Madam Speaker, I rise today on behalf of the constituents of Okanagan—Coquihalla to participate in this opposition motion to see that all victims who received tainted blood receive compensation as the Krever commission indicated was appropriate.
I am very discouraged by what I am hearing from the government side today, in particular from the parliamentary secretary who has been sent here to do a task, which I understand completely. But the task has been sent to do is to say that all victims do not and should not receive fair and adequate compensation because of the tainted blood they received through no fault of their own. I think this position is not a position that is held certainly on this side of the House and certainly by a majority of Canadians.
In January an Angus Reid poll concluded that 87% of Canadians agree that all victims of hepatitis C who received their blood through blood transfusions through no fault of their own should be compensated. This is not the position the Government of Canada has taken though. It has decided to take a very legal position, a position that could be argued is an accounting position. It certainly has not looked at the moral obligation of a government when it comes to compensation for these victims.
I heard the parliamentary secretary speak about the future of the blood system. Those are all good things. All Canadians hope that now the new system will be a better system and a good system so that we do not have to worry about that system. I thank the parliamentary secretary for talking about the future of a blood system.
What I would like to talk about today is the future of people. In particular I would like to talk about the future of a young person in my riding who is 13 years old. His name is Chase Makarenko. Chase is an interesting young fellow. At two and a half years of age it was discovered that young Chase had leukemia. He required extensive chemotherapy and many medical procedures. In 1987 his family was advised that he would need a blood transfusion. Note the date, 1987.
That leaves young Chase out of the compensation package. I would like the government to explain to Chase and his family why they are not included in this compensation package. It was not Chase's fault. It was not the family's fault. It was a system that was regulated and controlled by the Governments of Canada that tainted the blood he received. Now Chase has an uncertain future.
Those are the futures we are talking about today, like young Chase who is 13. What does it mean at age 13 to find out that you have hepatitis C? Has anybody every considered the fact that you cannot a mortgage anymore? You cannot get a loan. You cannot go to the bank and go into business like other Canadians who do not have hepatitis C. Has any body considered that? Has the government considered that? I do not think so. If it has it has disregarded it. It has chosen to take a very firm position on this legal point and a date. It wants to draw a line in the sand.
I sat in this House and heard the Minister of Health say, before they announced the compensation package, that he did not want to see the victims of hepatitis C, of tainted blood, to spend their lives in court wrangling, going before judges and pleading their case. Now we are hearing that young Chase Makarenko, a 13 year old who received poisoned blood through not fault of his own, to get compensation will have to spend time in court. I do not understand that. I would like the government to explain that to me. I have been sent here by the people of my riding to get answers from this government and to ask questions.
I met with the hepatitis C victims of Okanagan—Coquihalla last week. I have a lot of questions. I have a lot of heart wrenching stories. The Minister of Health does not want to meet with those victims. The Minister of Health does not want to meet with young Chase Makarenko from Peachland, B.C. who finds himself in this unenviable position. It is a sad day for Canadians.
It is a very sad day when we can say to the producers of maple syrup that they deserve compensation because we had an ice storm. It was a tragic event and maybe they should receive compensation. I am not arguing that. We have seen so many things like the Red River flood. Do those people deserve compensation? Yes. But does 13 year old Chase Makarenko of Peachland not deserve compensation? I would argue and debate with anyone who wants to debate it with me that he does. So do the other victims who received poisoned blood. It was not their fault.
I urge all members to think about Chase and the other victims who unfortunately do not fall into the compensation package outlined by this government.
In conclusion I would like to read the letter I received from Mrs. Makarenko: “I ask you, would you like to step in his shoes or try to walk for the next 13 years with him? I would rather doubt it. You would not be able to understand or handle the pain, the suffering, the questions, the uncertainty, the medical procedures, the discrimination and the costs. I believe each and every one of you would pass on this gift of life”.
Then she does the most amazing thing. She thanks the parliamentarians and the government for the time we took to read her letter. She says it is greatly appreciated. She ends with thank you and a signature.
I hope we can have some compassion in this House and say the decision was wrong and unfair and Chase will be able to live as normal a life as he can.
Therefore I urge this House, whenever the vote comes up, to please support Chase and the other victims of hepatitis C.