Thank you, Mr. Minister, for taking the time to come out today.
I have to say, Minister, that your colleagues, and I believe all Canadians, are quite impressed with the way you're handling the health file and the fact that your approach seems to be one of consultation and action.
I'd like to touch on the hepatitis C issue. Ever since the people outside the window were denied compensation by the previous government, the Conservative Party has led the charge, first with Dr. Grant Hill, when he was senior health critic, and then Rob Merrifield. I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to pursue the issue of hepatitis C compensation. Of course, you're very involved in that, as someone who will follow through on that commitment.
I wonder if you could comment on the process...our government compared with the previous government. I realize that when we were in opposition we talked about immediate compensation, and I know that term can be interpreted as a relative term. I think we're proceeding equivalent to an “Ottawa nanosecond” compared to the way the previous government dealt with the issue.
So I wonder if you could contrast the way our government is handling an issue such as hepatitis C, and comment on really the tragedy of this dark chapter in Canadian history, and how our government will deal with this specific issue and any other future issues that arise that may be similar.