Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his question. I can reassure him that I am not in any danger of running out of air; I am fine. My health is good. I thank him for his concern.
Words do have meaning, however. The motion can be amended if he likes. It refers to “a national strategy to reduce the growing human...costs” and calls upon the government to “fully fund and implement”, adding “with... all stakeholders”. As the motion is worded, the initial principle is that the leadership and implementation of this strategy would come primarily from the federal government. This I think must be acknowledged.
Our colleague says the provinces will be the ones responsible for running the whole thing. The motion can be amended to indicate that. If the motion called upon the federal government to restore transfer payments so that the provinces, exercising their own jurisdiction, could develop strategies on cancer, mental illness and heart disease, then we would have been in favour.
I would like to ask our colleague whether he obtained the support of the National Assembly. I do not think the Jean Charest government, the Parti Québecois or the ADQ would support such a motion. As an MP from Quebec, I consider myself the spokesperson for the consensus in the National Assembly. I call for full respect of jurisdictions, particularly the sacrosanct ones, such as education and health. I would be extremely surprised if the National Assembly would give its support to anything worded in this way.