Thank you.
Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen.
I would like to point out certain problems related to the division of powers between the federal government and provincial governments. I will begin with the Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions.
Ms. Worsfold, in your first recommendation, you call on the government to “establish a basis for federal leadership in the creation of a national universal pharmacare plan”. Such a system has been in place in Quebec for a few years, and it works very well. Also, at the beginning of your presentation, you said that Quebec's nurses unions are not part of your association.
I was wondering if you are at least familiar with Quebec's system and if that is the model you would like to implement across the country. You said you represent 138,000 nurses in all provinces. You are hearing the same story from across the country. Have the nurses asked for the creation of a pharmacare program in their respective provinces? Although health care is a matter of provincial jurisdiction, are you asking the federal government to impose such a system on these unwilling provinces because the nurses asked them and they refused? You are proposing that the federal government interfere in an area that does not fall under its jurisdictions.
I wonder what your thoughts are on that.