Mr. Speaker, perhaps the member did not catch all my remarks because I was speaking so quickly, but I want to be very clear about a couple of things.
First, we take umbrage with this government's suggestion that the system is not in crisis. The member can argue the statistics. Yes, I do have the report he quoted from and I do not disagree with him in terms of that selective quote. However, as I have just said, the people who use the system, the people who want to know health care is there when they need it, are not at ease with what is happening. They are worried, anxious and fearful. When that kind of level of fear and anxiety occurs, we have a crisis. Whether we can back it up in terms of statistical numbers or not, it is a human fact and it is a problem we have to address.
Second, the Liberal parliamentary secretary tries to suggest that the whole system is sustainable. We say that the medicare model is sustainable, and we have shown documents that back that up. The real question is, which was also stated in the provincial document the minister quoted from, that the rising need for additional health services is not sustainable without significant new federal funding.
Time and time again we have said that there is a crisis in the health care system because of failed federal leadership and a climate of negligence. We can address the problems and ensure that medicare is sustainable, but it takes the federal government to put its money where its mouth is and to show federal leadership and political courage.