Mr. Speaker, this is a very important day for Canada as a result of the agreements that were reached a couple of hours ago and on which I will be providing a bit of detail.
The motion put forward by the opposition today reads:
That this House urges the government to respect provincial jurisdiction over health care management, to increase transfers to the provinces for health care unconditionally, and to avoid using budget surpluses to encroach upon the health care field.
Canadians have had enough. They have had quite enough finger-pointing, fed-bashing and arguing about CHST and block funding. Canadians care about their health care system. Canadians care about a sustainable, secure, quality health care system to meet the needs of our families.
The Constitution of our country prescribes that the primary responsibility for the delivery of health care is that of the provinces and the territories. That is not in dispute. They have to plan, manage and administer health care. The federal government by law is responsible for the promotion and preservation of the health care of all Canadians and for setting national policies and standards. The federal government by the Constitution and by our laws cannot interfere with provincial responsibilities under the Constitution.
Despite all the rhetoric Canadians have had enough. Our laws are clear. The division of responsibilities is clear and indeed there are some guidelines. It is not just one or another level of government that is a player in health care. The federal, provincial and territorial governments have certain responsibilities to the extent that some overlap.
Back in 1984 when we had some difficulties in the country with regard to user fees and extra billing it was necessary for us to address them. They were causing some concern about whether or not our not for profit, accessible, portable, universal, comprehensive health care system was suddenly being dismantled and becoming a two tier health care system where those who had money were able to get the services they wanted and needed at the expense of pushing back others and taking away resources available to Canadians at large.
Then the Canada Health Act came in and the federal government has responsibility to enforce national standards through the Canada Health Act. There are five national standards: reasonable access to all medically necessary services, a comprehensive health care system, universality for all provincial residents, portability throughout Canada, and publicly administered on a not for profit basis.
Canadians value our health care system because not only is it an international model but it has worked for Canadians. It has worked for us because it provides all Canadians with the security of a quality health care system. We want to maintain that health care system for other reasons as well.
Most Canadians will say that the health care system is one of the most powerful unifying factors in our country. It is our common bond of association. It is what provides us with the security of knowing it is there for all Canadians regardless of their means, that health care is there not because one has money but because one is sick and needs health care.
These important principles have been reaffirmed. Today we have seen an extraordinary accomplishment in terms of federal, provincial and territorial co-operation and partnership. We have decided today to stop the bickering. All 10 provinces and territories are signatories including Quebec. The Premier of Quebec signed this health agreement because it is important for Canada.
It is a very powerful message to Canadians knowing that there is unanimity among the provinces, territories and the federal government. They have reached an accord that will ensure Canadians will not continue to hear the rhetoric and see the finger pointing of the past. They will hear about the co-operative plans in terms of how all levels will work together to continue to support our health care system.
I have just received the framework of these talks. One of the most important elements is the dispute avoidance and resolution provision. This is the crux of the issue. Earlier today when working on my speech I had ample evidence to show finger-pointing and arguments based on insufficient or incorrect information. These are the kinds of things that were driving Canadians to be frustrated by what was going on.
I will not raise those arguments. It is time to put them away. It is time to stop talking about federal-provincial bickering. It is time to start talking about the important things in Canada, the important things in our health care system like prenatal nutrition; the problem of FAS, fetal alcohol syndrome and fetal alcohol effects; early childhood development issues; the aged; and the people with diseases and medically necessary illnesses that we have to address. Canadians should have the comfort level that these issues will be addressed.
In my remaining time I will review a few of the elements of the dispute avoidance and resolution provisions of the historic agreement that was reached today. I believe it should give Canadians the assurance that we will never go back to bickering about who is responsible. There will be an accountability mechanism.
The governments are now committed to working collaboratively to avoid and resolve intergovernmental disputes respecting existing legislative provisions and mechanisms to avoid and resolve disputes. Their mechanism will be simple, timely, efficient, effective and transparent. It will allow flexibility for the governments to resolve disputes in a non-adversarial way, which is important to Canadians.
The governments are committed to working together and avoiding disputes through information sharing, joint planning, collaboration, advance notice, early consultation and flexibility in implementation. There will be sectoral negotiations to resolve disputes based on fact finding. It will be a public fact finding issue.
If issues should arise where there is some question on whether or not funding was applied in the areas agreed or whether the parties did what they were to do, there will be a public fact finding process to ensure that whatever occurred will be known by all parties. That is very important. It will ensure and put the onus on all parties to do their share because it will be a public accountability process for all Canadians.
The debate we are having today is important but not in terms of federal-provincial bickering. Today we should celebrate the fact that Canadians can rest assured that moneys will be made available to protect Canada's health care system from coast to coast to coast.
We congratulate the Minister of Health, the Minister of Justice and the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs for their work on behalf of the federal government to achieve this health accord and the social union contract which was settled today. We thank them not only on behalf of the members of this place but appropriately on behalf of all Canadians.