Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for raising the issues and in particular for speaking about the issue of SARS.
The riding that I represent in many ways was the epicentre of the SARS epidemic that hit Toronto, and there were lessons learned that extended well beyond just the health care sector.
For example, we know that many people within the health care sector require three jobs to earn a single salary, and the way they moved between hospitals played a significant role in the spread of that disease. We came to understand in Toronto that cuts to other parts of government and government programs sometimes impact epidemics in ways that are catastrophic not just for health care professionals but also for the people who are directly affected, the victims.
We know that the government has reduced the number of embassies and consulates in Africa and is now requiring people from different African countries to travel through three, four, five, and six different countries simply to file immigration documents or business documents or even inquiries to the Canadian government, just because they are required to do it in person. That movement through these different countries in Africa is becoming more and more difficult, and it also risks becoming an agent by which the disease gets spread.
I am curious as to whether there has been any discussion or response you are aware of to try to see if the Canadian government should not be restructuring its response diplomatically to Africa so that it can support these countries and also avoid playing a role in unexpectedly spreading this disease to unaffected parts of the continent.
As well—