Mr. Speaker, I am delighted to answer the question. The first thing I want to say is that this is not the first opportunity we have had to debate these issues. The NDP has presented two previous motions and we have had two full days of debate. We have presented options and solutions but we have not had the support of the Canadian Alliance. One option was as fundamental as trying to get a change to the Canada Health Act to stop private for profit hospitals. If that is not a concrete solution what is, given the crisis we are facing and the threat by American multinational corporations to get their tentacles into our health care system?
We have tried very hard over the last number of months to engage everyone in the House in this discussion. I have not just focused on the Alliance. I have focused just as much on the Liberal government. I say, a pox on both your houses. I worry when two parties start to sound exactly the same. In fact they are both prepared to passively allow for the privatization of our health care system and oversee a climate of negligence. That is the fundamental issue here. We have presented many solutions.
If I was given another hour I could go into line and verse over the health care proposals offered by the New Democratic Party. I could go into detail about how we believe home and community care should be an integral part of our national health care system. I could talk about our plan for introducing a national pharmacare plan in conjunction with measures to contain drug costs. I could go into our proposals for developing national health goals to guide co-ordinated action in collaboration.
I could go into our proposals for creating new ways to integrate federal policy in support of national health goals. I could talk about our proposal for establishing a ministry of state for public health within Health Canada. I could talk about our proposal for a forum to work with all senior civil servants providing an integrated, co-ordinated approach to health policy.
I could talk about our proposal for requiring formal health impact assessments of all related federal policy. I could talk about our need to democratize the development of health policy at the national level. I could talk about our recommendation for appointing a national public health commission.
I could talk about our recommendations for stable funding for public education, policy research and advocacy for health consumer groups. I could talk about the need for a broad public dialogue on the ethical challenges facing all of us in the face of these burgeoning technological changes.
I could talk about the specific suggestions we have for dealing with the absolute deplorable conditions among the remote and northern communities. I could talk about the situation facing aboriginal communities and what needs to be done. I could go for hours giving members very specific details—