Madam Speaker, the speech by the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons almost had me in tears earlier, but this time I have to wonder how long it would take me to respond to this crash course on health transfers and all the numbers we were given.
Throughout my career, I have had the pleasure and privilege of sitting on all kinds of commissions on health funding, including one in Canada, the most recent being the Romanow commission, but I will not dwell too much on that.
Initially, there was a pact guaranteeing citizens free, universal access to health care across Canada. There was a pact to share the costs fifty-fifty. Another aspect of the pact provided that the organization of health care services was the exclusive jurisdiction of the provinces.
After all the numbers and the history lesson we were just given, I have a question. Do you think the sums of money being given in the current economic climate are sufficient, compared to transfers that respect provincial areas of jurisdiction and are sufficient to meet their needs?
I am talking about predictable transfer payments, which is what our motion is all about. Would such payments not guarantee a strong health care system?