Ujjal Dosanjh

[Health, June 27th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, the Leader of the Opposition knows that this is an issue that is before the courts. As well, there are lawyers talking to other lawyers from both of the classes, the class of 1986 to 1990 and the class of pre-1986 and post-1990. They are engaged in discussions.

There is no question that there is a will on the part of the government to ensure all of the victims are adequately compensated.

[Agriculture, June 23rd, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, Health Canada was made aware of these results in 2004. Health Canada took into account its own review, in addition to the conclusions of the European Food Safety Authority and Food Standards Australia New Zealand which also reviewed the data in its consideration. None of those particular agencies have taken this off the market.

I choose my food carefully, as do all other Canadians, and I eat Canadian food.

[Agriculture, June 23rd, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, this particular material has been tested throughout the world, particularly in the G-8 countries. Many of those countries have had this particular substance approved.

After the results of these tests came to light, no jurisdiction, after the review, has actually dismissed this substance as useless.

Therefore I suggest to the hon. member that Health Canada has followed the appropriate procedure in maintaining the status quo.

[Health, June 22nd, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, I quoted from the Reform Party's 1995 taxpayers' budget yesterday. It said that the funding in the Department of Health ought to be phased out, and that Health Canada responsibilities that are undertaken by the federal government ought to be phased out.

Those people opposite are now taking the position of the majority who say private health care is acceptable in Canada. I say we want to strengthen the public health care system. We will fight and defeat the Americanization of the health care system in Canada.

[Health, June 22nd, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, here are some experts who agree with what I said yesterday. Colleen Flood and Terrence Sullivan from the University of Toronto said:

It appears that countries with two tier systems appear to have longer, not shorter wait times. The majority judgment assumes that new physicians and nurses will materialize out of thin air to staff the private sector when, of course, they must come from an already taxed public system; when they are treating private patients, they will not be responding to queues in the public system.

[Health, June 22nd, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, let me make it very clear. There would be no Americanization of the Canadian public health care system. The Prime Minister has been very clear. All of us have been very clear. Private health care is no panacea with respect to the difficulties we have. Let me quote two specialists from here:

It appears that countries with two-tier systems appear to have longer, not shorter wait times.

The majority judgment assumes that new physicians--

[Reproductive Technologies, June 21st, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, regulation in this area would require consultation with Canadians across the country. We are in the process of doing that. We will be drafting regulations and then, of course, presenting them to the committee.

Last May 9 I announced the agency's location in Vancouver. It will be operational by early 2006 and the recruitment process of the agency's board of directors is already under way.

[Health, June 21st, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member is absolutely wrong. We recognized the issue in the last election campaign. We provided $41 billion for the next 10 years. The court has simply given expression to something that we recognized a year ago.

The opposition party wants to actually dismantle our health care system. Let me read from the Reform Party's 1995 taxpayers' budget. It stated:

Activities in the Department of Health would also be phased out as provinces assume their constitutionally-mandated responsibility for health care.

In that government, if it ever came to be, health care--

[Health, June 21st, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member is wrong. If we look at the experience in Saskatchewan, the wait times are coming down. If we look at the experience in Ontario, there will be a website that will be launched to monitor wait times. The fact is that the hon. member uttered complete hogwash about the Prime Minister misleading the House.

[Health, June 21st, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, the fact is that right from the inception of public health care, there have been groups that have been exempted from the Canada Health Act and from the public health system. They are the RCMP, the forces and the workers compensation boards.

If we now want to change that and embrace them within our public health care system, I am certainly prepared to take a look at that.