Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak to Bill C-18, which would formalize the reorganization of the Department of Health.
As Reform's deputy health critic I will speak in support of the bill but before I do I would mention that the bill in our minds is simply just another shuffling of bureaucrats. It is taking up the expense and time not only of Parliament but more important, taxpayers' dollars, as signs are shifted on doors and offices are relocated. This is another example of phantom legislation the government will say is actually doing something, rather than making substantive changes for Canadians.
Of course, every member of the House would admit that health care and our health system is of very real importance to all Canadians. Health Canada is under the scrutiny of Canadians. A
very real concern to Canadians is the sustainability of our health care system.
The federal role in the health care system is very real. A part of that role is federal funding to the provinces. I would say that the government has failed Canadians in that role. Canadians are feeling the effects of the cutbacks from this place. For instance in Manitoba, health care workers are on the streets protesting changes which have been deemed necessary and are a direct result of decreasing and unpredictable federal funding. This place has offloaded its debt to the people who will be hurt the most.
The current health system is not working and it will continue to worsen. The government refuses to recognize this fact. It refuses to hear about it.
The Reform Party wants to assure Canadians that they will have a sustainable health care system. All Canadians should have access to health care services regardless of their ability to pay. We in the Reform Party care about the system and we are prepared to work with Canadians to find ways to make the system better.
I have a broad concern that surrounds the bill and the functioning of our government. Fundamental to our system of government is the principle of ministerial accountability and responsibility. Not only is the recognition of this principle vital, the practice of it is crucial to another principle, that of good government which our system is intended to provide for the betterment of all Canadians.
Even though the bill is housekeeping legislation, Reformers support it because it has been amended to take this principle into account. At report stage we supported an amendment which instilled this principle in the bill. It was not contained in the previous version which the government drafted and presented to the House for its consideration.
There is a litany of examples demonstrating the need for the principle and practice of ministerial accountability and responsibility which are specifically related to Health Canada and the health of Canadians. I will mention a few.
Recently we heard of the mismanagement within the health protection branch of Health Canada. The mismanagement of our national blood system by the bureau of biologics has led to a tainted and compromised blood supply which has infected thousands of Canadians with HIV and hepatitis C. An issue related to this is that of the Krever inquiry which is examining the failure of the management and oversight of our national blood supply system.
Last week in a statement to the House I criticized the government and the health minister for failing to uphold his ministerial responsibilities. It was revealed that the federal government is paying the legal bills of two former ministers involved in this tragedy while giving very minimal legal support to victims and their families who are trying to pursue the truth in the courts on this matter.
What has been the response of the government and the health minister? He has joined a chorus of those who are legally challenging the legitimacy of this inquiry. Instead he should be safeguarding the mandate of the inquiry and facilitating a full report on all matters relating to this most important issue. By doing so he could actually fulfil his responsibilities to the crown, the House and most important, the Canadian people. He has chosen to do otherwise.
A third and final example of where the practice of ministerial responsibility is required is related to the fiscal management of the department and the allocation of our increasingly scarce health care dollars.
Since I was appointed Reform's deputy health critic, one observation I have made is the imbalance and inequity in the department's and the government's health care spending priorities. This became clear to me when I was on the subcommittee on HIV and AIDS which studied the national AIDS strategy. I discovered an imbalance in federal funding for diseases in relation to the incidence of various diseases and the toll they inflict on our society.
For instance, in 1994-95 the federal government spent $43.4 million on the national AIDS strategy while only spending $4 million on breast cancer research. Compare those funding levels with the incidence rates of these diseases and the deaths inflicted on society. Since 1980 there have been approximately 10,700 HIV cases with 7,400 deaths from AIDS in Canada, while in 1995 alone almost 18,000 families will have a loved one affected by breast cancer and a total of 5,400 dead.
I have received letters from across Canada on that very issue. The government must be held responsible for how it allocates health care dollars. The imbalance of those figures speaks volumes in this place and across Canada.
It is clear this government and the health minister must be held accountable for their decisions, the management of our health care system and the health care policies which have been their track record to this date. The principle of ministerial accountability and responsibility is so fundamental to our democratic system of government that we must all remain vigilant and uphold it. I intend to hold the government and the minister accountable for his ministerial responsibilities.