I would simply add that in my experience, we do have systems in place that theoretically could work. But what I've experienced is that the culture, which seems endemic to many of our social service bureaucracies, is one of, how can we save money, how can we prevent you from getting the money that you're supposed to be able to access in case of need, and so forth?
We hear that people are opposed to this culture of entitlement. I agree with that; I am opposed to a culture of entitlement. I'm think I'm entitled to things as a citizen, but in the way in which that concept is used, I agree with it. However, there is a countervailing culture, which we deal with every day in all of these bureaucracies, that is a culture of denial, a culture of suspicion, and a culture that suggests you're hiding something—that you're not being honest, that you're not being up-front, and that you're trying to get something that's not rightfully yours. That's my own personal experience in encountering the systems in the past three or four years, post-accident. Of course, I have many other years of listening to this kind of comment from other citizens.
I think on paper, in theory, in our Canadian law we do have what most of the world thinks is the leading system, and in theory I agree with that. But there is something that has gone terribly wrong in the implementation and in the bureaucracies that have grown up around these systems. I think that's something that really needs inquiry.
I also think, as Marie indicated, that perhaps the whole issue of transfer of payments from federal to provincial needs to be much more stringent, in terms of conditionality. I know provinces, and particularly la belle province, want independence, and I agree with that. I think we should have the ultimate in independence, in tailoring the programs to the specificity of our province, our region, and our nation.
We haven't even mentioned aboriginal issues and disability here today, which one doesn't even dare breathe, it's so bad.
While I agree with that in principle, I think when we're transferring moneys for social programs, we must insist that the Canadian Charter of Rights, the human rights codes, and the conventions we've signed with the United Nations be upheld. In that sense, the federal government has an absolutely indispensable role to play.