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CANADA House of Commons Debates VOLUME 138 Ï NUMBER 079 Ï 2nd SESSION Ï 37th PARLIAMENT OFFICIAL REPORT (HANSARD) Thursday, March 27, 2003 Speaker: The Honourable Peter Milliken CONTENTS (Table of Contents appears at back of this issue.) All parliamentary publications are available on the ``Parliamentary Internet Parlementaire´´ at the following address: http://www.parl.gc.ca 4781 HOUSE OF COMMONS Thursday, March 27, 2003 The House met at 10 a.m. GOVERNMENT RESPONSE TO PETITIONS Mr. Geoff Regan (Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, Prayers pursuant to Standing Order 36(8) I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the government's response to four petitions. Ï (1005) *** [Translation] JOURNALS COMMITTEES OF THE HOUSE The Speaker: Hon. members must be disappointed they did not receive their Journals this morning. I must inform the House that FINANCE they will be available only toward the end of the morning. Mrs. Sue Barnes (London West, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, I have the [English] honour to present, in both official languages, the third report of the I also wish to advise hon. members that the voting lists appearing Standing Committee on Finance, entitled “Large Bank Mergers in in Hansard may not be entirely accurate. The verified voting list will Canada: Safeguarding the Public Interest for Canadians and be found in Journals which will be available, as I indicated, later this Canadian Businesses”. morning. Hon. members can understand there might have been some difficulty given the number of votes and the number of changes that With regard to the government response, also pursuant to Standing hon. members made in stating their positions during the course of the Order 109, the committee requests that the government table a evening. comprehensive response to the report. However, notwithstanding the deadline of 150 days stipulated in Standing Order 109, the committee requests that the comprehensive response to this report be tabled within 90 days of the presentation of the report to the ROUTINE PROCEEDINGS House. [English] *** CANADA CUSTOMS AND REVENUE AGENCY Hon. Elinor Caplan (Minister of National Revenue, Lib.): Mr. FOREIGN AFFAIRS Speaker, in accordance with Standing Order 32(2) I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the Canada Customs and Mr. Jason Kenney (Calgary Southeast, Canadian Alliance): Revenue Agency's summary of the corporate business plan for Mr. Speaker, there have been consultations among all party House 2003-04 to 2005-06, entitled “Innovations”. leaders and I believe that if you seek it you would find unanimous consent to adopt the following motion. I move: *** That, in the opinion of the House, the government should endorse international MAIN ESTIMATES, 2003-04 efforts to bring to justice Saddam Hussein and all other Iraqi officials responsible for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes, including through the formation Mr. Tony Tirabassi (Parliamentary Secretary to the President of an international criminal tribunal. of the Treasury Board, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to table, on behalf of the President of the Treasury Board, part III of the The Acting Speaker (Mr. Bélair): Is it the pleasure of the House Estimates consisting of 87 departmental reports on plans and to adopt the motion? priorities. These documents will be distributed to members of the standing committees to assist in their consideration of the spending authorities sought in part II of the Estimates. Some hon. members: Agreed. 4782 COMMONS DEBATES March 27, 2003 Government Orders (Motion agreed to) GOVERNMENT ORDERS *** [English] Ï (1010) BUDGET IMPLEMENTATION ACT, 2003 [Translation] Hon. Wayne Easter (for the Deputy Minister and Minister of PETITIONS Finance) moved that Bill C-28, an act to implement certain provisions of the budget tabled in Parliament on February 18, 2003, IRAQ be read the second time and referred to a committee. Mr. Michel Guimond (Beauport—Montmorency—Côte-de- Beaupré—Île-d'Orléans, BQ): Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to table petitions bearing 2,311 signatures of residents of the riding of Mr. Bryon Wilfert (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Beauport—Montmorency—Côte-de-Beaupré—Île-d'Orléans. Finance, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, it is my honour to present Bill C-28, the budget implementation act, 2003, for second reading today. These petitioners have one thing in common: they are all pacifists. They consider that peaceful disarmament of Iraq is the preferred In the course of preparing his budget, the Minister of Finance was solution to the present crisis. A war in Iraq would lead to destruction advised by Canadians that it must be more than a tallying of and would endanger the lives of thousands of Iraqi civilians. There accounts: that the budget must reflect the sum of our values as well. would be disastrous effects on the entire Middle East. The budget the minister presented to the