Madam Speaker, in less than 100 days, hundreds of thousands of visitors will head to Vancouver for the experience of a lifetime. After years of hard work by athletes and others, Canadians will unite to celebrate sport and excellence at the 2010 Olympics.
Excited as I am for Canada, I am also very worried. I am worried that the Vancouver Games will be undermined by the fear and chaos of a national health crisis that has been terribly mismanaged. I am worried that visitors will choose to stay home instead of enter the eye of a pandemic tornado that experts believe is yet to reach its peak.
With priority vaccinations finally starting to reach clinics, long lines are a regular sight in Vancouver. Liberals have made constructive proposals which are being ignored. If the Conservatives do not take action now on the H1N1 pandemic, years of hard work and resources may be wasted.
The Conservative government has ragged the puck on H1N1. The clock is ticking down, but there is not time for a time out. British Columbians need vaccinations now and the world needs to be assured that Canada has not thrown in the towel.