Thanks very much, Chair.
In spite of what Mr. Julian wants, there is a significant lack of definitions inside this bill, which to me is perplexing. It's perplexing because one of the things Canadians do not understand is how medications are approved in this country, how they are purchased and how those decisions come to be.
Again, I'm sure even Mr. Julian could sit down at a moment's reading and read the four-page pamphlet. It's not that difficult to do in a single reading. It's not rife with details. In spite of the fact that the costly coalition would like us to simply pass this bill through, our job under the Westminster style of government is to provide a robust opposition to the things proposed and the willing and wasteful spending by the costly coalition.
What I'm trying to do on behalf of Canadians—unlike what Mr. Julian is wont to do, which is to allow this pharmacare pamphlet to pass without scrutiny—is to understand, on behalf of Canadians, the system that exists now. Again, I would suggest that I probably know as much as there is to know about the purchasing system in Canada and the manufacture of medications and the prescribing thereof, etc., so I would suggest that this bill is not being truthful.
Again, there is a bit of humour in there when I ask you about the Caramilk secret and the theory of relativity. I don't mean to be disparaging. We do need to have a bit of fun here. That being said, on behalf of Canadians, what we're trying to do is to understand clearly what this bill is proposing. I'm still not convinced that we are there.
Again, as I said, I don't have a problem comprehending the system that exists. I would say that I'm having a problem comprehending your answer. That's not because it's in a foreign language; it's not. It's in one that I can understand. I'm sure that if I were listening in the other official language, it would be translated appropriately. That being said, again, I'm not trying to be disparaging, but on behalf of Canadians, there appears to be an element of bureaucratic-speak that is really not clear.
I will take you a bit to task on that to say that I'm imploring you, on behalf of Canadians, to be clear. I know that you don't like yes-or-no answers, but I'd really like you to attempt to answer them.
The pan-Canadian Pharmaceutical Alliance—yes or no—is a bulk purchasing strategy that currently exists in which the public plans of Canada's territories and provinces, and perhaps a few other partners, participate at the current time. Is that true, sir?