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CANADA House of Commons Debates VOLUME 140 Ï NUMBER 054 Ï 1st SESSION Ï 38th PARLIAMENT OFFICIAL REPORT (HANSARD) Thursday, February 10, 2005 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 3315 HOUSE OF COMMONS Thursday, February 10, 2005 The House met at 10 a.m. They will obviously take heart at the developments yesterday in the House but call upon the government to act as quickly as possible Prayers to ensure that every alcohol beverage container contains a warning that says drinking alcohol during pregnancy can cause birth defects. NATIONAL DEFENCE ROUTINE PROCEEDINGS Ms. Anita Neville (Winnipeg South Centre, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, Ï (1000) I have the honour to present a petition from many members of my [English] community in regard to the matter of missile defence. COMMITTEES OF THE HOUSE My community is concerned that missile defence is designed to be FINANCE a step toward weapons and war in space, including nuclear weapons Mr. Massimo Pacetti (Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel, Lib.): and war. Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the sixth report of the Standing Committee on Finance on Bill C-24, The petitioners are calling upon Parliament to maintain Canada's an act to amend the Federal-Provincial Fiscal Arrangements Act and multilateral approach to security and reaffirm this country's support to make consequential amendments to other acts (fiscal equalization for non-proliferation arms control and disarmament; to reject any payments to the provinces and funding to the territories), and agreed and all plans for weapons and war in space, including plans for on Wednesday, February 9 to report it with amendment. missile defence; and to seek Canada's withdrawal from any discussion of or participation in missile defence and the weaponiza- Ï (1005) tion of space. STATUS OF WOMEN Ms. Anita Neville (Winnipeg South Centre, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, *** I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the first report of the Standing Committee on the Status of Women. QUESTIONS ON THE ORDER PAPER The committee is recommending that the federal government Hon. Dominic LeBlanc (Parliamentary Secretary to the increase funding to the women's program in Status of Women Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, Lib.): Canada by at least 25% for investments in women's groups and Madam Speaker, I would ask that all questions be allowed to stand. equality seeking organizations. The Acting Speaker (Hon. Jean Augustine): Is that agreed? Pursuant to Standing Order 109 the committee has requested a comprehensive government response. Some hon. members: Agreed. *** Ï (1010) PETITIONS GOVERNMENT ORDERS LABELING OF ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES Ms. Judy Wasylycia-Leis (Winnipeg North, NDP): Mr. Speak- [English] er, I am very pleased to present two petitions, both pertaining to the matter of fetal alcohol syndrome and the need for alcohol warning FEDERAL-PROVINCIAL FISCAL ARRANGEMENTS ACT labels on all alcohol beverage containers. Hon. Stephen Owen (for the Minister of Finance) moved that The petitioners are very concerned that the government has taken Bill C-39, an act to amend the Federal-Provincial Fiscal Arrange- no action over the many years that this issue has been raised and ments Act and to enact an act respecting the provision of funding for certainly since April 2001 when this Parliament overwhelmingly diagnostic and medical equipment, be read the second time and passed a motion in support of such warning labels. referred to a committee. 3316 COMMONS DEBATES February 10, 2005 Government Orders To that end, the Government of Canada commits $41 billion in new federal funding over 10 years to meet those goals set out in that Hon. John McKay (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of 10 year plan. Bill C-39 would implement those funding commit- Finance, Lib.): Madam Speaker, I am pleased to introduce at second ments. reading an act to amend the Federal-Provincial Fiscal Arrangements Act and to enact an act respecting the provision of funding for diagnostic and medical equipment. It is a very long name, possibly To accelerate and broaden health care renewal and reform, the befitting the enormous sums of money involved and the importance federal government will take a number of steps to strengthen the of this agreement to all Canadians. Canada health transfer, otherwise known as the CHT. It will invest Canadians have told their governments that health care is of an additional $3 billion in CHT in 2004-05 and 2005-6 to close the primary importance to them. As such, they have asked governments so-called Romanow gap. to work together to strengthen the health care system, to improve access to essential services and to reduce the wait times. A second important initiative is establishing a new, higher base for Canadians want to ensure the health care system is