HESA Committee Report

Dissenting opinion of the Bloc Québécois

The Bloc Québécois wishes, firstly, to reiterate that children's health is an essential issue and that, like all political parties, we wish to offer the best education and health systems to our young people. The Bloc would like to explain that it is not opposed to the foundations and principles of the report “FOSTERING HEALTHY CHILDHOOD: THE FOUNDATIONS FOR RESILIENT GENERATIONS”, but that its opinion differs on the measures suggested to address the issue. Indeed, many of the recommendations proposed in this report suggest that the federal government should interfere in the areas of jurisdiction of Quebec and the provinces. The Bloc Québécois is in favor of initiatives that will support better education and health care systems for children, provided they respect the rule of law and the division of jurisdiction set out in the Constitution Act, 1867.

The Bloc Québécois wishes to point out that this reality greatly limits the direct role the federal government can play in this area. Consequently, the best way it can act to provide better education and health systems for children is to better fund these systems through the Health Transfer (CHT) and the Canada Social Transfer (CST). Increasing our contribution to health and social programs in this way not only respects the Constitution, but also avoids administrative duplication and improves conditions for all as quickly and efficiently as possible.

Fiscal imbalance

The Bloc Québécois would like to point out that the root cause of the difficulties facing our healthcare systems is linked to the fiscal imbalance that exists within the Canadian federation. The federal government's disengagement from healthcare funding prevents Quebec and the provinces from offering the working conditions that healthcare workers deserve. The Bloc reiterates that the federal government must increase federal transfers for health care and the Canada Social Transfer, as well as cede tax points to the provinces, so that they can carry out their social services missions in a predictable, sustainable and unconditional manner.

Asymmetrical federalism

The Bloc Québécois also believes that, when it comes to health care, the federal government must have a distinct approach for Quebec. On September 15, 2004, in the wake of the Canada Health Transfer agreements, the federal government recognized, along with Quebec, in a press release:

“The Quebec government's desire to exercise its own responsibilities with regard to the planning, organization and management of health care services within its territory, noting that its commitment to the principles on which its public health care system is based - namely, universality, portability, comprehensiveness, accessibility and accessibility - has been recognized by the federal government, comprehensiveness, accessibility and public administration - coincides with that of all governments in Canada, and is based on asymmetrical federalism, i.e. flexible federalism that allows for agreements and arrangements adapted to the specific nature of Quebec. “

The Bloc believes that the federal government's recognition of Quebec's competence and willingness to take charge of its own health care system, and to be accountable to Quebec citizens, must be reflected in the negotiations it wishes to conduct on health care. Without this recognition by the federal government, the collaborative approach it has included in its recommendations will not be effective.