Mr. Minister, I would like to welcome you and the various representatives of the institutions that report to you.
Today I wanted to ask you questions of an administrative nature, but also of a political nature, with regard to the tainted blood file. A number of people are looking to you and hoping to hear answers that are encouraging for them. They've been waiting for those answers for a number of years now. The Liberal Party said this would ruin the government, but, in fact, that won't happen, since agreements were reached in favour of the contaminated blood victims between 1986 and 1990.
We're currently in negotiations, and a memorandum of understanding is being analyzed. You attended a meeting not very long ago. I believe that was on May 13.
Can you tell us when the tainted blood victims will be compensated? Would it be possible for there to be an interim agreement, since, in any case, the compensation amounts will be between $10,000 and $240,000, depending on the severity of the case? Are you going to take quick action? When are you going to act? I'd also like to hear what you have to say about the interim agreement.