Tony Clement

[Chalk River Nuclear Facilities, January 28th, 2008]

No, Mr. Speaker, that is completely false yet again. In fact, our supply of radioisotopes was down by 65% at the time that Parliament acted. That is where we were just in that very week and it was going to get worse.

We already had hospitals that were stopping treatments because radioisotopes were not available. The Victoria Hospital in British Columbia was on the verge of shutting down, as well as other hospitals in the Atlantic provinces and in Ontario. We acted for the health and safety of Canadians because the supply was not there.

We took leadership. We take responsibility and accountability but we did it for the health and safety of Canadians.

[Chalk River Nuclear Facilities, January 28th, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, that is false. The reactor in Belgium does not have the capacity to produce isotopes. Europe does not have this capacity.

It is a fact. The capacity did not exist. We did ask. We asked each company in Europe and companies on other parts of the globe. We were scouring the globe.

We acted to restore the NRU reactor because we knew that if we did not do so the health and safety of Canadians and other citizens around the world would be affected. We acted, we took leadership and we are proud of that.

[Chalk River Nuclear Facilities, January 28th, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to reiterate once again that it is false to say that Health Canada or the government failed to act. Once I had the information, I took action. The same is true of my hon. colleague, the Minister of Natural Resources.

Once it was clear there was a problem, we contacted the other companies and firms in Europe.

We acted because we wanted to ensure the health and safety of Canadians was protected. We acted quickly and we acted in a situation where 65% of the isotopes that were--

[Chalk River Nuclear Facilities, January 28th, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, that is the same question and it will be given the same answer.

When I was informed of the problem, we took action. Parliament decided to act and we made the right decision to safeguard the health of Canadians. I support this decision. The leadership on this side of the House is such that we looked after the health of Canadians. It was the right decision.

[Chalk River Nuclear Facilities, January 28th, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, that is categorically false. It is completely untrue.

The very week that I and my colleague, the Minister of Natural Resources, found out that the scheduled shutdown would be prolonged, we in fact did contact the company officials to whom the hon. member referred. We in fact did scour the world for replacement isotopes.

The fact is there was a 65% decline in isotopes in this country at the time when Parliament reopened the Chalk River reactor. Parliament was right. We were right to intervene, and that was for the benefit and health and safety of Canadians.

[Health, December 13th, 2007]

Mr. Speaker, nothing could be further from the truth.

There are many families who are struggling with autism across this country and we recognize that. That is why this government established the first national chair in autism research. That is why we hosted a national symposium to ensure that knowledge and research is shared across this country.

That is why we fulfilled every point of the five point plan of our national strategy for autism, which has never been done before. We delivered on our promises when it came to the parents of children with autism and indeed we are working with them.

I cannot hide the fact that the meeting of health ministers is not occurring this year. There was an election in Saskatchewan--

[Chalk River Nuclear Facilities, December 13th, 2007]

Mr. Speaker, of course when the government was informed of this situation, we took vigorous action to ensure the health and safety of Canadians.

When we heard about the situation at AECL being an unscheduled, prolonged shutdown, this government acted. We contacted over 800 hospitals and institutions. We ensured that triaging was taking place in the health care system.

This, we believe, has helped divert catastrophe until such time as the reactor will fire up and will deliver much needed isotopes for Canadians and for the rest of the world.

[Health, December 12th, 2007]

Mr. Speaker, on the contrary, this government was the first government to act decisively when it came to the Fabry's disease issue which was of particular concern in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. We found a way to work with our provincial and territorial partners to get increased research dollars and increased supplies and medications for that particular disease.

I am working with the provinces and territories for a broader policy than that. If the Liberal Party wishes to press the Liberal premiers that exist in this country to work with us, that would be of great help to us.

[Chalk River Nuclear Facilities, December 12th, 2007]

Mr. Speaker, as I said last night, each hospital and each clinic has a contract that is sometimes with Nordion, AECL or with another supplier. Those contracts would be honoured.

At this time in the House, I want to give our thanks to the medical oncologists and the nuclear medicine specialists who have worked day and night across this country to ensure this particular situation did not create a medical crisis. I think they deserve all of our applause for doing so.

[An Act to permit the resumption and continuation of the operation of the National Research Universal Reactor at Chalk River, December 11th, 2007]

Mr. Chair, just for the record, I and my department were informed on Wednesday, December 5.