Gov't Announces Hep-C Compensation

[FiveParadox]

Today, The Right Honourable Stephen Harper, P.C., M.P., the Member for Calgary Southwest and the Prime Minister of Canada, announced that the Government of Canada has reached an agreement in relation to key elements of a compensation package for victims of hepatitis C as a result of a tainted blood system before January 1, 1986, and after July 1, 1990.

Both the present Government, and the previous Government of Canada, should be congratulated for their tireless work in relation to this issue. In November of 2004, the previous Government announced an intention to compensate the victims in the timeframe outlined above, and embarked on a discussion of the options that were available to the Government. At the end of 2005, the Government announced that it had reached a memorandum of understanding with the victims' representatives. Today, building on the work of the previous Government, Mr. Harper announced that key elements of that agreement have now been finalized.

The Right Hon. Stephen Harper[/color], P.C., M.P.,]Because these victims have waited long enough for what is due to them, our government is going to do everything in its power to ensure that matters are moved ahead as quickly as possible.

Click here to read the entire news release.
Cliquetez içi pour lire le communiqué entier.

The Government has announced an intention to place one billion dollars into a trust, to be reserved for paying compensation to those affected by a once-tainted blood system. This is in supplement to the five hundred twenty-five million dollars that was committed by the previous Government to ensure that policies and strategies were put in place to ensure that the blood system would be entirely safe and secure for use in the future, and to support the treatment of victims of the tainted system.

Only a few steps remain to be taken before compensation can be paid:

• A more detailed final agreement will need to be written;
• The courts in four of the Provinces of Canada will need to concur in the agreement; and
• A process for persons to apply for compensation, and for those applications to be reviewed, will need to be established so as to ensure that the distribution of compensation will be completed in a timely and efficient manner.

While I am concerned that perhaps the Prime Minister is playing to the media by implying that the agreement is a done deal, I am happy that the Government (and their predecessor) has made such progress in relation to the issue of compensation for victims of a tainted blood system. I certainly hope that updated regulations and strategies have been brought into force in order to prevent such a disastrous situation from occurring again in the future.

:?: Sources
1. Click here for the Web site of the Office of the Prime Minister of Canada.

 

[tracy]

It's so sad that this happened at all. I worked with a woman who died from Hep C aquired from a blood transfusion in the 80s. Nowadays blood donation is extremely strict.

 

[#juan]

I'm very glad to hear this because I know a couple who got caught in that Hep C mess. Let's face it, hep C is hell on earth. The two people I know are going through kidney dialysis with little hope of full recovery. transplants are only a temporary solution.

 

[Colpy]

Both the present Government, and the previous Government of Canada, should be congratulated for their tireless work in relation to this issue

WHAT!!!!!!!!!

The Liberals tried every possible underhanded, nasty, stupid, arrogant trick to save themselves a dollar or two to hand out to Liberal mobsters in Quebec.

You'd best read up again on this issue Five!

My comment from another thread.....

Harper just announced compensation for ALL those who contacted Hep C from tainted blood.

Hang your heads in shame, Liberals.

I assume Carolyn Bennet will now be crossing the floor on principle.....oh yeah, I forgot, SHE DOESN'T HAVE ANY!

One of the most disgusting things I have ever seen in the House was Bennet standing in tears to vote FOR the bill that FAILED to compensate all sufferers. I mean, I didn't expect her to cross, but she could have voted against it, or simply abstained.

Anyway, KUDOS to Harper and the CPC.

 

[FiveParadox]

Re: RE: Gov't Announces Hep-C Compensation

You'd best read up again on this issue Five!

I have.

It seems to be the Web site for the Office of the Prime Minister of Canada that indicates that the previous Government of Canada had embarked down this road in November of 2004, and that funds were set aside for compensating the victims before January 1986 and post-July 1990. This is certainly not entirely the work of the present Government, and to suggest so is quite incorrect.

 

[Colpy]

I apologize.

You are correct.

I went off half-cocked, so to speak. I had no idea the Martin gov't had taken steps to correct the omission of the Chretien boys.

 

[FiveParadox]

Was that Martin already? I wasn't really paying too much attention to politics when the Chrétien-Martin switch occurred—my true attention to politics commenced some time through the Thirty-eighth Parliament of Canada.