moved for leave to introduce Bill C-430, an act to amend the Canada Health Act (conditions for contributions).
Madam Speaker, my bill is actually a notification protocol for emergency response workers whose duties may expose them to an infectious disease without their knowledge.
Due to a concern for patient confidentiality there is currently no official procedure to notify these workers if it is discovered they were exposed. My bill is designed to provide the notification protocol urgently requested by the Canadian Association of Firefighters while still protecting that confidentiality.
The need for this protocol is urgent. Emergency response workers put their lives on the line to protect us when they are attending accidents. We in turn owe it to them, their families and their communities to take the appropriate steps to protect them by swift passage of this non-partisan bill.
I have contacted the House leaders for each of the parties requesting their support. I therefore request at this time to seek the unanimous consent of the House that the bill be adopted at second reading and sent to the Standing Committee on Health for its timely consideration. If the House agrees, the bill will be a non-partisan gift from all of us to those who put their lives at risk for our safety and protection.