Ujjal Dosanjh

[Health, May 2nd, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, of course this is a very serious situation. All governments are struggling with the issue of orphan drugs. I have been dealing with this issue for some time.

The member opposite in fact became aware of this issue just a couple of days ago. That is a matter of shame. This issue is in his riding. I have been struggling with this issue.

I am going to speak to Alberta's minister. I want to make sure that this issue is dealt with. I want to make sure that the young man does not go without medication when he needs it.

[Health, May 2nd, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, the fact is that $41 billion has been provided to the provinces over the next 10 years to make sure we have public health care in Canada with public delivery of that health care. The real danger to health care is from the opposition benches where they want to privatize health care American style.

[Health, May 2nd, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, the fact is that we are enforcing the Canada Health Act across the country. We started the process with respect to New Brunswick. I have written to the other ministers of health across the country on this issue.

Our differences are not with the NDP on this issue. Our differences are with the opposition when the Leader of the Opposition and the opposition House leader are bent upon privatizing health care in Canada, which we will not let happen.

[Hepatitis C, April 20th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to state that the government will vote in favour of the principle of the motion. We agree because it supports what we as a government have already been doing. We are committed to the discussions launched in November to explore all available options for providing compensation.

However, while we are supporting the motion, we recognize the limitations and flaws of that motion. It must be made clear that compensation can only be made once the discussions underway have concluded. Everyone is working in good faith as fast as they can to reach a successful outcome.

[Health, April 14th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, that is absolute hogwash. I have been making preparations to enforce the Canada Health Act. We have enforced the Canada Health Act in instances since I have been here.

I can say that we will be enforcing the Canada Health Act with New Brunswick on abortion and with all the provinces on diagnostic imaging in the very near future.

[Health, April 14th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister will be providing an additional $41 billion to the provinces over the next 10 years. The Prime Minister has said, as I have been saying for months, that we are going to enforce the Canada Health Act from coast to coast to coast.

[Health, April 13th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, the Harris-Manning proposal for health care would kill the Canada Health Act, would check people's wallets before checking their pulses, and would force people into credit card medicine. The Leader of the Opposition remains silent while icons of his party call the Canada Health Act the dusty old rule book and ask for privatization of health care, which we would never let happen in Canada.

[Health, April 12th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, we have made cancer control a priority.

In terms of the five areas where we need to reduce wait times, cancer is one of the priorities for wait time reduction. Also, we provided in the last budget $300 million for an integrated strategy on healthy living and chronic disease control to face this important challenge. This year we have given $10 million to the Terry Fox Foundation in recognition of its work and in order for it to pursue research on this very important issue.

[Pharmaceutical Industry, March 22nd, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, I have called for the clinical trials to be more transparent and open so all Canadians know the good, the bad and the ugly of clinical trials. I have also written to the Standing Committee on Health to look at potential options for improving the drug safety and transparency in the drug approval process.

I also said in February that I had asked the department to look at a variety of options for improving the drug transparency, approval process and the post-market surveillance. We are going to be producing a discussion paper on mandatory adverse reaction reporting. We are going to change the culture of drug approval in the country.

[Health, March 21st, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, in addition to the $41 billion, the budget provided $800 million more for health care funding federally. It included $75 million over five years to expand programs to assess and accredit foreign trained health professionals. It provided $300 million over five years for the Public Health Agency to develop a national strategy for chronic disease and prevention control. Also it provided $34 million over five years to better prepare Canada for a flu pandemic--