Mr. Speaker, the hon. member has been a friend of mine for many years. We sit together on the Standing Committee on Health. I can understand that she supports our position in part, but I am a bit disappointed, because it seems to me that she is not being consistent, and may even be contradicting herself.
There is not a politician alive who would object to the federal government restoring transfer payments to the level they were in 1993-94 and increasing its contribution to 18% of health care costs.
What surprises me about the hon. member's position is that she sincerely believes that the federal government knows better than the provinces how the health system should be modernized. For instance I do not see what the Romanow commission could tell us that we do not already know.
The House will recall that I asked that the work already done by provincial task forces be assessed. Seven out of ten provinces have had task forces since 1996. Quebec had the Clair commission and Alberta, the Mazankowski commission. All the provinces except Manitoba have had them.
However, I would caution the member against an approach which, because it is too centralist, would suggest that there is any help coming from the federal government when, as parliamentarians, that is not our responsibility.
It is up to each of the provincial governments to provide care directly to the public. The role of the federal government is to contribute funding, as agreed to in the 1960s, when medicare was introduced.
I would like our colleague to consider this and comment.