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Decentralized Democracy

House Hansard - 286

44th Parl. 1st Sess.
February 27, 2024 10:00AM
Context: House Hansard - 286 - Feb/27/24
Hon. Mark Holland (Minister of Health, Lib.)
  • Feb/27/24 2:29:06 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, there is a bill coming up in the House of Commons that will give us an opportunity to lower drug prices and improve access to drugs. I hope all members of the House will support this bill. It is important not to criticize something that does not yet exist. Let us wait until the bill is introduced.
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Context: House Hansard - 286 - Feb/27/24
Hon. Mark Holland (Minister of Health, Lib.)
  • Feb/27/24 2:30:17 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, once again, the Bloc Québécois is obviously trying to pick fights. It is always picking fights. Our intention is simply to improve the quality of health care for Canadians across the country. In Quebec, for example, it is absolutely essential that every Quebecker everywhere in the province be able to receive dental care. That is our goal, and we intend to achieve it in a spirit of co-operation, not by squabbling.
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Context: House Hansard - 286 - Feb/27/24
Hon. Mark Holland (Minister of Health, Lib.)
  • Feb/27/24 2:31:35 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I think it is amazing that the Government of Canada is providing an additional $200 billion over the next 10 years for health care. It takes time to reach a good agreement with each province and territory. It is very clear that by the end of March, there will be an agreement with every province and territory to improve the quality of health care and ensure that our health care system is the best in the world. That is our goal, and it can only be reached with co-operation.
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Context: House Hansard - 286 - Feb/27/24
Hon. Mark Holland (Minister of Health, Lib.)
  • Feb/27/24 2:32:51 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, coming out of a pandemic, coming out of some of the most difficult times our planet has ever faced in terms of global health, we have stepped forward. I want to thank the member in the NDP for his work and for pointing out that the Conservatives will cut, and cut deeply. When they talk about what their plans are, they fail to mention that, to achieve them, they are going to need to cut billions and billions out of health, with devastating consequences. In contrast, we are investing in every province and every territory of this country to make sure that we have the best health care system. We will be relentless in that focus, and we will not let the Conservatives deter us.
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Context: House Hansard - 286 - Feb/27/24
Hon. Mark Holland (Minister of Health, Lib.)
  • Feb/27/24 2:55:54 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, first of all, let me give my thanks to personal care support workers. During the pandemic, which was a time so difficult for all of us, it was enormously difficult for personal care support workers, who did extraordinary work. We did make a commitment to support provinces. It is the provinces that have the principal responsibility for this. We expect them to step up in supports for personal care support workers. We have said we are there to help them, but it is their lead, and they need to make sure that these individuals are compensated and acknowledged in the way that they deserve.
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Context: House Hansard - 286 - Feb/27/24
Hon. Mark Holland (Minister of Health, Lib.)
  • Feb/27/24 3:11:24 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, when it comes to redactions, it was the Public Health Agency of Canada that conducted them. I would ask the opposition members this: Is it their position that a government should be involved in redacting documents? That is a deeply disturbing thing for them to hold as a proposition. Instead, what happened was that we asked Parliament, we suggested and Conservatives refused to look at the documents or to participate but eventually did, to ensure that parliamentarians could look at what information was there and could make the decision that the redactions done by the Public Health Agency were or were not appropriate. The processed worked. It was a process we introduced and one they supported eventually—
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Context: House Hansard - 286 - Feb/27/24
Hon. Mark Holland (Minister of Health, Lib.)
  • Feb/27/24 3:12:36 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I am in the awkward position of agreeing. We were actually the ones who said the documents needed to be looked at by parliamentarians. We were the ones who introduced the process that asked parliamentarians to get together. Unfortunately, the Conservatives said no. Eventually, they did participate, and then parliamentarians had an opportunity to take a look at the redactions done by the Public Health Agency. Now, those documents, after the work of parliamentarians has been done, will be shared. That is exactly what we wanted to happen to make sure there is maximum public exposure, while at the same time respecting our national security laws.
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