Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We should first of all be clear that when we make a one-time infusion of cash, it’s very program specific. For example, I think medical travel is one that receives the most one-time funding due to the fact that that program goes over budget by demand.
Mr. Speaker, we are, as a system, working now with the understanding that deficits in our health authorities are not deficits to those health authorities but it’s a system-wide deficit. Many authorities right now are experiencing a deficit and we want to address that by changing the system and changing the way we manage our health care system as a system.
I can tell you that there are a number of major factors that we have determined to contribute to the system deficit: physician programs, medical travel, unfunded benefits, pension buy-backs, overtime and relief for essential services, and Canadian Blood Services, which has gone through the roof over the last number of years.
Mr. Speaker, I would also like to note that we are leading a number of initiatives and reviews to
address this as a system. We are looking at a business process redesign, we are undertaking a medical travel review, we are also doing a physician review, health services administration review and extended health benefits review. Mr. Speaker, we believe that this outcome of this work underway will inform us and give us a set of decisions that we would have to make. Thank you.