Mr. Speaker, there is no limit on the ways the Liberal government has failed aboriginal people. One of its more creative ways is by failing to monitor prescription drug use among aboriginals, and the result has been drug addiction and death.
Let no one say that this problem has taken us by surprise. We have known about it since 1997 when the auditor general explained it in detail. Let no one say that the solution is a mystery. Hard data prove that sharing information on drug use among doctors and pharmacists reduces the abuse of the system, but sadly let no one say that the Liberals are serious about fixing the problem.
They refuse to make the statutory changes necessary to allow information sharing on prescription drug use. Instead the Liberals expect addicts to volunteer their consent to have their drug information shared, but addicts who are double doctoring of course will not consent to getting caught.
Is this the best that the Liberals offer to aboriginal people? Surely first nations individuals deserve much better. Lorraine Stonechild in the parliamentary committee said “We can't keep letting first nations people die over this carelessness of the government. All information should be shared so it doesn't continue. I'm asking, please make these changes soon. I don't want to see any more people die”.