Mr. Chairman, I am not sure if one needs to add a sixth principle to accomplish what the member is suggesting. What it requires is political will on the part of the federal government to live up to its commitments, to restore cash payments and to move us back steadily toward the 50:50 partnership which was a reality at the beginning of medicare in Canada.
I would suggest, and I am sure Mr. Romanow is doing this, that we look at the way in which health care is funded today and think about revamping the formula. The CHST has failed Canadians. There are no conditions attached to the funding. We have lost the ability to move our system forward because of the way we fund health care.
I for one would be prepared to recommend that we scrap the CHST. We should put in place a health investment fund where the dollars would be tied directly to health care needs and the provinces and the federal government would collaborate on how to move our system forward.