Mr. Speaker, I have taken the first step. I spoke with the health ministers from Alberta and Nova Scotia this morning. I will continue those discussions and explore the possibility of the approach the member described.
I would like to make something clear. I happen to be, by my political philosophy, very much in favour of the Government of Canada being an active government and fully asserting its constitutional authority in this federation. The country will not hold together or succeed unless it has a strong Government of Canada that does its full part.
However, I am not sure, in this particular field, that equates with federal legislation mandating standards with penal consequences if they are not obeyed. I do not know of a province in the country that does not accept and tries to put in place the guidelines that we have all agreed upon. I do not know of a municipality in the country that does not do its best. The answer is not as simple as that, and that is my point today.