Mr. Speaker, this year marks the 25th anniversary of the Canada Health Act, the foundation of our universal public health care system.
The CHA was passed unanimously by Parliament, a remarkable collaborative achievement with the NDP's Bill Blaikie working closely with the Trudeau Liberal government and health minister Monique Bégin to ensure that quality care would be available to everyone irrespective of their financial status.
Now, 25 years later, the CHA is under attack and the Conservative government is just standing by and doing nothing.
Canadians were outraged this week to learn that private clinics in Toronto and Vancouver were providing a queue-jumping service to the rich for the H1N1 vaccine. This access by wealth is just one more example of creeping privatization and a government that refuses to stop it.
New Democrats, along with the Canadian Health Coalition and concerned citizens everywhere, will continue to fight against two-tier health care and the erosion of the Canada Health Act as we have for 25 years.
Today we celebrate not only the act but Canada's fierce commitment to Tommy Douglas' dream for medicare.