Madam Speaker, I am aware that this is a problem across the country. I believe it is not the fault of the transfer payment cuts which I think were very necessary in order to be able to reduce the interest payments and for us to continue to do good work.
I do think, though, that the federal government has an ability to track these kinds of outcomes and be able to set some standards that all provinces can then set as true accountability for their performance.
We do not really know the readmission rate of maternity patients. We do not really know the readmission rate of people being sent home from hospital too early. We need to know those statistics so that we know where to reinvest and how to set examples for excellent quality care.
What I am most concerned with is that we have to do everything in our power to restore the confidence of Canadians in our health care system, because otherwise we end up on the slippery slope to an American system. I will do everything in my power to prevent that.