Madam Speaker, I am very pleased to have the opportunity today to rise in this debate. I think there are some very important facts that Canadians watching this debate should remember.
It was a Liberal government that originally brought in medicare in Canada. It was a Liberal government in 1984 that brought in the Canada Health Act under the leadership of Monique Bégin. That act was passed in the House in a rare vote of unanimity. All members supported that important and incredible act.
In 1993 it was this Liberal government that inherited a $42 billion deficit and a growing debt that was threatening the fiscal health and the economic prosperity of the country.
If it had not been for the prudent fiscal management and the important commitment to the health of Canadians, we would not be in the position today to be debating what we will be doing with the surpluses being generated because of that prudent and important fiscal management.
This Liberal government has seen the elimination of the deficit and a balanced budget emerge. We also know that as prudent and responsible fiscal managers, we cannot ever again put on blinders and not look at what is happening around the world and not ensure our policies are right for today and for tomorrow.
Ensuring the fiscal stability of our country through prudent economic policy must remain a priority, particularly in these times as we see crises around the world, sometimes referred to as the Asian flu, the desperate situation in Russia and the concerns in Latin America and South America.
I want to make it absolutely clear from my perspective that health and health care and sustaining medicare, which all Canadians cherish, are priorities of the government. The reason I gave that very short history lesson is that people on this side of the House are not newcomers to that position. We have been staunch supporters of Canadian medicare. In 1993 the Prime Minister, during very difficult economic and fiscal situations, that very difficult and challenging time, established the national forum. The first recommendation of the forum was that the floor for transfers to the provinces under the CHST be established at $12.5 billion. That is exactly what the government did. We listened to the national forum, we took its advice and we raised the floor, adding $1.5 billion to the transfers to the provinces.
Many people watching this debate may not understand how this works or what the federal role is, so I would like to take a minute to explain it. Medicare is a partnership and the federal government has a role not only in helping to fund it but to leave the debate in ensuring that medicare is strong and secure and accountable to the people of this country.
The health and social transfers in 1998-99 will amount to $26 billion to the provinces and territories in support of health care, post-secondary education, social assistance and social service programs. This block funding gives the provinces flexibility. However, what is often overlooked in the House is that the CHST is a combination of dollars, $12.5 billion, and tax points, which too often people overlook in their calculation of the federal contribution to medicare.
We know that as it stands today, the Canada health and social transfer, with a floor of $12.5 billion, will increase by some $7 billion additional to the provinces until 2002-03.
We all know that as a result of the important decisions taken by the government and the decisions taken by provinces across the country there is a need for further investment in health care, in medicare and in the health of Canadians.
The Minister of Health said it best in a speech in Whitehorse: “The complex problems that confront health care in Canada will not be solved by dollars alone. The point is not simply to spend more but to spend more in a way that will produce better results”.
That is why as we look to the future, as we ensure money is invested in the health care and the health of Canadians, we have a responsibility to work with the provinces to make sure there is greater accountability and greater transparency in the use of those dollars. I speak now from an understanding to focus the services we deliver at the provincial level on patient needs and that we take care of people through that whole continuum of care so they do not fall through the cracks as too often happens today.
Simply throwing money, as suggested today by the motion, is not the right approach. The right approach in my view is for the federal government, through discussions with the provinces, to talk about the need for greater integration and greater accountability, accountability in the way of report cards to Canadians, letting people know how this non-system of ours really works or does not work in some cases.
Simply throwing money at it is not going to fix it. As the minister said, we have to make sure that the dollars we invest give us the results we seek. We all know it is important that future investments restore the confidence Canadians have always had in our medicare.
I saw an article in the newspaper just this week that said that U.S. doctors, nurses and health care providers are at the Canadian embassy and are rallying around Canadian medicare. Their message to Canadians is very clear and that is not to be so quick to trash what we have. They say to look south of the border where there are 43 million people with no access to care and over 100 million people with inadequate coverage. They are spending 40% more than Canadians. They are spending almost 14% of their gross domestic product.
If ever there was a lesson to learn, it is to make sure that we invest properly and do not listen to the Reform Party which would take us down the road to the American style of medicare where people pay and do not have the coverage for the services they need. We know that is the Reform policy. That is not the policy of this government.
I know that the people of Thornhill, the people of this country believe that the federal government has an important role in ensuring that medicare is there for future generations. They also know that this has to be done in a thoughtful way, not to simply throw money into the air outside of the budgetary process because we think things are looking good, or to throw away any fiscal prudence and respond to the political whims and desires of members in the House who change their tune on a moment's notice.
We stand steadfast behind medicare. We always will. We will ensure it is there for Canadians.