Mr. Speaker, I believe this is a point of privilege, particularly in the case of our health critic who opened this issue up. He is currently taking part in a Reform caucus task force on health care. He is spearheading that attempt.
To read from the original health department's announcement, if our health critic's name were inserted it could be said that the Health Minister today announced that the national Reform caucus, chaired by a person from our caucus, has been asked to look at options for enhancing the government's tobacco public education initiatives, something he is working on.
The Reform committee will canvass the views of Canadians for strategies to address youth smoking. The Reform caucus committee he is chairing is looking into the entire potential reform of the health system in Canada. That news release with just a few name changes would be a great one for the Reform Party.
On the privilege end of it, if we allow the department to promote the Liberal caucus not only through its news release but through its telephone numbers and through its website then at the very least it should be promoting each of the parties in the House, giving their views and visions of health care.
It cannot be that one caucus gets to use departmental assets and the rest of us will read what the Liberals do and just be out of luck. The department of course should promote its vision of Canada, what is happening, the programs for youth and all that stuff. But it should not be promoting one political party in this place. That is what has happened with this news release. The privileges of our health critic have been compromised. The department cannot select one political party only to receive an endorsation and publicity and the resources of the department. That is not right and it contravenes privileges of the rest of us.