Mr. Speaker, I felt proud when our motion was presented, because it is all about kindness and appreciation. This morning, I wondered who, among us in the House, could be against that.
I said that this motion is about kindness and appreciation because it acknowledges the extraordinary work of everyone working in our health care facilities. The motion calls on the House to recognize the courage and sacrifices required from these workers; highlight the work of Quebec and the provinces in responding to the health crisis; and note the direct impact on their respective budgets. The wording is important here. Kindness and gratitude are not about pointing fingers or talking about how they poorly managed the crisis. Quite the opposite, in fact.
The fourth point of the motion calls on the House to recognize once and for all that Quebec and the provinces have exclusive jurisdiction over delivering and coordinating health care and services. This means that the government must significantly and sustainably increase health transfers based on real needs. These are four recommendations for what should be done.
We have to recognize health care workers, who are predominantly women. They are nurses, practical nurses, orderlies, doctors, paramedics, medical technicians—those who analyze test results everywhere—the support staff who keep our medical facilities up and running, food services staff and health care professionals like psychologists, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, social workers and others.
All these people take care of patients every day. They are on the front lines despite the fact that the burden of care rests entirely on their shoulders. They know how essential their work is and how much good it does, but at the same time, they are suffering. They often fear for their lives and that of their loved ones. They are exhausted, and statistics clearly show it. They might not even have any time off during the holidays. Nevertheless, health care workers step up to the plate time and time again.
I am a nurse by training. I worked as a nurse for about a decade in the field now known as critical care. During that time, I took care of people and was proud to do it. I was also a union leader. I represented health care workers. It was all about recognizing their work and expertise, which goes beyond calling them guardian angels, even if that is nice. It was all about recognizing their contribution and expertise.
In Quebec, 80% of health care spending is dedicated to human resources, to the people who provide services. More than anything, it is because of these people that we have quality health care services. They deserve more than our respect. We should admire them even more knowing that they are still on their feet even though they are exhausted and that they go to the front lines to demand better working conditions. They should be commended for that. They will keep soldiering on.
Starving the provinces and reducing their capacity to provide quality health care puts them at the mercy of the federal government's spending power, a power that is too often exerted with no consideration for the needs of provinces.
If the government had kept its part of the original deal requiring it to cover 50% of health expenditures, it would not have to explain today that it spent $19 billion here and $600 million there, that it distributed face masks, and so on. The people who wear masks, face shields and gowns need only adequate funding to be able to provide quality health care. They do not need reams of figures. Let me remind you that these men and women are your constituents. Like us, they expect to receive quality health care. It is a federal responsibility.
You forgot to mention that in your economic statement yesterday. All provinces are unanimous in asking the federal government for sustainable and predictable funding they can count on. I do not see why anybody here would disagree with that. They do not want to be guessing every time what the government will do. They do not want to feel compelled to beg for money. It is our tax money, and the government owes it to us.
Next week, on December 10, provinces will speak with one voice. They will ask for the money and the capacity they need to act. We should be able to count on that.
Quebec called the last agreement on federal health transfers to provinces a partial victory, and with good reason. It was one of the first times bilateral agreements were favoured. The "divide and conquer" principle was applied. Everybody is on the losing side in that agreement. All provinces are now severely underfunded on health care.
Nature abhors a vacuum. Provinces will possibly exclude some options. We hear a lot about the privatization of health care. We should speak out against that, as provinces do. Such an option should not be considered. Cuts had to be made because of the funding shortfall and due diligence, not to mention that governments lacked the political will to honour their commitments. That suits them fine.
Here is our message to the government. Before the end of 2020, let us put an end to these cheap tactics. If the health and safety of our fellow citizens really matter, then provinces must be given the capacity they need, not piecemeal but in a sustainable way.