Ruby Dhalla

[Youth, September 26th, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, no thanks to them the Conservative government inherited one of the largest surpluses in Canadian history. Despite the surplus, the Conservatives are cutting programs which actually help the youth of this country find jobs, the visible minorities, the francophones and the aboriginals. The Conservative government cut the very program, the youth employment strategy, which helped over 50,000 youth find jobs this past summer alone.

How can the Minister of Human Resources justify cutting a program that is helping Canada's young people?

[AIDS, September 19th, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, this summer the Prime Minister embarrassed Canada on the international stage by refusing to attend the international AIDS conference.

We know that the Prime Minister has a strained relationship with the city of Toronto, which does not seem to cater to his voter base. It seems the only time he wants to come to Toronto is when he wants to snub Premier Dalton McGuinty in favour of his buddy, John Tory, but even John Tory had the decency to attend this conference.

During the conference, the Prime Minister indicated that he was not attending because it had become “too political”. This is a pretty weak excuse coming from a politician. It is almost like a hockey player not wanting to go to the rink because it is too icy.

In the words of Stephen Lewis, the Prime Minister's refusal to attend the AIDS conference was “a slap in the face to the international community”. Canadians are quickly realizing that health care is not a priority for the government. However, the Prime Minister had a chance to take some real action and show some real leadership by attending and he failed.

[Health, June 22nd, 2006]

Again, Mr. Speaker, empty rhetoric with no substance, because the fact is that the Conservatives have no plan on health care.

The Liberal government invested $42 billion to reduce wait times and to improve health care services. The Liberal government defended the Canada Health Act. We defended public health care in this country. The Conservative government has failed to deliver on the health care agenda.

Will the Prime Minister admit that his minister's conflict has resulted in no action, no plan and no leadership on the health care file?

[Health, June 22nd, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians were surprised to learn that the Prime Minister could only count to five. It appears that he cannot get past the number four. The Prime Minister is so eager to go to the barbecue circuit that his fifth priority of health care has fallen off the menu.

Do the Conservatives have a plan to reduce wait times? No. Do they have a plan to implement catastrophic drug coverage? No.

Do we have a minister who has been embroiled in one conflict after another? Yes. Do we have a minister who has violated Treasury Board rules? Yes.

Will the Prime Minister take his hamburger flipper and flip this minister out?

[Health, June 20th, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, that is Tory accountability, big fat contracts for their Conservative cronies, breaking Treasury Board rules that they have themselves written.

Even third party groups, like the Canadian Health Coalition, are demanding that the minister of big pharma either sell his shares or resign. There is no action on the national pharmaceutical strategy and no bill on Internet pharmacies.

It is evident that the minister's every move is being coordinated by his personal friend, Gordon Haugh, the general manager of the Canadian International Pharmacists Association.

When will the Prime Minister do the right thing and demand action on health care from this minister?

[Health, June 20th, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, being associated with sellouts is not something to cheer about, but let me get to my question.

Thanks to the NDP selling us out, we have a health minister who has put forward no plans to reduce wait times. Rather, we have ended up with a two tier health minister who has blown $25,000 of taxpayer money to hire a long-time Conservative crony, Gordon Haugh, despite the fact that Treasury Board guidelines say we cannot give government contracts to our friends.

When will the Prime Minister stop turning a blind eye to the minister's repeated conflicts of interest?

[Health, June 20th, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, let me just tell the Prime Minister that, unlike the NDP, we, as Liberals, will never compromise our principles for 10 more seats. Thanks to the NDP--

[Health, June 19th, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, if the minister said that the individual has so much experience, where are the results? Where is the action on the health care file?

The bottom line is that Mr. Haugh is paid to lobby on behalf of Internet pharmacies in this country. The Minister of Health is responsible for regulating the drug industry and protecting the drug supply on behalf of Canadians.

The government claimed that it was going to stop the revolving door for lobbyists, but there appears to be an open door policy in the Minister of Health's office.

After all the huffing and puffing about accountability, I would like to ask the minister, where is Mr. Haugh's five year cooling off period?

[Health, June 19th, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, it is nice that the Minister of Health has finally stood up and spoken to the House.

Let me give Canadians the real facts about this political crony. In 1995 Mr. Gordon Haugh was a tour director for Mike Harris. In 2000 he served as tour director for the Canadian Alliance. In 2002 he was hired by the minister as the minister created two tier health in Ontario. He was paid $300,000 then and his $25,000 a year contract adds up to $300,000 now.

The minister has paid him $25,000 for 33 days of work. This is absolutely not acceptable to Canadians. What does the minister have to say to Canadians who are paying the bill for his political cronies?

[Health, June 19th, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Health continues to be embroiled in one conflict after another.

At first it was the minister's 25% ownership in a drug company. Then on the weekend we learned that the minister has hired his political crony and paid him $25,000 for 33 days of work. Then today we learned that this political crony, Mr. Gordon Haugh, a long-time friend of the Conservative Party, is the general manager of the Canadian International Pharmacy Association and is responsible for lobbying on behalf of drug companies.

Why does the minister continue to put his and his friends' profits ahead of the health care needs of Canadians?