Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to have this opportunity to further discuss a matter I raised in the House on October 21, a matter we have repeatedly raised in the Chamber and which has been treated with indifference, rhetoric and callous disregard. The issue concerns the critical situation facing our health care system today.
Last week the Liberals defeated a motion in the House to reinvest $2 billion as a minimum in terms of cuts they have made to health care. During that debate the Liberals talked about how concerned they were about health care but refused to provide any specifics with respect to the critical situation. Every Liberal in that debate voted down a motion to shore up our health care system to a minimum of $2 billion.
Not only did the Liberals refuse to support that motion, they also in the course of that debate dismissed the very real concerns we keep bringing forward to them about the inadequacy of our health care system and the very real worries that people have about whether health care will be there when they need it.
The Liberals continue to deny the reality facing many Canadians. They try to suggest that these very real concerns are a figment of our imagination. The human situation speaks for itself. We only have to look at the health cuts especially in provinces like Manitoba and Ontario where we have a combination of federal and provincial cuts that has resulted in very real pain and hardship for people everywhere.
On October 21, I referred to the situation in Toronto of 17 out of 19 emergency rooms being closed down. I also referred to the situation in Ottawa where paramedics warned that the overload in hospitals was putting patients at risk. This past week in Manitoba we had nurses testifying that they were working 24 hour shifts and letting IV bags go dry because there is not enough nursing staff. Nurses are overworked, stressed out and suffering from complete burnout. They want to care for their patients but because of funding cuts they are facing very critical situations, with very serious emotional consequences for their patients.
We are here today to ask the government if it will listen to all the provinces that have asked for a minimum reinvestment of $2.5 billion. We are here to ask the Liberals if they are listening to every health care organization in the country demanding a minimum reinvestment of $2.5 billion.
We want to know specifically if the government will move to stabilize the system which is now in critical condition. Will the government assure us that it will not be entering into side deals with the provinces? Will it assure us that it will not be bypassing the Canada Health Act? Will it assure us that it will not be entering into unilateral arrangements that destroy the medicare model we have in Canada today?
Will it state clearly that it is prepared to stabilize the system? Will it raise the floor in terms of cash payments to a minimum of $15 billion? Will it embark on a new chapter of co-operation, prepared to work with the provinces, the stakeholders and Canadians everywhere who are deeply concerned about the quality of health care? Will this government stand up for medicare in no uncertain terms?