Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to be able to participate in tonight's consideration of the Privy Council Office estimates, which cover the cost of commissions of inquiry, including the commission on the future of health care. That commission requested an amount of $15 million over two fiscal years, $7.4 million in fiscal year 2001-02 and $7.6 million in 2002-03. These amounts are reflected in the estimates of the Privy Council Office.
I welcome this opportunity to speak about the Commission on the Future of Health Care in Canada because of the importance of medicare in the daily lives of Canadians. For nearly 50 years, medicare has helped define who we are as people, reflecting the values we share as a society, and few things have become more central to our national life or have come to embody our most fundamental beliefs. In recent years, however, what was once a point of pride has become a cause of concern.
Changing demographics, new technologies and anxieties about the sustainability of medicare created new challenges and required new responses. That is why, in the year 2000, an historic agreement was reached between the Prime Minister of Canada and the first ministers, aimed at meeting immediate needs and addressing short term concerns. This was an important step, but we also knew that if we were to address the long term sustainability of health care we needed to look further down the road to 10 years or even 20 years from now to define the health care system of the 21st century.
That is why in April 2001 the federal government created the Commission on the Future of Health Care in Canada, led by the able Saskatchewan premier, Roy Romanow. As we know, the commission mandate was straightforward: to address the long term sustainability of a high quality, universally accessible, publicly administered health care system. In particular, it looked at how we can foster and maintain a culture of continuous improvement in Canadian health care and how we can develop and maintain an environment of constructive collaboration between governments, and governments and stakeholders, in support of medicare.
Because of the importance of health care to Canadians and because of its complexity, the commission divided its work into two phases. The first was aimed at fact finding, doing the homework and building a solid foundation of evidence upon which to base its consultation. To avoid duplicating work that had been completed or undertaken by others, the commission's small in-house research staff focused on synthesizing the existing body of knowledge about health care in Canada and the options that exist to strengthen it. A significant portion of the commission's research effort was contracted to external policy analysts, practitioners and scholars, most of whom are associated with Canadian think tanks or universities.
It was an ambitious research agenda. Three major research projects were commissioned in the areas of human resources, the impact of globalization and federal-provincial fiscal relations. In addition, the commission produced over 40 background and research papers on a wide range of subjects and organized public policy forums and roundtables, including three international roundtables in London, Paris and Washington in order to gain insight from countries facing policy challenges similar to our own.
This fact finding work led to the commission's interim report tabled in February this year. While that report quite properly did not draw firm conclusions or foreclose on debate, it did indicate that a clear consensus existed on a number of points.
First, all Canadians should have reasonable access to quality care regardless of income or where they reside. Second, people should not risk bankruptcy if they become ill. With more and more treatments and drug therapies falling outside the coverage envisaged by the health care act, it is an increasingly important issue. Third, any reform to the system must not negatively affect the poor or the vulnerable. Fourth, there is an important role for government in health care.
These areas of agreement are not insignificant. They present a solid foundation on which to build. The second phase which has just been completed involved consulting directly with Canadians. It was perhaps the commission's most important contribution, for it removed health care from the passion of political debate and returned it to where it belonged: with the people of Canada.
Canadians responded. Close to 2,000 formal submissions or abstracts were received from individuals and organizations. More than 16,000 Canadians completed the commission's online survey. The commission fielded over 8,000 phone calls, e-mails and letters.
All told, the commission will have heard directly from over 600 groups and individuals during its public consultations. Many members of parliament including members of the opposition will play an important role and will be able to participate in their own ridings. To all the organizations which held town hall meetings, encouraged public debate and distributed the commission's workbooks I express my sincere appreciation.
With the public consultations behind it the commission is wrapping up its work with a series of public forums involving experts from across the country. The final stage will see the commission study its research results, review the findings of the preceding consultation phase and assess proposed policy directions.
I am pleased to report to the House that the final report will come in on time and on budget. The commission has done a great service for Canadians. I look forward to its recommendations as do my hon. colleagues. I can pledge to the House that the people of Canada will be given careful consideration. I am speaking a little out of line. I am sure the commission will do that.
I will close as I began, with a recognition that at its heart health care is not just about the services we receive but about the values we hold. The Commission on the Future of Health Care in Canada recognized early on the importance of understanding those values, testing our commitment to certain principles, articulating the policies that flow from them, and recognizing that we must rethink our ideas about medicare. We must never abandon our ideals about medicare.
I am thankful to be able to participate in this important debate about health care and the importance of adopting the estimates so the Government of Canada can carry on doing the excellent and marvellous job it has been doing for the past nine years and which it will continue to do from here on in.
