House of Commons photoLost his last election, in 2011, with 35% of the vote.
Drugs and Pharmaceuticals June 10th, 2005
Mr. Speaker, it is very clear from the 2004 accord that all jurisdictions agreed to work toward bulk purchasing. Most of the purchasing is obviously done by jurisdictions. We want to make sure that we have a national pharmaceutical strategy that includes bulk purchasing, speedier drug reviews and includes the issue of catastrophic coverage so that no Canadians would have to pay a disproportionate amount of money to deal with the necessary drugs they need.
Health June 10th, 2005
Mr. Speaker, with respect to benchmarks, there is a deadline of December 3 for all the provinces and territories, including the federal government, with respect to aboriginal health care. We have to establish benchmarks and comparable indicators that are pan-Canadian.
On the issue of drugs, we have a national pharmaceutical strategy. Officials are at several tables discussing these issues, wanting to ensure that there is bulk purchasing, speedier drug reviews and that these expensive drugs, which might have catastrophic consequences for people, are dealt with adequately.
These are some of the issues--
Health June 10th, 2005
Mr. Speaker, we already started taking decisive action. In September 2004 we provided $41 billion. In 2003 we provided $21 billion. Roy Romanow has said that we have provided more money than he recommended be given to the provinces and territories.
We are busy trying to establish benchmarks, set the comparable indicators, expand home care, and bring more international medical graduates into the mainstream so we have a health care system that is thriving.
We are also talking to the provinces. Where there might be MRIs or clinics, in terms of the Canada Health Act, we have ongoing dialogue with them.
Health June 10th, 2005
Mr. Speaker, using the words of the member who just stood up, they not only screwed up health care, they also had screwed up the economy when this government took over in 1993.
The fact is the 2003 accord provided $21 billion additional and the accord in 2004 provided $41 billion additional. We are on our way to setting benchmarks. We are on our way to setting comparable indicators. We are on our way to expanding home care. We are on our way to training more health care professionals in Canada. We are on our way to including more international medical graduates so that--
Health June 10th, 2005
Mr. Speaker, this from the sanctimonious opposition which in 1995 actually wanted deeper cuts than were made by the then finance minister. Those cuts had to be made. The government was compelled to make those cuts because when the opposition was in government, it left this country in the shape of a banana republic.
Health June 10th, 2005
Mr. Speaker, I have said this many times and obviously the opposition does not remember. In September 2004 all of the first ministers individually signed a health care accord. That provided $41 billion in new additional money over the next 10 years to ensure that the kind of privatization that members opposite are looking for does not continue to happen in Canada, does not happen in Canada, and that we make our health care system stronger than ever for all Canadians.
Health June 10th, 2005
Mr. Speaker, I will read the hidden agenda. The Leader of the Opposition said in 2002:
Our health care will continue to deteriorate unless Ottawa overhauls the Canada Health Act to allow the provinces to experiment with more market reforms and private health-care delivery options.
That party is the enemy of health care. It is that party that wants to privatize health care.
Health June 10th, 2005
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister provided an additional $41 billion last year to ensure there is strong health care in Canada over the next 10 years.
The members on the opposition benches have spliced out their own history on health care. They cut out the fact that they left Canada as a financial basket case and a candidate for the third world. They spliced out the fact that they called for deeper spending cuts, and are trying to erase the fact that they have been the strongest enemies of the Canada Health Act and the greatest champions of health care privatization.
Health June 9th, 2005
Mr. Speaker, there is a law that Parliament passed that in three years time we will be actually reviewing the performance of all of the provinces and ourselves on the health accord.
It is important that we remember we are enforcing the Canada Health Act. We continue to talk to the provinces where there might be contraventions.
I want to make sure that we continue to work with the provinces to enforce the Canada Health Act.
Health June 9th, 2005
Mr. Speaker, the hon. member is talking about drugs. We have a national pharmaceutical strategy on which all of the provinces, territories and the federal government is working. We are working on the expansion of home care. We are working on the export of drugs to the United States, banning bulk exports and the like.
It is important that we remember that we are doing all of that work while providing $41 billion to the provinces so that our public health care system is strong and that our universal access to publicly funded health care is strong and remains strong forever in Canada.