Mr. Speaker, the hon. member is a physician. He listened very carefully to my colleague in the Reform Party make a very eloquent and, I might say, one of the best speeches I have heard in the House. He
listened to his recital of the tragic case of Stephanie. The member must have had many patients who endured terrible pain and suffering because essential services were not available to them since the Canada Health Act rationed essential services.
The Minister of Health has often said in the House that we must provide Canadians with access, access, access to essential health care services and that we in the Reform Party were espousing ideas that would somehow limit that access. How is access served better when we have increasing costs, an aging population and increasing demand? When demand on our limited resources is actually increasing, how will we provide individuals with access to essential health care services?
We want to amend, not destroy, the Canada Health Act to enable private clinics to exist and to enable private services to be provided to Canadians. Only private moneys would be exchanged in the private clinics. Not a single dollar of taxpayers' money would be spent in the clinics. We would have a system that provides for greater access for all Canadians regardless of the care than what they have now.
How will our plan somehow destroy health care in the country when we will give better access to all Canadians regardless of their income?