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.
