Mr. Speaker, Tuesday, March 27, marked the third anniversary of the Liberal failure to compensate all hepatitis C victims. The settlement is no closer to reaching victims than it was three years ago. With each day, month and year that go by, more hepatitis C victims die and others lose their quality of life.
One of these individuals, Steve Harrison, wrote to me:
I haven't worked since 1996 and my wife is near exhaustion trying to keep us from bankruptcy. Every month we seem to accumulate more debt, while trying to keep life decent for my two boys. Meanwhile, the government is using money owed to me to build up their compensation fund. I reckon at a modest 5% rate, they have made 30,000 dollars with my money.
Even if they paid me my compensation tomorrow my problems aren't over. If I sound frustrated it is because I am. Everyone I talk to thinks this issue is over and I'm living happily ever after.
The Liberals think this issue is over but to the Harrison family it is all too real.