Governments have multiple responsibilities and they have to balance them. They are responsible to taxpayers--that's where the revenue comes from. They are responsible to patients for the health care system.
When I was here last, many of the members of the committee spoke about the need for innovative therapies--well, of course, but also those that are cost-effective. One has to recognize the role of the taxpayer in this, otherwise in due course we'd all be bankrupt as governments. There's no question about that.
So I think this is a balancing of interests--the interests of the taxpayers, the interests of the patients, and of course let us not forget the drug companies. Many drug companies have their own particular interests.
As to the priorities of the Quebec government and how it conducts its business, it would be very unfair of me to begin to comment on that.
I appreciate that people have said to blow it up, and from their perspective perhaps that's correct. But here we have 13 provinces and territories and a federal government that have come together in a unique relationship to build a process that we consider extremely promising--one that works and balances the interests of the patients and the taxpayers to provide innovative therapies that are cost-effective to the people of this great country.