Well, I finally got around to doing some of my interview with Mr. Dion. It took a long freaking time to transcribe it and I still haven't finished yet. It took me about 3 straight hours to produce the text version of 6 minutes of interview. God I wish I had Dragon: Naturally Speaking so I can get this transcribed. So, without any further adieu, here is the first 3 questions of my interview.(Me) The first question I actually do have for you is from my friend named Dave who is from Yellowknife. His question was, with the development of Canada’s north booming as it is, what is your stance on the Mackenzie Pipeline Developments and general northern development as a whole?
(Stephane) About the Mackenzie Pipeline, I was the Minister of the Environment and I insisted on a very strong environmental assessment. (***audio glitch…lost part of the comment. Basically he said he wanted to make sure all environmental assessments were done and to make sure that it was safe to do so with minimal environmental impact. He also wanted to make sure we got the approval of the Aboriginals in the north and use northerners to build the pipeline.***) On the north, I would expand the national parks and the marine protection areas. With this, I would give decent jobs to the Canadians around there and to the Aboriginal people. I would invest in the science of the north and invite all the scientists of the world to study the Canadian north, including the Danes, and I would be a very strong partner in the Arctic Council that Canada created, which is all the countries in the arctic, to have a international law that would be respected which is the best way to protect our sovereignty and our stewardship of the north.
(Me) The second question is, Canada’s health care has been steadily declining over the last few years, waiting times have been increased and hospitals have been closed due to lack of funding by the provinces. What steps would you take to bring back Canada’s health care system to the way it was?
(Stephane) Don’t think the way it was, was so rosy. In fact in some ways it has been improved. Many diseases that we were unable to cure at the time, now we know how to deal with them, so we need to be careful on our assessments about the situation of the health care system. There are a lot of troubles, wait times are one of them, it’s an international problem, not only for Canada. I know that for me, the key principal to protect, is the principal that we have in the Canada Health Act, the 5 conditions and you may sum it up in one condition. The size of the wallet has nothing to do with the access to the service. We need to protect this principal and if that means we say no to Premier Klein, I will say no. But, health care is a federal jurisdiction in many ways. Aboriginal health, health research, international agreements about heath disease and pandemics, you also have regulations to banish dangerous and polluting products and put them out of the market, promotion of healthy lifestyle, and investing in sports centers. All these issues are federal and these issues aren’t that well done today. I think the federal government should do a much better job in its own backyard and I will do so as Prime Minister.
(Me) Scientists around the world have been saying for years that humankind has been slowly destroying the world by polluting the worlds air, water and land. The Kyoto Accord did administer steps to reduce these pollutions and the current Conservative government is trying to dismantle the Kyoto accord and pull us out all together. If you were in power, would you keep the accord scrapped, reintroduce the accord, or go even farther beyond the limits that the accord stated to take a leadership role in the world?
(Stephane) If we are back in power in 2007, as a Prime Minster, I would still be able to provide a plan to reach our Kyoto commitment. If it is 2008, it will not be possible but I will not give up about the necessity to have greenhouse gas emitions going down and energy efficiency going up. I think it is good for the environment, for the prestige of Canada in the world, and for the strength of our economy in this new industrial revolution. The revolution of the sustainable economy. We need to be energy efficient. Energy is the next crisis of the economy, Kyoto is the incentive to do the right thing, right now instead of waiting and it is what I will do. If I cannot reach Kyoto, I will try. Always. For the environment, for the role of Canada in the world, and for the economy.
