Chair, thank you very much.
Mr. Byrne is not here today. He is back home with a bit of an ear infection as well, so he may be calling all of you very soon to help him.
Gentlemen, thank you for being here today, but you're here because there is one succinct, compelling message that was given to us last week by Stephen Lewis, the same individual who in my view is responsible for forcing the issue and turning the government towards this regime to begin with, to try to help deal with the undeniable tragedy that is unfolding. That's something I think you all agree with. It's just how we approach it that seems to the problem, the stumbling block.
I have a real concern when I hear numbers of 300,000 children in any part of the world dying as a result of our inability to get necessary drugs to them. At the same time, I think most Canadians recognize the importance of ensuring that diseases of opportunity are contained, so that they don't spread elsewhere throughout the world. We know about those circumstances. I come from a city that knows all too well the devastation of SARS.
I'm asking this to all of you here. I hear what Jack has had to say and, Terry, what you have had to say. We have an example of a drug that is ready-made, available to be there, and as in 2001, an NGO community that tells me that where Canada can have an impact in 5% or 10% of the places that are currently affected, they can in fact provide the regime, can provide the opportunity for and the delivery of proper medicines. So I don't think that's at issue here. Certainly, in terms of impact even 1% would be better, if it even saves one life. I think we all agree with that.
The condemnation of this regime, of CAMR, comes as a result of its inability to actually help. There are examples of situations where, I'm sure, you provided medicines, and the Prime Minister has been there to launch the HPIC initiative. That's great.
I'm wondering, going forward, how credible it is for us to sit at this table and conjecture about what the problems are, when in fact today thousands of children are going to die in that part of the world very much as a result of our rhetoric here. I know you all have your vested interests; you have interests in doing what you're doing. I'm wondering why, in your view, we cannot go from a voluntary system to a compulsory system, allowing the country to make that decision, working with our good and well-intentioned NGOs?
I'll leave that open to you, Mr. Kay, and to you, Mr. McCool, if you don't mind, or Mr. Russell.