Madam Chair, I would agree that it is not only government, but it is also personal awareness of the need to sign the card to donate an organ because it is a gift of life to many people.
The Government of Canada contributes to the prevention of kidney disease as well, and that is done through the Canadian Diabetes Society, the aboriginal diabetes initiative and the integrated strategy on healthy living and chronic disease. That is one piece of it.
Tonight when we are talking about the actual national strategy for donation, I would like to draw attention to the living donor exchange, which is a national registry. Even though the availability of deceased donors has gone down somewhat, the living donor exchange, which involves a person who actually chooses to donate a kidney to another while still alive, is of paramount importance.
I would agree with the member opposite that it is an awareness thing. That is why earlier tonight I asked in the House, as the member for Vancouver East so eloquently pointed out too, what does each one of us as a Canadian have to do?
So it is a combination of both.
I would ask the member opposite to elaborate a bit more clearly on some more things individual Canadians could do, coupled with the partnership with government, to make this awareness more available. We do not talk about it over the Christmas dinner table, but maybe that is something we should do, because it is a matter of time when people need organ donations. Perhaps the member could expand on that thought a bit more for the House.