House in February meets The petitioners are calling upon Canada to oppose any participa- the challenge in three arenas of national life. tion in a war in Iraq. First, it builds the society Canadians value by making investments *** in individual Canadians, their families and their communities. [English] Second, it builds the economy Canadians need by promoting QUESTIONS PASSED AS ORDERS FOR RETURNS productivity and innovation while staying fiscally prudent. Mr. Geoff Regan (Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of Third, it builds the accountability Canadians deserve by making the Government in the House of Commons, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, if government spending more transparent and accountable. Question No. 133 could be made an order for return, the return would be tabled immediately. Just as important, the government is able to meet these challenges The Acting Speaker (Mr. Bélair): Is that agreed? and pursue significant new investments, without risking a return to deficits, because of our continuing commitment to sound fiscal Some hon. members: Agreed. management. This commitment to fiscal responsibility is real and rigid, not just rhetoric, as demonstrated by the fact that we have [Text] already delivered five consecutive surpluses, a $47 billion reduction Question No. 133—Mr. John Reynolds: in the federal debt and the $100 billion tax reduction plan. For the fiscal years 1993-1994, 1994-1995, 1995-1996, 1996-1997, 1997-1998, The 2003 budget is a budget based on continuity: maintaining the 1998-1999, 1999-2000 et 2000-2001, from all departments and agencies of the government, including crown corporations and quasi/non-governmental agencies prudent, balanced approach to fiscal planning that has contributed so funded by the government, and not including research and student-related grants and much, so directly, to Canada's economic stability and success. At the loans, what is the list of grants, loans, contributions and contracts awarded in the same time, it is a budget marked by milestones and major new constituency of West Vancouver—Sunshine Coast, including the name and address commitments. of the recipient, whether or not it was competitively awarded, the date, the amount and the type of funding, and if repayable, whether or not it has been repaid? Economic success and fiscal discipline are only part of good (Return tabled.) government. They are a means to the much more important end of building the society that Canadians value, where compassion and *** social responsibility are constant, concrete facts of national life. [English] No social policy is more vital to Canadians than our publicly QUESTIONS ON THE ORDER PAPER funded health care system. Mr. Geoff Regan (Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of The 2003 accord on health care renewal, agreed to by the Prime the Government in the House of Commons, Lib.): I ask, Mr. Minister and provincial first ministers in February, reflects a Speaker, that the remaining questions be allowed to stand. common commitment among governments to work together to The Acting Speaker (Mr. Bélair): Is that agreed? improve access to the health care system, enhance accountability of how health care dollars are spent, and help ensure that the system Some hon. members: Agreed. remains sustainable in the long term. March 27, 2003 COMMONS DEBATES 4783 Government Orders Budget 2003 confirms $34.8 billion in increased funding over five access to diagnostic services. The availability of equipment is a key years to meet the goals outlined in the health accord. Bill C-28 factor in ensuring timely access to quality health care. implements these measures. First, in terms of increased support through transfers, the budget Building on the $1 billion provided for medical equipment in builds on the significant federal support for health care already 2000, the 2003 budget responds with an additional investment of provided to the provinces and territories through the Canada health $1.5 billion over three years. This funding will enable provinces and and social transfer, the CHST. territories to acquire diagnostic and medical equipment and train Following the September 2000 agreements on health and early specialized staff to operate increasingly sophisticated equipment. childhood development, the federal government provided provinces Again funds will be distributed on an equal per capita basis and and territories with a predictable and growing five year funding drawn down as provinces require up to the end of 2005-06. Under framework to 2005-06 through the CHST. Now, this established the accord, governments agreed to report annually on both the health funding will be further increased by $1.8 billion and extended for an reform transfer and the medical equipment fund so that Canadians additional two years. As a result, total yearly cash transfers to the can gauge the impact of the new investment. provinces will rise to $21.6 billion in 2006-07 and $22.2 billion in 2007-08. Again, let me emphasize that this is over $22 billion for that one year.