Mr. Chair, the health accord was a singular achievement of this government and first ministers at provincial, territorial and federal levels of government. In fact, the accord speaks to not only an infusion of new money, because we know that new money alone will not bring about the changes that have to take place, but it also describes the necessary structural change.
If the hon. member is suggesting that the challenges the accord addresses will not be resolved overnight, yes, of course he is right. We know Canadians have identified access as their number one issue. They want access to a family practitioner or the appropriate health care provider when they need that person, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. We know that.
We also know that Canadians see waiting lists as part of that access, especially seniors who are on a waiting list for a knee replacement, hip replacement or other kinds of operations or treatments, such as radiation therapy or chemotherapy. However we will not be able to deal with those issues unless we bring about the structural change that is mentioned in the accord.
It is illusory to suggest that this large, complex, dynamic health care system can be turned around on a dime regardless of how much money we put into the system. It needed more money and we put more money in. It needs structural change and that structural change is set out in the accord. It will take time but that change will lead to addressing Canadians' issues around accessibility, including waiting lists.