Rumours

In the coming days, weeks and months, there are bound to be all kinds of rumours circulating concerning compensation. Links to the official documents will be posted here as they become available. Please check the official documents before assuming that any rumour you hear is true. If you don't understand something, please ask. While we expect that there will be some questions or concerns with respect to some parts of the settlement, we want the discussion to be based on the facts, rather than speculation or wrong information.

So, let's deal with some rumours that have already started to circulate:

1. You have to register for the settlement in the next few days!

Wrong. The settlement has not yet been finalized or announced. There is nothing to register for or sign up for at the moment, and there is certainly no deadline established for registration. When the settlement is finalized and announced, there will be ample notice to people on how they can apply, and when. People will be given plenty of time to apply.

2. The House of Commons breaks for the summer on June 23. If there's no settlement by then, the whole matter will get put off to the fall.

Wrong. The fact that Parliament rises for the summer break on June 23 does not affect our negotiations. There is no deadline to complete negotiations by June 23. Government continues to operate throughout the summer, as do we. Negotiations can continue through the summer, on weekends, whenever. The settlement does not need to be voted on in the House of Commons, so it really does not matter whether Parliament is in session or not. We will continue to negotiate until we reach a fair deal. That being said, we are all trying to get things finalized as soon as possible.

Health Minister testifies regarding Hep C Compensation

On June 6, 2006, Health Minister Tony Clement appeared before the Standing Committee on Health, and was asked questions about compensation for pre-86/post-90 hepatitis C victims. Unfortunately, due to the current state of negotiations, the Minister was not able to give many details. As is typical in most negotiations, the parties have agreed not to release details until the final agreement is reached. It would be unfair to everyone to release details before they are finalized, as things can and do change during the course of negotiations. The whole point of a negotiation is give and take. We need to retain flexibility. If a public announcement were to be made on any particular point, such as how much the total deal was worth, how much the individual compensation amounts were, etc., it would be very difficult to negotiate any change in that position. This could end up hurting the victims, as we could get locked into a position and be unable to negotiate a better agreement.

I can confirm, however, several of the things the Minister did say. In my view, it is accurate to say that the negotiations have advanced more in the last few months than they have in the last several years. Significant progress is being made, and we believe we are very close to an agreement. There are still a few issues which need to be worked out. The federal negotiators and the plaintiffs' negotiating team are working in good faith to get the matter settled as soon as possible.

The plaintiffs' team is working hard to negotiate a good settlement, and so far we are quite pleased with the way things are shaping up. We know that this compensation is very important to thousands of people who need financial assistance to help them deal with the effects of hepatitis C for themselves and their families. We want to ensure that the amounts offered to victims are adequate, and that the process for applying for the settlement is fair and efficient.

We are almost at the finish line. As soon as I can provide more details, I will.

Health Minister to appear at Committee June 6

Further to my last post, the Minister of Health will be appearing before the Health Committee on Tuesday, June 6 at 11 a.m. in Room 237-C in the Centre Block on Parliament Hill. The hearings are usually available live on the internet. Go to http:\\parlvu.parl.gc.ca and check the schedule.