Mr. Speaker, in my notice to you I indicated that the Minister of Health has yet to make a comprehensive statement in the House about the outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome. I do not know why she has been reluctant to bring the House up to date, but the members of the House and the people we represent deserve to know what the situation is.
The standing order requires that the application must relate to a genuine emergency calling for immediate and urgent consideration. We respectfully submit that this is. SARS is a deadly disease that has entered all regions of Canada now, notwithstanding the protections that are supposedly in place by the federal government concerning international travellers.
SARS has claimed the lives of several Canadians. The spread of SARS has closed hospitals, has required the deployment of an emergency health system, has caused shortages of medical equipment and has disrupted international travel.
There is evidence that SARS is now present in several provinces and this has caused serious concern in the many Canadian communities.
There has been significant economic disruption as well. The fear of economic loss may cause people to breach isolation orders which in turn would cause further risk of spreading the disease.
One of the functions of the House of Commons is to focus public attention on serious issues. An emergency debate would give the government an opportunity to inform the House just what is being done to protect the health of Canadians during this time. It would allow us to ask the questions that Canadians want asked.
Should you grant the application, Mr. Speaker, we would be willing to see the debate take place tomorrow evening so that the ministers and officials would have adequate time to prepare a full statement to the House.