Mr. Speaker, two weeks ago the government presented a budget in which it claimed that maternal and child health worldwide would be a priority of Canada's G8 and G20 summit year.
However, as the government proposes to lead a global campaign to improve the health of women and children overseas, federal cash for troubled pregnancies and newborns in Canada remains in short supply.
Funding for the Canada prenatal nutrition program that serves poor, isolated and vulnerable women, many of whom are battling substance abuse, and that has resulted in fewer premature births, better birth weights and generally healthier babies, all at significant savings for health care budgets, has barely budged in a decade.
The budget for the program was $25 million in 1999, and by 2009 it increased by just $2.2 million. After a decade of inflation, that means an effective cut of $4 million. It certainly does not reflect the success of the program, nor does it account for population growth.
Will the government lead by example and make maternal and child health a priority in this country too?