Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from the health committee for the question, and the New Democrats for their support for this bill. It is much appreciated and an example of how we can work collaboratively in this House.
New technology is critically important to the health care system. That testimony was invaluable. There are technologies out there that can 100% detect breast cancer. If women have dense breasts, in many cases, mammography is not accurate, but we know that an ultrasound or an MRI can accurately show if there is breast cancer. However, we did hear testimony about technology beyond ultrasound or MRI. That is the exciting thing about health care. As much as the system is challenged in many ways, technological advancements are a great way to deal with these challenges. I am happy to see our health committee studying technology in health care, because it opens the door for advancements in health services.
This bill does not deal directly with new technology, but by sharing best practices, it opens the door for that conversation. Obviously, we cannot have verbal recommendations saying “Spend money on this” in a private member's bill. However, that collaborative approach with the provinces and that best practices format, if there is a technology that is utilized in Newfoundland, perhaps will allow the provinces to rapidly work together to have these new technologies adopted in every health care system.
That is one of the measures that the bill focuses on, that collaborative approach among the provinces, territories and the federal government to ensure the best possible health care delivery throughout Canada.