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Decentralized Democracy

House Hansard - 131

44th Parl. 1st Sess.
November 21, 2022 11:00AM
Context: House Hansard - 131 - Nov/21/22
Mr. Peter Julian (New Westminster—Burnaby, NDP)
  • Nov/21/22 2:15:39 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we have a health care crisis in Canada. I witnessed this first-hand over the past year as first my father and then my mother fell sick and went into palliative care. I witnessed the immense dedication of Canada's nurses, doctors and health care workers, and I know, as we all do, how underfunding by the government has created a crisis in public health care. That crisis is clear to see in children's hospitals and emergency rooms everywhere. Our health care workers are overworked to the point of exhaustion. Patients are sleeping in hospital hallways because there is nowhere else to go. The Liberal government has been irresponsible here. Instead of providing adequate health care funding to provinces and territories, it gave $750 billion in liquidity supports to help big banks maintain their profits. The same government allows over $30 billion in taxes to go to loopholes for the ultrarich and overseas tax havens every year. It must be a top priority to restore adequate health care funding so that seniors, children, families and everyone receives the health care support they deserve.
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Context: House Hansard - 131 - Nov/21/22
Mr. Louis Plamondon
  • Nov/21/22 4:53:49 p.m.
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  • Re: Bill C-32 
Madam Speaker, I talked about the health transfers that all the provinces have requested. Quebec and all the provinces are calling for a new cost-sharing arrangement with an additional $28 billion going to the provinces. The federal government may say that this is not immediately feasible, but it could at least promise to do it in increments. It could make a two-, three- or four-year agreement to reach that 35% target. I would remind the House that health transfers to the provinces were 50% in 1993. This is critically important. It is what the provinces are calling for, and it is becoming increasingly pressing right now. I read a document about Ontario, where the situation is critical. In Quebec, the situation is critical in all hospitals. We need the money that is owed to us. The Constitution very clearly states that the transfers must be unconditional.
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