Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I watched with anticipation over the past couple of weeks at first as Canadian Premiers met to grapple with issues of health care funding for their respective jurisdictions, and then subsequently as they met with the Prime Minister.
Our government has invested a tremendous amount of effort and resources in ensuring our Ministers and Premier are at the federal/provincial/territorial tables, and ensuring that our issues are represented and our experience is shared on a national level. A lot of preparation work is required to effectively participate when we get there, and to communicate with counterparts in advance and have our officials and Ministers ready to lobby on behalf of the interests of Northerners. So I was very encouraged by the results of this effort, as evidenced by the significant accomplishment of our Premier and the other northern Premiers to achieve agreement from their colleagues on the need to address the needs of northern territories different with respect to national programs funding and initiatives; in this case, specifically, health.
After all, if the provincial Premiers agreed, the concession of a base funding before applying the per capita formula for the territories could only affect the provinces' shares. And if they supported us, how could the Prime Minister find any reason not to support us as well? There was absolutely no downside for him financially or politically. His response was such an affront to the North that it is almost unconceivable. Needless to say, I support the strong position then taken by Premiers Kakfwi, Okalik and Fentie to refuse to sign on. The subsequent national media attention to their position was very effective as well, in further reinforcing our need of special attention given the unique challenges of delivering health services in vast and remote areas.
Ignorance is no defense for Mr. Chretien. As the Premier pointed out, this was the Prime Minister who was very familiar with the challenges in the North, and even if he hadn't benefited from that background, we have done a very good job of clearly articulating and justifying our requests. This latest dismissive stance of the Prime Minister goes far above and beyond indifference. It is more like sabotage, Mr. Speaker.
As a seemingly afterthought gesture, the Prime Minister alluded to a separate process and dialogue with the territories. Later in question period today, I'll be asking the Premier if there have been any developments subsequent to the Ottawa meetings that should give us any cause for hope that Ottawa is getting our message. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
---Applause