Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise to speak to our government's support for innovation in health care today. I welcome the opportunity to join today's debate on the motion put forth by the hon. member for Nanaimo—Alberni.

I would like to start by recognizing my colleague's long career as a parliamentarian. The member was first elected to this place over a decade ago, and I think it probably feels like two decades, I am sure. We can all recognize the dedication he has put into representing his constituents.

This motion underscores the importance of a strong, sustainable, and responsive health care system, a system that is able to provide high-quality, cost-effective health care. It also draws attention to innovation as a means to improve the effectiveness and sustainability of our system so that Canadians across the country can access the care they need.

Our government fully recognizes the importance of innovation in health care. We have shown an unwavering commitment to a strong, publicly funded, universally accessible health care system for all Canadians, one that is founded on the principles of the Canada Health Act.

As individuals, we all rely on the health care system at some point in our lives. We all know of family members and friends who have fallen ill or been injured or who are frail. We know how important it is to have access to good health care.

Keeping our health care system strong requires an effective partnership between the provinces and territories, which have responsibility for the administration and delivery of our health care, and the federal government, which provides financial support through federal transfers.

The government recognizes that Canadians expect the health care system to be there when they and their families need it, both today and into the future. That is why we have continued to increase health care funding to record levels, regardless of what is being said out there in the media, while at the same time ensuring that the government's long-term fiscal position is sustainable. I think it is equally important to point out that we have achieved these record increases to health care transfers without raising taxes. In fact, we have continued to provide this record support for the provinces while reducing taxes on Canadian families to record lows.

In 2015-16, the government will provide $34 billion to the provinces and territories through the Canada health transfer, up almost 70% since 2006, and that funding will continue to increase, reaching over $40 billion annually by the end of the decade.

Our government's health transfer arrangement is fair, predictable, and sustainable. It provides a solid but flexible foundation for provinces and territories to continue their health system improvement efforts, efforts that include the implementation of innovative and creative approaches, as they strive to meet the health care needs of Canadians.

With federal transfers on a long-term-growth track, our government is actively supporting innovation and research that improves the performance of our health care system so that it is efficient and responsive to the needs of Canadians now and well into the future.

Economic action plan 2015 underscores our focus, pointing to the government's commitment to improving the health of Canadians and our support for innovation in the health care system.

As members of this House may know, our government is already the country's largest investor in health innovation, providing over $1 billion each year for research and other targeted initiatives that foster change, with a view to increasing the effectiveness and efficiency of the health care system.

For example, through the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, our government is supporting the strategy for patient-oriented research, or SPOR. This strategy brings together a coalition of federal, provincial, and territorial partners, all dedicated to integrating their research into care and to ensuring that the right patient receives the right intervention at the right time. Through pan-Canadian networks and regional centres of expertise known as SUPPORT units, this strategy is fostering the development of innovative approaches that will transform research into cost-effective care and improved practices.

To build on this success, budget 2015 proposes an additional $13 million per year for the expansion of this work. Similar to the regional centres for collaborative research proposed in Motion No. 501, the SUPPORT units are located across the country to provide leading research expertise and to support reforms in response to local needs.

Provinces and territories were directly involved in establishing the plans for these units, each of which is focused on addressing the health care priorities and strategies of its host jurisdiction.

Research is a particularly critical catalyst for health care innovation, but that is not all we do. We also provide essential support for pan-Canadian health organizations that play a leading role in accelerating health system change.

These national organizations, such as the previously mentioned Canada Health Infoway, the Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health, and the Canadian Institute for Health Information, support and inspire coordinated efforts across the country. These organizations are moving the yardsticks on such priority issues as getting electronic records into doctors' offices, providing guidance on the effective use of pharmaceuticals, and reporting on health system performance.

Another of these organizations, the Canadian Foundation for Healthcare Improvement, was featured in our recent budget, which proposes to provide $14 million over two years to identify efficiencies and support innovations in critical areas such as palliative care.

In addition, national coordination in key areas is provided by the Mental Health Commission of Canada and the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer.

Our government is proud to have established these organizations through significant funding, as we all know that cancer and mental health are some of our system's leading challenges. These organizations continue to help all governments and the health care community work together to effect positive change.

I am proud to say that our government also supports a number of targeted initiatives that contribute to health system improvement. They include projects that develop, test, and promote cost-effective innovations and the use of health professionals; new models for home, community, and end-of-life care; and improvements in quality and patient safety. We also have many other programs and projects that are advancing innovations to improve first nations and Inuit health care.

Through these investments, the government is actively working to accelerate innovation in health care, developing and promoting the spread of innovative practices, enabling pan-Canadian collaboration, and supporting provinces and territories in delivering care to Canadians.

Of course, Canada's health care system must continue to evolve to remain effective and sustainable in the face of demographic, economic, and other pressures. Through innovation, the system can make better use of existing resources to improve efficiency and patient outcomes.

Real health care spending in Canada has doubled between 1975 and 2011. Currently, Canada's total spending on health care stands at over 11% of GDP, the fifth-highest among OECD countries. With most provinces and territories already devoting close to 40% of their budgets to health care, there is a very real need to ensure our system is meeting the needs of Canadians in an efficient way.

Innovation is widely seen as key to improving health system productivity, efficiency, and responsiveness while fostering better, more effective patient care. Organizations like the OECD, the Conference Board of Canada, and the C.D. Howe Institute have all noted the importance of innovation, and it has increasingly served as the focus of provincial and territorial efforts.

We know that more money is not the only solution. Innovation is essential if we are to ensure that our health care system continues to improve.

Our government is committed to working with our partners to harness the tremendous potential of innovation so that together we can make better use of existing resources and achieve an efficient, more responsive, and financially sustainable healthcare system for the long term.

Not only must Canada's health care system adapt to remain responsive and sustainable, but federal efforts must also be appropriately aligned to support this adaptation. That is why, in June of 2014, the Minister of Health launched the advisory panel on health care innovation. It has been charged with identifying the most promising areas of innovation, based on learnings from across Canada and abroad, and recommending ways federal efforts might better support those areas to generate positive change across the system.

The panel, working at arm's length from government, has actively engaged provinces and territories on the challenges of innovation across Canada, and it has heard from hundreds of individuals across Canada on a wide range of issues. There is always room for improvement in the way we deploy our federal programs and resources, and I am sure the panel's work will be a key resource as the government considers its priorities and initiatives on healthcare innovation.

I would like to close by thanking the member for bringing more attention to the important issues in our health care system. It is important that we continue to debate how we best can improve our health care for all Canadians. I especially thank the member for Nanaimo—Alberni for his tireless efforts to ensure our health care system is better.

Bob Zimmer

$631,890.00