Mr. Speaker, I thank my hon. colleague for the question. This is exactly why we wanted to open this question up at committee.
We wanted to get the minister in to ask him these hard questions. We wanted to ask why there is this narrow window of 1986 to 1990 when Justice Krever and other authorities on the subject have told us that hepatitis C was in the blood system prior to 1986. In 1981 Dr. William Moore of the Red Cross laboratories told his own officials that he was concerned about hepatitis being in the blood supply. He said “Here is a test that has been used in other countries. Use it”. They denied him that. It was not used.
The government cannot get away from the fact that the Minister of Health is the custodian of the country's health care system. He is the top regulator. The minister has to take responsibility for it. Health ministers in those days could have taken responsibility for it, put a stop to it and we would not have this tragedy today. That is where the liability lies. They are not accepting it.