Mr. Speaker, the alliance members want to have it both ways in this debate. On the one hand they say that they are in support of medicare, while on the other hand they do not acknowledge that these principles are being violated today. The principle of accessibility is being violated under bill 11. Members cannot stand in the House and say they support medicare and then say we should go further than bill 11.
The member also seems to feel that the only way we can deal with waiting lists and the need for more efficiencies in our system is through privatization. Since when did privatization become the only solution for innovation? Alliance members joined with New Democrats in the House many months ago and said that the solution to the problem was in convincing the government to restore the cash transfer payments so that there would be adequate cash on the table to meet the needs of Canadians so we could shape our system to deal with growing and emerging needs in the health care system today.
Why have these members suddenly decided to support the likes of Ralph Klein, Stockwell Day and Mike Harris to pursue an American agenda, and not a Canadian approach to something as vital as universal access to health care?