But not for the same reasons, sir.
So, in 1984, Ontario doctors went out on strike, but not on the language issue. It was because they said their ability to organize themselves as self-employed workers was threatened. But all parties were in favour of the Canadian act.
Mr. Mulroney had been elected in a byelection and all parties represented in the House in 1984 were in favour of the act, but the bulk of the provinces were not. The bill was passed, regardless.
They played around with various scenarios of constitutional challenge. I studied constitutional law with the member for Chapleau and I do not think he can be suspected of having sovereignist leanings. So the National Assembly member for Chapleau, Mr. Pelletier, who is a very good teacher by the way, told us that, strictly speaking, a constitutional challenge would have been possible. In 1984, the government passed the Canada Health Act not because it had jurisdiction in that area, but by virtue of its overall spending authority. We must never forget that this is the authority under which this legislation was passed.
I appreciate what the member for Ottawa—Vanier is doing; once again, I think he is a sincere man and I do not say that every day, so I really believe his efforts are genuine and that he has been fighting this battle for a long time. However, should we not state clearly that this is a provincial jurisdiction and that provinces should be responsible for providing services to minorities in their own mother tongue? Yes it is important. It is bad enough to be sick; one does not choose when this will happen, any more than one decides to have bad luck, but if and when we are sick, it is unconscionable that we should depend for our care on people who do not speak our language, who do not understand us.
I believe that this cannot be a federal area of responsibility, especially not health care services. The member for Ottawa—Vanier is asking us to endorse a very noble value.
Earlier, a member said that there is one officially bilingual province in Canada. But in reality, as we know, there are two, because bilingualism also exists in Quebec. It is such a noble value that, in Quebec, there are public institutions, including the educational system from kindergarten to university, which are funded by the state.
Under the laws in Quebec—and this is true for the health care system where, of course, this is legislated—the Anglophone minority, which is made up of just under one million people, can have access to health care services in its own language. This is entirely desirable. We must evaluate societies and our ability to live together. The test of civilization is the interest we take in our minorities. There is no doubt about that.
No one, and certainly not I, would like to live in a society where, because of the influence and tyranny of the majority, a minority would be deprived of certain services in its own language.
The member for Ottawa—Vanier knows as well as I do the sorts of setbacks that francophones living outside of Quebec have suffered in this regard in the past. However, the past must not be allowed to dictate the course of the future. It is not because francophones outside of Quebec have experienced injustices, of which the member for Verchères—Les-Patriotes has reminded us, that we should not envisage the future with much nobler ideas and a desire for equality.
I believe that the battle that the member for Ottawa—Vanier wants to wage should also take place in the provinces. All the provinces, from Newfoundland to British Columbia, must undertake to offer services both in French and in English.
Hon. members will recall that at the in 1977, René Lévesque—whom I am not sure is considered an icon by all members of this House—had proposed a goal somewhat similar to the one pursued by the member for Ottawa—Vanier. Obviously he did not want the federal government calling the shots. He suggested that there be interprovincial agreements. The Bloc Quebecois members would feel much more comfortable with that sort of scenario.
I am in total agreement with the hon. member for Ottawa—Vanier that this must not be a money matter. Access to services, especially at a moment in life when people are not at their best, should not depend on financial means. I cannot go along with the argument that this is implicit in the legislation. The five conditions mentioned by our colleague do not show any bias for or against the delivery of services. She explained which principles should apply.
I have been the Bloc Quebecois critic for health care since 1997. When public servants appear before the health committee, they state that those five principles are national standards. The legislation does not state that they are, but public servants do. We know that the federal government does not have any expertise in health care, except as concerns the aboriginal people, inmates serving a sentence of more than two years, and research in epidemiology and on immunization.
This is why we think we should not have a Canada Health Act. I can tell the hon. member for Ottawa—Vanier that if he were to launch a crusade to create a coalition to make sure, through interprovincial agreements, that all provinces provide adequate services to their national and historical minorities, he could count on me. I would wholeheartedly join his campaign, and I am sure most members in the Bloc Quebecois would do the same.
I wish the hon. member for Ottawa—Vanier good luck, and I thank him for his initiative. I hope he will nonetheless consider that our argument has at least some historical merit and some basis in law.