Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Welcome, everyone, again.
I'll start at Pallium Canada, because it's timely that you're here this morning. I'm one of the three MPs who represent the city of Vaughan in York Region. In my riding we are going to be building a Hospice Vaughan and we had a gala on Saturday night that attracted about 1,100 people. I sat with a gentleman by the name of Dr. Maida, whom you may or may not know. He is a palliative care doctor.
We've had some really great announcements. Land has been set aside by the conservation authority. The Province of Ontario has stepped in and offered to provide 50% of the operating requirement, so that's about $1 million a year, but the kink is that you still have to raise that other 50%, which is another $1 million, and that's not a number to just sneeze at.
We're fully on board, and I am myself trying to support it. I do recognize the cost savings, and this is for a 10-bed or a 10-unit hospice centre and research excellence facility.
Unfortunately, this morning my system is not working, so I haven't been able to look at your brief—I'll have to deal with this IT in a bit—so I have to ask, what is your direct ask? That's because the question I am asked, as a federal MP, is, “Francesco, how and where can you help the Hospice Vaughan, because it saves money for hospitals and saves money for the health care system?” What would be the ask? It is very granular, and it is funded at the provincial level in my case.
Where would you see the role for the federal government in this situation? Could you answer briefly, please?