Madam Speaker, the city of Coquitlam is joining with the Federation of Canadian Municipalities in calling for a national children's infrastructure program which would provide resources to communities to develop recreation spaces and programs. Last week the city sent me a letter asking me to bring their voice to Ottawa, so here I stand.
The federal and provincial governments are supposed to share the cost of medicare 50-50, which would give the provinces the resources to fund initiatives like the one the city of Coquitlam supports. But the federal Liberals are only paying 14% of the costs, leaving provinces to pay the other 86%.
In B.C. we have tried electing NDP governments to develop our ideal health system, but they failed. We have tried by electing a centre right government in the B.C. Liberals and are also encountering problems with closures and cutbacks at St. Mary's Hospital and Delta Hospital.
No matter whom we elect in B.C. we have difficulty in securing the ideal health system. This is because the genesis of the problem is in Ottawa, not Victoria.
The Liberal government, led by the current Prime Minister and managed by the former finance minister and leadership frontrunner, has devastated our health system.
My constituents deserve a strong, publicly insured health system that is properly funded by Ottawa. It is time that the irresponsible health policies--