Madam Speaker, I want to congratulate the hon. member for Hochelaga—Maisonneuve, who is the Bloc Quebecois health critic, for his very eloquent speech. He obviously knows his stuff. It is difficult for me to rise after him and to match his energy level in sharing my thoughts on the motion that we are presenting today.
I will read that motion for the benefit of the public, because we did not hear it this morning:
That the federal government give the provinces the additional money for health unconditionally, with the promise of the provinces to use all of it for health care.
This opposition day follows the tabling of the Romanow report. It can now be said that we did not need this report to tell us that more funding is needed for health. As my colleague pointed out, seven provinces have already released reports. These reports were prepared by competent people, who have already told us about the problems relating to funding.
Indeed, the Clair report and the Séguin commission on the fiscal imbalance clearly showed, with studies conducted by very serious firms and with supporting figures, that an additional $7 billion to $8 billion was needed to maintain Canada's health system and to respect the five major principles that were the foundations of that system when it was first created.
The federal government did not need to spend $18 million and have a large number of witnesses come and tell us that the problem with our health system is related to a shortage of money, or to factors such as the aging population. This is not the first time that this issue has been raised. We have been talking about it since the Bloc Quebecois first came here, since 1993. The problems in the health system began when this government made deep cuts to the Canada health and social transfer. There has been no new money and no increases since. We were already experiencing growth problems, because of the aging population, which requires more care, and rising costs for new technologies and drugs. In 1994, before the budget cuts, we already needed money.
We did not need the Romanow commission. We already had reports from seven of the provinces. In Quebec, we had the Clair report. My hon. colleague identified the problems quite well. We have a prescription drug plan. We have developed a network of CLSCs, which provide basic health services. We have all that. People from the other provinces and even other countries come to Quebec to see what we have done to meet our pressing health care needs.
There are deficiencies in the system at the present time. Of course, the program is not perfect. However, if we had money right now, things would be different. We have determined how to improve the programs. All we need now is the money. In his report, Mr. Romanow, for whom I have a lot of respect, clearly said what the Prime Minister of Canada wanted to hear.
Yes, the government will invest. They are aware that the system is underfunded. They are aware that they have cut our health care to the bone. They cannot keep saying “No, there is no fiscal imbalance” when everyone else recognizes that there is fiscal imbalance between Ottawa and the provinces in the health care sector. It starts to sound a bit silly. The government can no longer say that there is no fiscal imbalance where health care is concerned. It does not make any sense.
The Prime Minister said to Mr. Romanow “Yes, it is fine. You will tell the public that we know that funding is insufficient, but that we will put conditions on it”. Conditions are unacceptable to us. Under the Constitution, managing health care is a provincial responsibility. Then why have conditions?
Right now, the government wants to create a nationwide health care system. The Romanow report says that we must not end up with 13 different health care systems. This jeopardizes the existence of CLSCs and the universal system. CLSCs are the pride of Quebec's health care system. Other provinces come to see how our system works.
The Romanow report says essentially that the commissioners went to Quebec to see how the CLCS network works, and would like to implement such a system, but Quebec will have to step aside, because they want to do it their way. This is totally ridiculous.
Personally, I fail to see how creating new structures, imposing new standards and hiring public service employees will solve problems.
Putting the health care system in the hands of the federal government can only lead to disaster, and examples of mismanagement by the federal government abound. That is the point I want to make.
Just this week, the Auditor General tookd the federal government to task for wasting hundreds of thousands of dollars of taxpayers' money and for seriously crippling the delivery of several services. And this same government is telling Quebec and the other provinces what to do on health care. This is not very reassuring for the public.
Since this government took office, we have seen countless horror stories and major boondoggles. In the end, the current Prime Minister's record will be very poor, indeed.
For instance, in 1994, Revenue Canada had a huge deficit of $8 billion in unrecovered taxes. In 1995, $720 million was wasted in the construction of the bridge to Prince Edward Island. In 1996, harmonization of the GST in the Atlantic provinces cost $1 billion. In 1997, the Liberal government sold its air navigation system at a discount, when it could have sold it for $1 billion more. In 1998, there was the kerfuffle with the social insurance numbers. In 1999, the surplus in the employment insurance fund was ridiculously high; the Liberal government was going to use this surplus to finance its other activities. Need I add review of the employment insurance eligibility requirements to the list? In 2000, HRDC had its turn in the hot seat.
Last year, the Bloc Quebecois strongly condemned another despicable situation: the Liberals managed to save no less than $400 million at our senior citizens' expense. Are we to trust them with the health care system, our vested rights? Are we to expect the government to manage it properly? Those are the facts. I could go on. I had a lot more to say.
We cannot remain silent. We want this government to restore the money it cut, so that the provinces can run their health care systems properly. Since my time is running out, I would like to move an amendment.
I move:
That the motion be amended by adding after the words “health care”, at the very end of the motion, the following:
“according to the priorities they have established and to provide an accounting to their residents”.