Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.
I'd like to thank all the witnesses and the minister for being with us today so that we can take stock.
Mr. Minister, I have question that has lingered since the first wave. From the outset, experts determined that the chronic underfunding of health care networks over the past 30 years had weakened health care systems and our networks to the point where the pandemic would break the weakest links. That is what we have seen.
All along, we have been hearing from the Prime Minister that the issue of substantial recurrent funding, or health transfer payments, will be addressed after the pandemic. We are now in the fifth wave. Right now, the situation is so severe and the contagion is so extraordinary that doctors are being sent to give medicine or clean up patients.
You have invested from time to time, no one can argue with that. However, you know very well that the provinces and Quebec need predictability to fix this fragile system and that we need to make the system more robust. All public health decisions have an impact on our lives, including treatment delays and being unable to treat a cancer patient because the system is stretched too thin. But here we are in the fifth wave and the pandemic has been going on for two years.
What is keeping you from making structured investments that will allow Quebec and the provinces to plan ahead and invest?
In Quebec, we're talking about $28 billion. When I look at $340 billion and $28 billion, I don't understand why the government insists on not settling this immediately. Quebec could use this additional $6 billion to rebuild its network.
What are you waiting for? Is it going to take a sixth or seventh wave for you to address health transfers and pay your fair share to enable substantial recurrent funding for health care systems?