It exceeds their wildest dreams. Wake up. Look at the numbers. Call the universities. Call the doctors.
Members opposite should ask their own physicians face to face if they are doing something with $550 million additional moneys for health and they will tell them yes. Ask them if this is money well spent and they will tell them yes. And if they then ask them shall we cut more taxes, they will say no. Why? Because the money that we spend this way collectively brings us greater results. Greater results where? In meeting the priorities of all Canadians, all men, women and children of all ages from all provinces.
If we are going to meet the priorities of Canadians everywhere, not only do we do this, but we take a look at the information system. That is at the base of making evidence based decisions which will lead to better administrative systems in health, which will lead to better outcomes, which will lead to more research, which will lead to services that will produce the healthy society Canadians demand, need and want.
We are going to spend $328 million in that area, and the opposition asks “Why? It might infringe on somebody else's jurisdiction”. Wake up. The people in the other jurisdiction found out two weeks ago and said they wanted us to do this, they needed us to do this and in fact they demanded that we do it. Did we meet their demands? Of course we met their demands.
First nations everywhere have been at a disadvantage. All members on this side of the House recognize that. Some members on the other side are willing to admit that maybe a problem exists. But our cabinet reacted to reality and said yes there are problems, let us address them. How can we do it? We have already put a mechanism in place. Can we put the money there? Shall we find it? How much do we find? How much did the Prime Minister and cabinet find? What did the health minister look for? He looked for and saw $190 million over three years to ensure that we meet the health needs of all aboriginal communities. The opposition said no, we should not do that.
I do not understand those people any more, I really do not. They say that there are other issues. There are other issues and the government has been looking, it has been researching and it has been listening. That is a good word. Some hon. members might look up. It has been listening to the Canadian public. It says we need to spend an additional $287 million for prenatal nutrition programs, for food safety, for environmental safety, for rural health and for diabetes.
I ask all colleagues in this place, is that money well spent or not?