Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you to all of you for being here today. I had my questions framed for the minister so I'll try to reframe them appropriately for you, given your roles in all of this.
I had asked about CETA and the potential for adding about $1 billion to the cost of pharmaceuticals and the challenges that creates for Canadian citizens accessing health care in this country.
We've heard testimony at this committee about the cost of pharmaceuticals in Canada. They are about 30% above the average cost in industrialized countries, and they're even higher in Quebec, about 40% higher. We've also heard testimony about the potential cost savings of having a national pharmaceutical strategy in the order of $10 billion a year. We've heard as well about best practices around the world. New Zealand is getting 50% in savings in the cost of their pharmaceuticals through plain and simple negotiations with pharmaceutical companies.
I heard the minister say on the issue of the cost of pharmaceuticals and that detecting fraud is reaping potentially millions of dollars in savings. The order of magnitude that we really need to consider in this country at this point in time is in the billions. I'm wondering if there is a policy justification for not taking major steps to reduce the cost of pharmaceuticals in this country, by setting aside, for the moment, the CETA issue and the potential impact there.