Mr. Speaker, I welcome this opportunity to speak today in the debate on Bill C-95, an act to establish the Department of Health and to amend and repeal certain acts.
I feel particularly concerned by this bill since in my riding, 50 per cent of the population lives below the poverty line and the quality of health care is extremely important. Although the government claims it is only a technical bill, its purpose merely to change the name of the Department of Health, that is not the case.
Since 1919, we have seen the same situation time and time again. Once more, the federal government has shown its desire to invade provincial jurisdictions, as we will show later on.
I must firmly condemn the latest in a series of hijackings by the federal government. It hijacked the jurisdiction of the provinces over health care. It started many years ago in 1945, and it is about to finish the job.
Particularly revealing in this respect is the well known national forum on health. This forum, announced during the election campaign in the fall of 1993, was established a year later. Its mandate was very clear: to develop a vision of the future of Canada's health care system, foster discussion with Canadians on their health care system, identify priorities for the future and achieve a broader consensus on the changes that are required.
We know that the provinces, which according to the constitution have jurisdiction over health care, are not involved in the forum.
What this means? The answer is simple. Instead of showing some willingness to respect the jurisdictions of the provinces, the government has simply gone over their heads without consulting
them. The membership of the forum is a case in point, and I quote the Minister of Health: "The forum now has 22 members with a vast experience in health care, either as professionals, volunteers or consumers, and it will be a pleasure to join them in the months to come to work on a wide range of issues".
As you can see, the federal government did not bother to appoint representatives for the provincial governments. Consumers, professionals and volunteers come under the exclusive jurisdiction of the provinces. If any doubts remain as to the determination of this government to get the provinces out of this area, let me eliminate them immediately by quoting what was said by the parliamentary secretary to the Minister of Health at the twelfth international convention of the International Society for Quality in Health Care last May. She said, speaking on behalf of the government: "Canada has already taken many steps to achieve its goal: renewal of the health care system. We are reinforcing the community aspect of health care, improving the role of consumers in this respect and looking for a more integrated approach to health which goes beyond care as such". She went on to say: "We want to improve the effectiveness and quality of health care, and one of our common priorities is to promote the use of guidelines for clinical practice. We want health care to focus on the practices that are most effective for various high-risk groups".
These are fighting words for the provinces. Since when has the community aspect of health care or the role of consumers and health care been a federal responsibility? Are these not the exclusive responsibility of the provincial governments?
Why did the federal government, as it paid lip service to eliminating duplication and overlap, set up the national forum on health? I wonder. The answer is clear: this government is caught up in its desire for centralization and its obsession with encroachment. It never intended to withdraw from the areas of provincial jurisdiction it has invaded with impunity since 1919.
It is too bad that public opinion and the opinion of governments, including that of Quebec, are not important at all to this government. If only this duplication could be an asset, but unfortunately, that is not the case, as we shall see.
Let us look at the repercussions of this obnoxious policy on provincial governments. In Quebec, the provincial government has for a number of years considered the changes that will be necessary to deal with budgetary constraints and at the same time improve health care services to the public.
Through broad public consultations, Quebecers had a chance to express their needs and expectations and help identify priorities and implementation mechanisms. The Quebec government's action plan is ready and is now being implemented. Is there any justification for the expense of the new consultations carried out by the forum? Would it not have been better to respect the autonomy and jurisdiction of the Government of Quebec and transfer all moneys concerned directly to it for the benefit of Quebecers?
I am sure this option never crossed the mind of the federal Liberals. Now it cannot be done, because the federal Minister of Health announced in March her firm intention to direct all health policy matters.
As they were thus assuming their so-called leadership, they cut transfers to the provinces, thus depriving those who provide the services of the funds they need to set up their own policies. In fact, provincial governments, not only Quebec, will have to slash health spending. In addition to their own budget constraints, they will have to deal with cuts in federal funding.
Once again it will be women who feel the effect. A report on women's health prepared by the International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics revealed a year ago that women were sick or incapacitated longer than men. Moreover, as their life expectancy is longer than men's, it is primarily they who will be deprived of necessary health care because of the expenses arising from duplication in health matters and cuts in federal spending.
For Quebec, these cuts represent more than $8 billion over 10 years. The provinces were not consulted, although they have to incorporate them and suffer the wrath of their citizens. We have to bear the unbearable.
Allow me to conclude with a quote from an article that appeared in La Presse on March 4, 1995, which aptly summarizes the situation. It said that, together with the provinces, Ottawa would have to establish a list of essential services that would continue to be covered by the health insurance plan. It felt that this was the way Ottawa intended to allow the provinces to deal with increased health costs in a context of reduced federal transfers. In the end, according to the article, the bill for services not considered essential would have to be paid by taxpayers.
The aim of Bill C-95 is to enshrine government control over health. We have no intention of supporting this greed, which will mean Quebecers and Canadians alike will suffer.