Health committee  I made a passing reference to the Court Challenges Program because I was asked what our organization intended to do. Community groups like mine do not have the resources to undertake court challenges. In the past, the program allowed groups to take their fight to court, but it has since been abolished.

Health committee  Everyone is looking for solutions. To my way of thinking, this is a practical solution and the few people I've spoken to were in favour of the idea. We now have access to technology that was not around when the tainted blood problems occurred. It would have been difficult back then to set up a national computerized registry.

Health committee  Right now, I have to tell you that personally, I have not considered a legal challenge, particularly since the Court Challenges Program has been abolished. No longer can we opt for this legal course of action. What we can do, however, is fight to have this decision changed. On the one hand, we have the law, and on the other hand, we have common sense.

Health committee  I am not a scientist, but I do believe Health Canada knows what type of behaviour is considered risky. AIDS awareness groups already know about risky behaviours as well. It wouldn't require any extensive research. We know how this virus is transmitted. Therefore, we must focus on transmission methods and draw up a questionnaire.

Health committee  We continue to come back to the same point. I believe that we can justify excluding some people based on the level of risk. However, do we need to target a particular group of people, or persons of a certain sexual orientation, or should the focus be on behaviours? I see no problem with listing in the Annex behaviours that are deemed risky, with stating that if a person has engaged in a certain type of behaviour for a certain number of years...However, I cannot accept the regulations as they now stand.

Health committee  Health Canada has a duty to all Canadians. If measures are taken to deprive recipients...We know that there is a shortage of organs. Any policy must therefore take into account the overall situation. I understand that the current policy is based on concerns for safety. We are all aware of past problems with blood donations.

Health committee  I believe the focus must be on people's behaviour, not their sexual orientation. The same regulatory framework must apply to both homosexuals and heterosexuals. Risky behaviour is not a function of sexual orientation. That is what we need to focus on.

Health committee  The first question pertains to the registry, which would need to be renewed every year. People would have to re-register, since a person's behaviour is subject to change. Therefore, I would make it a requirement that people would have to re-register every year. People could do this at the same time that they file their taxes.

Health committee  On the contrary. if I wanted to be a donor, instead of having to sign the donor portion of my health card—I might not have the card with me when I'm brought to the hospital—I would voluntarily go and have my name added to the registry. This way, instead of asking me if I am a homosexual, I would be asked if I have engaged any risky sexual behaviour.

Health committee  Madam Chair, members of the committee, good day and thank you for this opportunity to speak to this question. I want to start by briefly describing to you the organizations that I represent. I am the President of Gai Écoute, an organization that provides support to homosexuals.