Hon. Kristopher Wells: Senator Moreau, protecting our publicly funded, single-payer, universal health care system is the responsibility of the federal government under the Canada Health Act, but at this moment, it is under threat.

In my own home province of Alberta, the provincial government is opening the door to more American-style, private, for-profit care that undermines services for all Albertans. The province’s proposed Bill 11 will take practitioners out of the public system at a time when shortages are being felt by families across the province.

What steps is the federal government prepared to take in order to protect public health care in Alberta and across the country?

Hon. Pierre Moreau (Government Representative in the Senate): Thank you, Senator Wells.

This question was raised earlier by Senator Osler. We know that Bill 11 has not been adopted yet, but the government has been clear that it will always prioritize the Canada Health Act and Canada’s universal health care system. The federal government takes a collaborative approach with all provinces and territories to ensure that all Canadians continue to have equitable access to medically necessary care based on their medical needs, not their ability to pay.

I have also been informed that Minister Michel is having regular conversations with her Alberta counterpart on that issue.

Senator K. Wells: Thank you. Our public health care system is something that unites us all as Canadians. It is how we look after each other, but at this moment, we are seeing efforts by the UCP to Americanize our health care system. In fact, the Canadian Health Coalition has even expressed concern that Bill 11 puts at risk the carve-out of public health insurance in our trade agreements, which stops U.S. private health insurance companies from swamping our country.

Senator Moreau, is the federal government doing an analysis of what Alberta’s Bill 11 would mean for our current free trade agreement obligations?

Senator Moreau: As I said earlier, Minister Michel is having conversations with her counterpart in Alberta, and Health Canada officials are engaging with Alberta’s officials to better understand the various components and implications of Bill 11, if it is adopted.