moved for leave to introduce Bill C-407, an act to amend the Canada Health Act (linguistic duality).
Mr. Speaker, the bill we give first reading to this morning will add a sixth principle to the Canada Health Act so that the provinces, which administer health services, will respect linguistic duality.
Official language minorities in Canada have limited guarantees in the area of health services. The provinces must therefore show a willingness to offer health services to their minority, which is a poor guarantee, as the case of the Montfort hospital in Ontario recently revealed.
Anglophones in Quebec and francophones in the other provinces and territories are entitled to receive health care in their mother tongue, English or French, when they are at their most vulnerable, especially since the Canadian Constitution recognizes both languages as the country's official languages.
I hope we will soon have the opportunity to debate this bill in the House of Commons and then in committee.
(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)