Mr. Speaker, the Government of Canada transfers a great deal of money to the provinces to provide extended health services for home care, residential care and nursing home care. Approximately $550 million goes to Ontario alone.
I must add that the Canada Health Act does not dictate how these dollars should be spent other than to say that they are for extended health care. We believe they are being spent in this manner.
The exercise of how the dollars are spent and how they organize extended health care is under provincial jurisdiction.
I would emphasize however that I believe they should seriously consider continuing private enterprise in terms of jobs in that sector as it is a cost effective manner of delivering the services within some non-profit agencies.