Mr. Speaker, I would like to be able to talk.
For months, committees have heard a great deal of testimony, including plenty of testimony supporting and applauding our government's initiative.
I want to make sure that the NDP member and Canadians are well aware of that fact. Canadians want to see us operating on the world stage in a manner that brings people together instead of dividing them. Canadians want their government to be a world leader. This Prime Minister has taken it upon himself to ensure that we get the job done.
According to the World Health Organization, every year more than 500,000 women, most of them in sub-Saharan Africa and Asia, die in pregnancy and childbirth from largely preventable causes. These women are giving birth in completely unsanitary conditions.
Every year, three million babies die in their first week of life. Nearly 9 million children in the developing world die before their fifth birthday from largely preventable diseases.
There are simple solutions to address all of these problems. The G8 initiative is the very essence of these solutions. The last thing we need are pointless debates.
I want to make sure that opposition members are aware of what Melinda Gates said yesterday. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation announced its program on maternal health yesterday. It mirrors the Government of Canada's position on this issue. She even told the media that they took that particular position because they do not want to be part of the controversy or contribute to the controversy.