Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 52 of the House of Commons, I am asking this house to hold an emergency debate on government compensation for victims of hepatitis C who were infected by blood transfusion in Canada before 1986 and after 1990.
The government has always refused to allow parliamentarians to discuss this issue. Worse still, the Minister of Health has refused to meet representatives of hepatitis C victims, in spite of repeated requests to that effect.
Yet, the Krever commission clearly established that it is in the interest of all Canadians and Quebecers that the blood supply and distribution systems be as transparent as possible.
Members will agree that this need for transparency requires the federal parliament, which is responsible for regulating blood and its constituents, to deal with all relevant issues. In that regard, there can be no doubt that responsibility for compensating hepatitis C victims who were infected before 1986 and after 1990 rests squarely with the government.
The Krever commission also asked the government to set up a no fault compensation plan. I attach a copy of that recommendation to the letter I sent to you.
For all these reasons, I believe it is imperative that we parliamentarians be allowed to debate this critical public health issue.