Jane Philpott

[Health, September 26th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, I have had very good conversations with my colleagues, including the minister of health from Quebec. We have made it clear to them that we will increase investments in the Canada health transfer.

I have also talked with the minister of health from Quebec about other areas where we can make further investments. We appreciate their excellent work on the ground in Quebec in delivering care. We will be a good partner with them to increase investments and ensure that Canadians have the health care they need.

[Health, September 26th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians are proud of their public health care system and they expect their government to make sure that it will always be there for them.

We know that the provinces and territories are on the front lines providing excellent care and that they know what improvements need to be made. However, I am going to meet with my provincial and territorial counterparts again in the coming weeks and we will continue our discussion on how to create a health care system that meets Canadians' needs.

[Health, September 26th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians are rightfully proud of our strong, publicly funded health care system.

We will continue to invest, and there will continue to be a growing Canada health transfer, but all health policy experts in this country agree that there is room for improvement. There are areas where Canadians do not have access to the home care they need and where people are lacking access to mental health care.

I have had a very good relationship with my colleagues, and I look forward to further discussions with them next month to invest in those areas.

[Health, September 26th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, we absolutely intend to deliver real change on health care. In fact, I wonder how the NDP could have delivered, given its fiscal plans and its agreement to stick to a balanced budget.

We believe in new investments in health care. We will be investing in home care. We will be making sure Canadians have accessible, affordable, and appropriately prescribed prescription drugs. We will invest in innovation. We will deliver on health care for Canadians.

[Health, September 26th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, I have had excellent conversations with my colleagues across this country, the ministers of health in the provinces and territories.

We have agreed upon a number of priorities, areas in which we think the health care systems across this country need improvement. We look forward to a further collaborative relationship.

They are on the front lines. They know where the needs are. We have agreed with what those needs are. We plan to invest in better health care for all Canadians.

[Health, September 26th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, our government invested in a Canada health transfer this year that is bigger than ever, more than $36 billion.

It will increase next year. The Canada health transfer will go up by more than $1 billion. In addition to that, our government is going to make investments in areas where the provinces and territories have agreed with us that there are concerns and priorities, and those include things like $3 billion for home care. We will also work to increase access to mental health care.

I look forward to further conversations with my colleagues.

[Health, September 23rd, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to supporting Canadian thalidomide survivors to help them live the rest of their lives with dignity.

There is no definitive medical test for thalidomide exposure. An objective review process was used to assess individuals to determine who was eligible for financial support. Based on this, 25 more individuals have been added to the thalidomide survivors program, bringing the total number of individuals to 122. This demonstrates that the review process is working.

Additional survivors may yet be identified, as some applications remain under review.

[Health, September 22nd, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his question.

Canadians pay for health care when they pay their taxes, and they should not have to pay a second time. That is why we support the Canada Health Act. The deductions set out in the act are a last resort. We will continue to work with the provinces and territories to strengthen our universal public health care system.

[Health, September 22nd, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, in my discussions around the health accord, I have been talking to health ministers across this country about how we can make sure that prescription medications for all Canadians are affordable, accessible, and appropriately prescribed. One of the opportunities that we have taken is for the federal government to join the pan-Canadian pharmaceutical alliance. This is a means of negotiating bulk purchasing of medications. It will already realize annual savings in the order of $700 million per year.

I look forward to further discussions with my colleagues to make sure that other steps are taken to reduce the cost of prescription drugs.

[Marijuana, September 22nd, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, we take the health and safety of Canadians with the utmost seriousness. We have in place a strict regime for access to medical marijuana, which includes testing of products to make sure they are safe and free from contaminants.

There are, however, dispensaries in this country that are illegal. It is not the responsibility of the government to regulate illegal products. We will continue to make sure legal products are safe for consumption, and we will put in place a mechanism to make sure all marijuana is safe for consumption.