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Decentralized Democracy

House Hansard - 331

44th Parl. 1st Sess.
June 13, 2024 10:00AM
Context: House Hansard - 331 - Jun/13/24
Hon. Mark Holland (Minister of Health, Lib.)
  • Jun/13/24 3:01:17 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, it is interesting that the only time the Conservatives have asked in the House about health care or a shortage of doctors is when there has been a proposal to create a more fair tax system that asked the 0.13% of people to pay a bit more. Suddenly now, the Conservatives are interested in health care. What is not going to help? Conservative cuts will not help. The $200 billion that Liberals have invested, with 26 health agreements, in every province and every territory, is making sure we see progress every day in our health system, from dental care to pharmacare and primary care. What is going to stop that dead in its tracks are the cuts the Conservatives want to bring. Liberals are here to make sure they do not get to do it.
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Context: House Hansard - 331 - Jun/13/24
Mrs. Shelby Kramp-Neuman (Hastings—Lennox and Addington, CPC)
  • Jun/13/24 3:02:02 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the Liberals are scrambling, and their facts do not add up. Kneecapping our health care providers to pay for the government's credit card bill is bad fiscal policy and it is bad health care policy. The key to a sound, robust health care system is preventative medicine, ensuring that Canadians get timely access to the health care they need. This not only saves lives but also saves government money. Increasing the tax burden on doctors who carry out this work will only force doctors out of the country. When will the pompous Prime Minister finally listen to the thousands of people on wait-lists?
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Context: House Hansard - 331 - Jun/13/24
The Speaker
  • Jun/13/24 3:03:01 p.m.
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I thank the hon. member for doing so. The hon. Minister of Health.
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Context: House Hansard - 331 - Jun/13/24
Hon. Mark Holland (Minister of Health, Lib.)
  • Jun/13/24 3:03:03 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, when someone is out of arguments, they turn to insults. We are asking the 0.13% of people to pay a bit more so that we can have fairness and equity in our tax system, making sure a nurse does not pay a higher marginal rate of tax than a millionaire, which is fundamentally unfair. Do members know what will kneecap our health care system? There have been 200,000 seniors in just six weeks who have accessed dental care, and the Conservatives want to take that away. Pharmacare is making sure that diabetes patients get the medicine they need; the Conservatives want to cut that. That will kneecap our health care system. We will not allow that to happen.
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Context: House Hansard - 331 - Jun/13/24
Mr. Joël Godin (Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, CPC)
  • Jun/13/24 3:03:45 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, it is unfortunate that the Minister of Health does not realize that after nine years, there is a major, historic crisis caused by the lack of family doctors in Canada. Increasing the capital gains tax will have an impact on the economy and the quality of life of Canadians. In the midst of this challenging economic chaos they have created, the Liberals decide to tax capital gains even more. Supposedly, they want to make the rich pay. This is a tax cover-up and it will have a major impact. As a result of the exodus, the list of Canadians without a doctor will grow, not shrink. In Quebec, there are already 2.3 million people without a family doctor. What does the Minister of Health say in response—
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Context: House Hansard - 331 - Jun/13/24
The Speaker
  • Jun/13/24 3:04:28 p.m.
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The hon. Minister of Health.
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Context: House Hansard - 331 - Jun/13/24
Hon. Mark Holland (Minister of Health, Lib.)
  • Jun/13/24 3:04:32 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I can say clearly that, in a fairer and more equitable system, a nurse does not pay a higher rate of tax than someone with millions of dollars. It just makes sense. It is absolutely undeniable that our health care system is threatened by fewer investments, which are essential to improving the quality of health care. We are absolutely going to protect our health care system. That is our goal.
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Context: House Hansard - 331 - Jun/13/24
Mr. Dan Muys
  • Jun/13/24 9:21:08 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I have had the opportunity to visit the member's riding, and there are many great places there. On the subject of health care, over the years of the Harper government, we saw increases to health care spending during that tenure, and health care is important. I know this very personally and directly. My father had heart surgery five or six weeks ago. There were some complications, and he spent a number of weeks in hospital recovering. My mom was a nurse in the hospital system in Hamilton for 50 years, so we absolutely support health care. What is important for health care is a strong economy that generates the revenue so that we can actually afford to invest in health care.
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Context: House Hansard - 331 - Jun/13/24
Ms. Heather McPherson (Edmonton Strathcona, NDP)
  • Jun/13/24 9:53:56 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, one thing my colleague talked about was the health transfer to the provinces. Health care is something I am hearing about from my constituents more than anything else, and they are worried about its privatization. The original plan under the Canada Health Act was that the federal government would pay 50% and the provinces would pay 50%. It has been a long time since that has been the case, yet the member is making it sound as though it is a really great thing that we are hitting 26% or 30%. That is not what we were supposed to do. Is there a plan within the government to increase the health transfers so we can make sure that health care remains a public, universally delivered program?
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