Mr. Chairman, John Diefenbaker mandated a judge to review the hospital insurance issue and, between 1947 and 1972, all the provinces, from Newfoundland to British Columbia, set up a hospital insurance program.
In Quebec, this was done under Mr. Bourassa and Mr. Castonguay. Who knows, perhaps the latter is related to the hon. parliamentary secretary?
We are asking, as regards everything relating to hospital insurance, including all upstream and downstream services, that the federal government fulfill past commitments and that federal funding be provided.
At the last first ministers conference, the federal contribution was evaluated at 14 cents per dollar spent. That is not in line with past commitments. I say to my colleagues opposite that their government did not fulfill its historical responsibilities and that they must make good on the commitments they made to their province.
This is what the debate is all about.