Colleagues, I come at a time when we're seeing fantastic things happening in our health care system. Just this week, I started Monday with Everett Hindley in Saskatchewan, announcing our shared commitment to work together on health care with a health agreement that covered aging with dignity and our working together plan, tackling the challenges and crises we have in primary care by setting aside partisan differences, focusing on what we have in common and, frankly, getting things done for Canadians.
Ten bilateral agreements have already been announced across the country. There are actually many more because some of them are under aging with dignity and some of them are through working together, but in totality there will be 26 agreements.
Next week I'm going to have the opportunity—you've heard about the agreement in principle with Quebec—to finalize that. That's part of our $200-billion commitment to the Canadian health care system, to make sure that, while we already have one of the best health care systems—and we just saw something in fact a couple of weeks ago saying that we're the number two health care system in the world—we have the opportunity to be head and shoulders the best health care system in the world.
It's not enough to tackle the crisis of the now, however, whether it's aging with dignity or dealing with workforce issues. We're also looking at preventative care and going upstream. Over 1.5 million seniors have signed on for the Canadian dental care plan, so we're superexcited to see such an incredible rate of participation. I can say that, as I go across the country and meet with hygenists, dentists and denturists, it's phenomenal to see so many signing up, getting ready to serve people who, in many instances, have never seen an oral health professional. Of course, how can we have the best health care system in the world if 25% of our population doesn't have access to oral health? We continue to move forward on dental care.
I'm also exceptionally pleased—and I see Don Davies on the screen—to have worked very closely with Don. There were a lot of difficult negotiations.
I want to thank all parliamentary colleagues, Sonia particularly on the diabetes side.
We were able to announce the first steps towards a national pharmacare plan, and we're starting with universal contraception and diabetes drugs. I just want to talk for a minute about how significant that is.
On universal contraception, this means that no woman anywhere in the country will have to worry about whether or not she has access to the reproductive medicine she needs to have autonomy over her own body. It means that wherever somebody is, they are in control of their body, their sexuality and their reproductive future.
That's not only important as a matter of direct application. It's essential to broadcast as a message about sexual health in this country. Sexual health is health. We need to be able to have conversations about sexual health in the same way we have conversations about any other aspect of health. I hope it starts a conversation around sexual shame and what we need to do to ensure that people are able to freely be themselves in this country.
On diabetes medication, it's going to mean...and I could give you an example of an Ottawa clinic, going in and speaking to a nurse in a diabetes clinic who says they watch patients reuse syringes. They watch patients who can't afford their medicine, which means they wind up in a situation where they have an amputation. That shouldn't be happening in this country.
I am so deeply proud that we were able to work in a cross-partisan way to do something that will so significantly impact the lives of so many. It is in that cross-partisan spirit that I hope we meet here today to have important deliberations on how we can serve Canadians and their health.
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
