Mr. Speaker, it is an honour to rise in this chamber for the fourth Parliament that I have been participating in as the member of Parliament for Egmont.
I want to congratulate all members who are sitting in this particular Parliament who ran successful elections. I also want to reflect momentarily on all of those who contested seats in the recent election and were not successful in arriving here. We all have colleagues who were not successful in their election and who are not returning. I was reminded of that a number of years ago. I was first elected in 1982, and when I commented to an individual that I enjoyed elections very much, they remarked to me, “It is easy for you; you have never been defeated.” I think of that in each election, in each legislature I have sat in and each parliament in this House of Commons that I was successful on being re-elected to.
Our democratic system depends on men and women putting their names forward in a very public process. Elections are very public. I often advise people of different political stripes on whether they should run for office or not. I tell them that there is only one of two outcomes in an election: one either wins or one loses, but both are very public. If a person can accept either of those conclusions, then they should put their name forward and run for office.
I would ask everybody to reflect on the many candidates who put their names forward in this last election who were not successful. Only 343 people can be successful and earn the right to sit in this chamber. However, I enjoyed listening to the many speeches here over the past week, especially from new members of Parliament, new politicians, and the enthusiasm they bring forward, the dreams they have for the areas they represent and what they would like to accomplish.
None of us arrive here without an extensive team. Over the last week, I was sending notes of thanks to my many volunteers, and it dawned on me just how many participated in my election. Hundreds of people came forward to do the jobs that are important for candidates to win in elections and for those who participate. I want to reflect, which I often do, on the candidates who do not get to speak in this chamber following an election. Some of them were here before, some of them were new with ambitions to be here, but did not make it. It is important for us as parliamentarians, because we get the ultimate reward of representing the part of the country that chose us to be their representative. It is really a great honour, because we take forward the concerns and the ambitions of the people we represent.
My riding of Egmont in Prince Edward Island is similar to most rural areas across this wonderful country. There is always more to be done than we have the ability to do, but that is really what governing is all about. However, I have been so proud of our government's track record over the past number of years in the area of rural development. My colleague, who is sitting close to me today, is passionate about rural development and ensuring that rural parts of this country are treated equally with the many challenges that rural, small-town Canada faces. As parliamentarians, it is important for us to make sure we do not overlook that, and that we are constantly using every opportunity we have to advance the concerns and the issues brought forward by rural communities.
My riding is actually half urban and half rural. Over the past number of years, infrastructure has been one of the significant investments by the government that I was part of. All across the riding, each community is significantly better off today than it was 10 years ago. I am extremely proud of the record of our government in developing infrastructure, but still more has to be done. There are always a lot of needs in this country, and it is always interesting to listen to debate.
On one hand, members of the electorate were very clear in the last election. They stated that they did not want to pay more taxes, but, by the same token, they still want government to support the many safety and social programs that we have come to depend on in this country. That becomes a contradiction and the roadway that governments have to travel: living within their means, spending appropriately, while at the same time still investing across this country. That is why I was so pleased that in the throne speech, our government and the Prime Minister, even today in question period, referenced so much about investing and growing the economy through major projects that built this nation. It has been done before. Going back in its history, this country was built on great visions from coast to coast to coast, investing in significant infrastructure that grew the country over the years.
One of the issues that was loud and clear to me in my riding over the past election was an area that the federal government shares with provinces. That is the area of health care transfers. Today, the Prime Minister, in an answer in question period, referenced the fiscal statement that we will present to the House as presenting increases in health care transfers. I am going to speak to the area of health care, recognizing that it is a shared constitutional responsibility. In fact, this morning, my colleague, the member for Saanich—Gulf Islands, tabled a petition in the House on this particular subject.
The subject that I want to talk about was the number one issue raised at the doorsteps in my riding, and that is health care. Everywhere I go, I hear real frustrations about the state of health care, and I share the concerns of all those Islanders. Over the past number of years, I have spoken with thousands of people in my Egmont riding and, over the course of the last election, I spoke with many again. Again and again, I am told that access to health care is getting more and more difficult. Frankly, I have come to the conclusion that what I am hearing is correct. The province's response to a genuine health care crisis is not keeping pace with need.
Let us be clear. In 2023, the federal government joined with the province in a new funding arrangement for health care. Ottawa came to the table, with P.E.I., with $1 billion over 10 years. There was $300 million in new funding. This year, the federal government will provide $236 million to the province through the Canada health transfer. Everyone in here knows how this works. Under the Constitution, the provinces operate the health care system. In other words, the province is in charge of health care recruitment, hospitals and professional services. Our role in Ottawa is to support that work through financial transfers, and that side of the arrangement has been respected.
However, here is what I have heard at the doors: People in Ottawa may be spending money, but we residents are not getting the health care we need. In fact, I heard from many residents that they are now very weary of the province's excuses. Sadly, those provincial excuses are meant to deflect responsibility for poor service, long wait times and inadequate access. For Islanders, this is increasingly distressing and, again, I share their frustration. As a member of Parliament, my duty is to understand the day-to-day needs of the residents. The part that really hurts is that so many Islanders are enduring uncertainty every day because of poor access to health care. This has to be fixed. When I speak with young parents about their worries, it is very hard not to share that anxiety. When I speak to older Islanders concerned about loved ones and spouses, it is hard. The federal government has done its part. The money is there. The federal end of the partnership has been met and exceeded. I will say that until Islanders are confident and content with their health care system, I will continue to demand better.
We live in the greatest country in the world. We are extremely fortunate to have great financial resources and an outstanding education system. For that reason, I do believe elected representatives of the federal government should start insisting on measurable improvements. We should make our voices heard. The federal government has kept up its side, and now is the time for all of us to insist that our provincial colleagues keep up their end and focus their considerable resources on the front lines of our health care system.