Stephen Harper

[Health, May 1st, 2003]

Mr. Speaker, when the health minister starts answering questions again, we will see whether she agrees with the new boss or the old boss.

Apparently, the former Minister of Finance wants to rip up the new health accord. This accord enjoys the unanimous support of all levels of government, provincial, federal and territorial, and of the Canadian Alliance.

Does the federal government still support this accord, and has the Prime Minister spoken with Jean Charest, the new Premier of Quebec, to determine whether the Government of Quebec still supports the accord?

[Health, May 1st, 2003]

Mr. Speaker, I can only observe that this crisis has really aged the Minister of Health.

On another issue, just this spring the federal government signed a new health accord with the provinces, with the support of all the provinces and I should add, the Canadian Alliance. However, now the former minister of finance is suggesting that the accord should be ripped up, that it is inadequate, that it does not deal with fundamental issues.

Does the health minister still endorse the accord and does she agree that it is a basis for further health care reform?

[Health, May 1st, 2003]

Mr. Speaker, one month ago the World Health Organization recommended that the government institute interviews with outbound passengers at Canadian airports. The Minister of Health consistently refused to commit to these recommendations up to and including yesterday here in the House of Commons. Yet now she has apparently issued a letter to airlines recommending that these and other procedures be instituted.

If the minister will not simply admit that she made a mistake, can she explain to the House why it is so important to implement these recommendations now that the SARS crisis is abating, as opposed to before when it was at its height?

[Health, April 30th, 2003]

Mr. Speaker, once again the minister fails to take responsibility.

We now know that the Ontario government thought the minister's approach was wrong. The WHO thought the minister's approach was the wrong way to go and told her repeatedly. The heritage minister thought it was the wrong way to go. The Canadian Alliance said in the House on March 27 that it was the wrong way to go.

If everybody in the world except this minister believes this was the wrong way to go and the minister will not admit this responsibility, how can Canadians have any faith in her ability to handle this kind of situation in the future?

[Health, April 30th, 2003]

Mr. Speaker, we all fail to see what is so funny about what the government did here.

Another senior Ontario cabinet minister, Jim Flaherty, said yesterday the following about the health minister's failure to institute proper interviews on outgoing passengers:

It was being done elsewhere and we didn't do it... it ought to have been done. Airports are a federal responsibility.

Since the health minister clearly ignored the advice of the Ontario government, is she prepared to accept responsibility for her own decision, a decision that cost Ontario, Toronto, Canada millions, and resign?

[Health, April 30th, 2003]

Mr. Speaker, it is reported today that the health minister received a letter from her counterpart in Ontario. He asked for more rigorous screening at Toronto's airports. The request was made April 4, almost three weeks before the World Health Organization issued its travel advisory against Toronto.

Can the health minister confirm that she received this request and if so, why did she choose to ignore it?

[Health, April 29th, 2003]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister still did not answer. The World Health Organization not only recommended this a month ago, according to Dr. Gro Harlem Brundtland when she said today that she advised the Prime Minister and the health minister of the need for this screening on the telephone last week, yet the health minister feigned complete ignorance of this in the House of Commons yesterday.

Will she admit what the heritage minister has already admitted, that her inaction has cost this economy billions of dollars? Brutally incompetent, she misled the House and she should resign over her handling of this.

[Health, April 29th, 2003]

Mr. Speaker, we on this side also thank the Canadian officials from the Ontario government who bothered to go to Geneva.

On March 27 the World Health Organization recommended interviews with outgoing passengers at Canadian airports. We in the Canadian Alliance called for it the same day. The advice has been ignored. It has been recommended again today.

I ask the Prime Minister since he rose, is he going to follow this advice finally or not?

[Health, April 29th, 2003]

Mr. Speaker, in lifting its travel advisory against Toronto, the World Health Organization again called for proactive screening for interviews of outgoing passengers at Canadian airports.

Will the health minister finally relent, accept this advice and fully implement screening and full interviews of outgoing passengers at Canadian airports?

[Health, April 28th, 2003]

Mr. Speaker, only with this government could we have this black mark on Toronto that is going to cost us billions, and it claims everything is just great, only with this government. What a lack of leadership. We have the Prime Minister on holiday, we have the former finance minister in his perpetual bubble, and we have the health minister hiding from reporters in Calgary and ignoring the recommendations on airport screening.

To help assure Canadians that the government has learned something, will the government at least admit some responsibility for fumbling the SARS football?