Madam Speaker, many points have been raised by the member in this valid question.
He alluded to his question earlier this week during late show proceedings. I have only been here for four years, but I understand it is a tradition of the House that if, after question period, a member is unsatisfied with the fullness of an answer given by a minister, he or she can advise the Table of that fact and a question is put forward in late show proceedings at a future date. That occasion for the member opposite came this week.
As I mentioned in the late show proceedings yesterday, I was in Halifax with the Prime Minister making a historic announcement for the good of the people of Nova Scotia and Canada. The member put forward a question that was completely different than the question he had submitted to the Table.
The member for Richmond Hill, who was representing me and is a very good member of Parliament, had been prepared to answer on another point and was distracted. I was disappointed to learn that the member opposite would contact citizens and say it was because that member did not care. The member today remedied that by speaking to the individual and indicated what had happened. The individual understood that very well and I am pleased that he does. The member raised that point, so I will raise it.
To say we do not care about the victims of hepatitis C is completely wrong. The federal government entered into negotiations with the provincial governments, had discussions with the people who had the ailment, and created a trust account, a fund of $900 million, to assist those people. Outside of that, it worked with the provinces to create another fund for a little over $500 million for people who fell outside of the negotiated settlement area.
The fund that was created for the people within the settlement time period is managed by experts, as any fund should be. These experts know the market, disburse the funds in accordance with the agreement reached, and are authorized and approved by the courts of three different provinces in the country.
That fund may continue over a 70 year period and according to six levels of payments depending on the ailments and the incapacities of the people suffering from hepatitis C. Now we have to know whether we have a surplus, and if we do, at what level. That is called an actuarial surplus. That is a surplus of money which we can expect to earn on the market and what we can expect by professional analysis will be the payouts in the future.
Once that is done, in accordance with a motion of the health committee which was supported by all parties, the minister will enter into the proper negotiations with the people involved in that fund to include a wider scope of people for payment, people who fell outside of the compensation area. The minister does that willingly, with a very generous heart.