We have to realize that the previous budget dealt with the 10-year health care plan, which we saw was $41 billion. I was there downtown looking at the hard negotiation between the premiers and the Prime Minister until 1 a.m. It was really hard and rewarding for health care advocates, especially as it was looking 10 years down the road.
This budget looked at wait time guarantees, but didn't put any direct money to the guarantees. I always use the anecdote that it's like the guarantee on my car--if I don't have a mechanic to work on my car, the guarantee's not worth the piece of paper it's written on. We need to work with this government on this.
The federal government needs to be a leader in research, regardless of whether it's on wait time. It has to be a leader in research in regard to pharmaceuticals. In regard to transport--our four panellists here are thinking they'll never go with health care or child care again--we have to be leaders there, as well as on foreign credentials, at which this government is looking a lot, but also on child care options, and I think that's what this organization is doing.
The federal government--Minister Finley--just approved a smart project for Cape Breton and Regina---Qu'Appelle to try to match continuing education and a retention of health care workers, especially nurses. That's building on research, building on innovation, and I think that's the role of this great federal government.