Thank you.
In terms of your question, our government has stated time and time again that we would not cut transfers to provinces and the territories. That continues to provide support to the jurisdictions on health at 6%. It is up to each jurisdiction to deliver their health care. So under the Canada Health Act we've committed to do that.
In terms of the issue you raised around the negotiations, that is a separate process. It's a Canada-international agreement, but in terms of our government's commitment to provide support to jurisdictions, I think that's clear. We were dealing with the issue of the Liberal government cutting transfers to health and education. I was the finance minister for the north and health minister when that all transpired. Some of the things we're seeing right now in terms of health...when we cut funding to prevention, we're dealing with all the chronic diseases now, and we need to play a bit of catch-up. That's the work of provinces and territories around looking at prevention as a prescription, as opposed to dealing with drugs and treatment when you fall ill.
How can we shift some of the work we're doing so that it is more balanced, in that we look at prevention as a means to dealing with the challenges we face in the health care system today? We cannot continue to just focus on the “when you fall ill” system. Equally important to that, we need to look at a system to keep you from getting ill in the first place to mitigate the long-term impacts on a health care system.
The conversation we're having now across the country is very encouraging. The obesity initiative, the declaration from the UN, the conversations with provinces and territories who deliver health care are very encouraging. It's refreshing to hear the shift in some of the work we're doing to try to deal with the challenge that we will see in the health care system.