Thank you.
I want to speak to the amendment as well as the motion itself. I do believe that this should be prioritized, although I do not support the amendment.
I'm thinking of Dr. Ellis who in question period today referred quite passionately and eloquently, I will say, to the burden on health care that the pandemic has exacerbated and to Canada's exhausted workforce. I'm confident that we have support in the room for a national conversation on Canada's health care workforce and what federal levers and mechanisms can be used to pave the way for the recruitment of health care workers and reform the way we think and deliver health care.
As we know, this is well supported by the Canadian public, by the Canadian Medical Association, Canadian Nurses Association, Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists, Canadian Pharmacists Association and many other health care associations and agencies.
I do think it speaks to the urgency of addressing this, particularly as our mechanisms to get through whatever else we're thrown at with the pandemic that.... We need a robust health care workforce. If we're considering de-escalating public health restrictions and mandates, we need a strong health care workforce to be able to rely on this.
I know that health care workers themselves are watching us. I know, to Monsieur Berthold's point, that Canada is watching us. They have a lot of expectations for this committee. I think that, among the many valuable motions that have been put forward, this is the one that we need to look at most urgently.
Thank you.