there for them the Canada health transfer beginning in 2005-06. In that year the today and sustainable for future generations. Governments are new CHT base will be $19 billion. working to meet those expectations. In September 2004 all first ministers signed a 10 year plan to Ï (1015) strengthen health care. In support of the 10 year plan, the Government of Canada committed to increase its transfer to provinces and territories for health by the sum of $41 billion over This commitment fully satisfies and in fact exceeds the 10 years starting in this fiscal year 2004-05. The increased funding recommendations made in the Romanow report on the future of of $41 billion will do three important things. health care in Canada. That new and higher base of $19 billion includes $500 million in targeted funding for home care and First, it will strengthen the Canada health transfer, the largest catastrophic drug coverage, clear priorities to many Canadians. federal transfer supporting health care. It will both increase the base level of the transfer and establish an automatic 6% escalator, which is an unprecedented move to ensure predictable and stable growth in This funding for home care and catastrophic drug coverage the federal transfer support. recognizes and supports the first ministers' commitments to improve Second, it will create a wait times reduction transfer to assist access to home and community care services and catastrophic drug provinces and territories in reducing wait times according to their coverage. These commitments are important to improving the respective priorities. quality of life of many Canadians and to ensure that no Canadian suffers undue financial hardship in accessing needed drug therapies. Third, the new federal funding will provide an additional $500 million to provinces and territories for diagnostic and medical equipment, helping to improve access to publicly funded diagnostic Also of note, the health reform transfer created as part of the 2003 services. The commitment to provide an additional $41 billion to accord is now being rolled into the CHT effective 2005-06 and provinces and territories will help ensure that current and future beyond. This consolidation of federal support for health reflects the generations of Canadians have timely access to essential quality continuing commitment to enhanced transparency and accountability health care across the country. and to support reforms established in the 2003 accord, including primary care, home care and catastrophic drug coverage. At the September 2004 meeting of first ministers, a broad consensus emerged between governments on a shared agenda renewal of health care in Canada. That agenda focused on ensuring To ensure predictable and sustainable growth in health care that Canadians have access to the care they need when they need it. funding through the CHT, the government has committed to legislate As a result, federal, provincial and territorial governments agreed an automatic escalator. An automatic escalator of 6% will be applied upon an action plan to ensure viable health care for Canadians to the new health care transfer base of $19 billion effective in the setting out commitments to improve access and to reduce wait times. fiscal year 2006-07. The federal government is committed to doing its part to support the needed renewal and reform of health care. As part of its contribution to an effective working partnership on health care, the This rate of growth is higher than the projected rate of nominal federal government brings a commitment to a growing, stable and GDP growth, the rate of growth of the Canadian economy and, predictable health care funding so that provinces and territories can therefore, growth in total federal revenues over the periods 2006-07 plan for the future. to 2013-14. This rate of growth is fully consistent with the recommendations of the Romanow report. In other words, the The bill before us today would provide for new federal funding federal government has agreed to increase the funding to CHT faster over the next 10 years in support of the agreement signed by the first than the economy will grow and faster than we anticipate that federal ministers on health. revenues will be realized. February 10, 2005 COMMONS DEBATES 3317 Government Orders Foremost in the 10 year plan is the need to make timely access to health, the federal government invested an additional $23.4 billion quality care a reality for Canadians. The government remains through the Canada health and social transfer to accelerate and committed to the dual objectives of better management of wait times broaden health renewal and reform. and measurable reduction of wait times where they are longer than medically acceptable. All jurisdictions have taken concrete steps to address wait times, particularly in such priority areas as cancer, Drawing on the 2000 framework supporting reform and renewal, cardiac care and diagnostic imaging.

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