Mr. Speaker, what the hon. member should not forget is that the decision the government announced was the collective view of all the health ministers of all political colours. That fact cannot be escaped from.
From 1986 to 1990 it is my understanding that at the time, the position taken by all the provinces including those headed by Tory premiers was that throughout the compensation negotiations, compensation should be open only to victims who became infected through government inaction.
While the hon. member will be pleased to see progress, I should remind him that the member for Winnipeg North—St. Paul took up this issue as early as in 1990. At the time the Tory government did not move on the issue, although I must compliment it on the HIV compensation, which I also presented to the then Minister of Health in the Tory government.
We have to recognize that the current Minister of Health was the first to advance the idea of compensation for patients with hepatitis C from the system. He has succeeded certainly to a great extent. Certainly we have to address those people who have taken ill with hepatitis C even before 1986.
The ministers of health from across the country will be meeting. Let us give them an opportunity to discuss the new plan. Hopefully it will address the very issues we all would like to have addressed, that is, to show that we look after those victims in a compassionate fashion.