500 million. That is not leadership.
We know that the costs for prescriptions and diagnostics are burdening the health system. We know that over-prescribing drugs and diagnostic tests can harm patients' health and compromise their treatment. We know that electronic health records would actually help solve this problem.
When will the Conservative government stop playing games and stop delaying this important health care tool?
Health September 27th, 2010
Mr. Speaker, this government is doing absolutely nothing to respond to the need for a Canada-wide electronic health records system. Today, the Health Council of Canada called on the federal government to stop dragging its feet and to take a leadership role. We could save millions of dollars by electronically managing prescriptions and diagnostic imaging services for Canadians.
When will this government finally make health a priority and create a Canada-wide electronic health records system?
Canadian Food Inspection Agency September 24th, 2010
Mr. Speaker, today we learned that the government has no strategy to ensure that health hazards are not entering Canada.
An audit into the safety of imported foods says that while imports are skyrocketing our food inspection agency is failing to keep Canadian families safe. The government inspects billboards, but there is no action for food safety.
When is the government going to put aside partisan games and shameless vanity, and actually take the health and safety of Canadians seriously?
Canadian Food Inspection Agency September 24th, 2010
Mr. Speaker, an internal Canadian Food Inspection Audit found that Canada does not have the resources to adequately inspect imported foods entering the country.
Canadians are more and more concerned about what is on their plates, and food imports are growing, so when will the minister give the agency more resources to keep people safe from contaminated foods?
Health Care System September 23rd, 2010
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to speak Motion No. 513, brought forward by the member for Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo. It is a motion that encourages the federal government to both encourage and assist the provinces in their health care delivery.
It is a rare opportunity to speak about health in the House. I applaud the member for Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo for raising the issue of health as a federal issue in the House. It is a rare opportunity because time and again the current government says that health is not a federal issue, that it is a provincial issue, that the federal government does not hold any responsibility for the health file. However, I could not disagree more.
The Canada Health Act is federal legislation that earmarks funding for health care that is delivered by the provinces, but there are certain strings attached to this funding. Health care must be accessible, portable, universal, comprehensive and it has to be publicly administered, so dedicated funding with strings attached.
The agreement under the act, or the accord, expires in 2014, which is just around the corner. This date should not just mark a time to reconfirm our commitment to our health care system. In fact, we need to use this opportunity to revision health care and begin our commitment to the health care system that we deserve.
In Canada, if we go to the doctor, if we go to the hospital, it is free. That is the great legacy of Tommy Douglas and his vision for medicare. However, what many of us forget is that was just phase one of Tommy's vision. Phase two was tackling all of those things that would actually keep us healthy and out of the hospital, such as pharmacare, home care, health promotion and prevention, social determinants of health.
My conversations with Canadians over the summer reflect what we have seen in recent polls, that we are concerned about health care. We are concerned about the lack of universality of coverage for all Canadians, the rising costs of pharmaceuticals, the need for an immediate solution to health care staffing and training issues and the protection of Tommy Douglas' medicare vision.
We need to address these concerns.
However, first, let us set the record straight. The hue and the cry about unsustainable health care is a myth. Health care costs are rising dramatically as a share of total public spending. However, huge corporate tax cuts, resulting in the lowest corporate tax rate of any G8 nation, have deprived our system of much needed revenues and have made our health care costs seem bigger by comparison.
In my lifetime, as a percentage of GDP, health care costs have actually risen only slightly, about 4% or 5%.
Right-wing ideologues ignore the reality that medicare costs are stable and they promote the fallacy of an unsustainable health system. However, “unsustainable” is code for “privatization”.
We can make our system better. We can do this by identifying potential savings and efficiencies within the system. Huge savings could be achieved by implementing a national pharmacare plan. Just as an example, having a single buyer negotiate for cheaper drug prices could save Canadians billions and relieve Canadian businesses of the burden of paying for private drug insurance. This would free up more money for them to invest in our communities.
We could also save on administrative costs, because private drug plans cost 10 times as much to administer as public plans.
We also need to invest in smarter health information technologies, something that this motion touches on, improved access to diagnostics and testing and better staffing and human resources strategies in health care, particularly in rural and northern areas.
If we fail to adapt medicare to the way that health care should be delivered today, private alternatives will fill the gaps. If we fail to act, we will lose control of the health care agenda and we will end up with a more costly and less accessible health care system. Time is of the essence: 2014 is practically tomorrow. The majority of Canadians who want Tommy's legacy protected cannot sit back and let that happen.
As 2014 and the time for health care renegotiations quickly approach, I hope that all Canadians, including the Canadians in the House, continue to fight for the best health care for everyone by preserving our achievements and extending Tommy's dream for medicare to its second phase.
One thing is for certain, federal leadership is needed. With Ottawa taking the lead, together with communities, we can make the system stronger. We can make it more responsive and modernized. In turn, we can help each other live better, healthier and stronger lives.
This motion articulates a very small step towards this vision, and when it comes time for voting, I will be pleased to support it.
Petitions September 22nd, 2010
Mr. Speaker, I also have a petition here concerning a national housing strategy.
The petitioners from Nova Scotia are asking for swift passage of a private member's bill, Bill C-304, An Act to ensure secure, adequate, accessible and affordable housing for Canadians. The petitioners and I look forward to the minister's answers.