Mr. Speaker, I have a comment and then a question. My first comment has to do with the issue of poverty. The member has raised poverty in this speech and other speeches. I congratulate her for it. It is an important issue. Also she correctly pointed out that it was a complex problem for which there is no simple solution.
She dealt with issues such as mental health, physical disabilities and alcohol and drug abuse addictions. She also mentioned that family breakdown was the single largest contributor to not just child poverty but family poverty in Canada.
My question has to do with health because it was a health budget and the member dealt with that. In view of the fact that pursuant to the Canada Health Act transfers from the federal government are directed specifically to hospitals and doctors and the delivery of services and ancillary areas are clearly and constitutionally the responsibility of the provinces, does she believe that the federal government, notwithstanding the social union accord developed with the agreement of all provinces except Quebec, should have unilaterally proceeded with something to do with pharmacare and home care and ignored provincial jurisdiction?