To start out with, the Minister of Health was clear that there was $3 billion set aside in budget 2016 for home and palliative care. She made that comment at least five times in the House of Commons and certainly many times in the public sphere. While I didn't see a specific line item in the budget that talked about that, I don't know that it's off the table. I think the $5 billion that's being talked about is a combination of home care and some of the other services that the provinces are looking at. The negotiation of the health accord needs to have palliative care if that's the mechanism—which I believe it is—that the health minister favours.
I would say we need to see more action. Certainly if there is work going on, I'm not aware of what it is. That's part of the reason for my bringing the bill forward: to try to actually come with a plan and start moving down the path. You can't press a button and instantly have consistent access to palliative care everywhere in Canada, because it's a huge feat, but taking action and starting with that $3 billion would be great.