reform

Wednesday March 1, 2023

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Wednesday March 1, 2023

Sliding toward a new reality in health care

January 17, 2023

According to an Ipsos opinion poll released in February, more Canadians than ever are open to the idea of private-sector delivery of publicly-funded health-care service. Not only did the poll find 59 per cent of respondents support private delivery, 60 per cent supported the idea of private care for those who can afford it.

But wait — just a couple of months earlier half of the respondents to an Angus Reid Institute poll said more private care options would a negative impact on the system, with only 32 per cent believing private options would improve things.

Vagaries of methodology and ideology aside, what’s going on here. Could both things be true? Neither?

It’s a relevant discussion as Ontario and other provinces look to the private sector to deliver more services, reducing wait times and allowing more people to get needed care. But how much private-sector involvement is too much? When does the Canada Health Act, the blueprint for universal health care, become more of a suggestion than the rule?

It certainly doesn’t help when governments, in particular the Ontario government, are more interested in promoting their preferred ideological and political outcome than in providing straight answers.

August 19, 2022

Consider Premier Doug Ford’s promise that Ontarians will always be able to access care with their “health card not a credit card.” Lovely sentiment, but is it true?

There is a lot of private-sector delivery of health services already in the market, so no one can credibly claim private delivery doesn’t work. But increasingly there are some grey areas that should make us worry.

For example, consider the pediatric practice in Toronto that offers same-day virtual access to registered practical nurse services, but only to people willing to pay a monthly subscription and per visit fee. Yes, sick young patients will be seen regardless, but if you want to be sure of same-day virtual care and in-person consultation within a day or so, you need to pay.

Without casting aspersions, does that really sound like equitable access to care, as described in the Canada Health Act? Or does it sound more like real two-tier care, one tier for those who can afford it, the other for those who cannot?

January 18, 2023

There are other anecdotal examples, including some where people say they’ve been told they can get access to services and procedures, but it might take a year or more, unless they want to pay in which case they can get access in short order.

Some tiered service has existed for years now, such as in cataract surgery, where patients are offered different options for lenses, one covered by OHIP, others not and available if you can afford them or have insurance coverage.

The point here is not to denigrate services, patients or providers dealing with this changing landscape. It is that the system is evolving, in real time, without much reflection, debate or study. We’re sliding toward a different health-care universe, and it’s happening largely by stealth. That’s not the he way it should be, nor is it a prescription for success or public buy-in. (Hamilton Spectator Editorial) 

 

Thursday February 7, 2019

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Thursday February 7, 2019

Health inspections, air ambulance won’t be privatized, minister says

December 3, 2002

Ontario’s health minister was forced to make assurances Monday that long-term care inspections and the province’s air ambulance service will not be privatized, as leaked documents appear to peg those services for “outsourcing.”

Christine Elliott’s comments came after the NDP released a second set of confidential government documents following the release last week of a draft version of the Progressive Conservative government’s upcoming health-care transformation legislation.

“The NDP have intentionally created confusion about the way care is delivered in this province,” Elliott said. “As we bring forward desperately needed and overdue change to health-care in this province, Ontarians will continue to access reliable, public health-care.”

December 21, 2016

The Ontario Provincial Police have been notified about the document leaks and the person responsible is no longer employed by the government, the head of the public service said in a memo.

Both sets of leaked documents show the government is creating a health “super agency” that would be in charge of managing health services, quality improvement, patient relations, digital health and tissue donation and transplants, among other responsibilities.

The draft legislation would allow the government to roll local health integration networks, Cancer Care Ontario, eHealth Ontario, the Trillium Gift of Life Network and other government health agencies into the super agency. The local health networks are responsible for delivering home care, and one document warns of a risk of service disruptions.

Animated!

Elliott said the plan is not final and consultations are ongoing, but the NDP say the documents they revealed Monday include references to cabinet already approving the overall plan and appointing super agency board members.

One document, as part of a Dec. 13 workshop for assistant deputy ministers, references outsourcing laboratories — many of which are already privately run — inspections, licensing, devices and the province’s air ambulance service, Ornge.

Elliott said none of those services will be privatized. (Source: Hamilton Spectator) 

 

Wednesday August 8, 2018

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Wednesday August 8, 2018

Saudi Arabia expels Canadian ambassador, freezes trade in human rights dispute

April 14, 2016

Saudi Arabia said Sunday it is ordering Canada’s ambassador to leave the country and freezing all new trade and investment transactions with Canada in a spat over human rights.

“We consider the Canadian ambassador to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia persona non grata and order him to leave within the next 24 hours, ” Saudi Arabia’s foreign ministry said on Twitter. And the ministry said Saudi Arabia is recalling its ambassador to Canada in a dispute that appears to be over a tweet from Global Affairs Canada.

“Canada is gravely concerned about additional arrests of civil society and women’s rights activists in Saudi Arabia, including Samar Badawi.

“We urge the Saudi authorities to immediately release them and all other peaceful human rights activists, ” the Canadian tweet said on Friday.

March 31, 2016

The Saudi foreign ministry called the use of “immediately release” in the tweet “unfortunate, reprehensible, and unacceptable in relations between states.”

It called Canada’s characterization of the activists “an incorrect claim” and called Canada’s attitude “surprising.”

“Any other attempt to interfere with our internal affairs from Canada, means that we are allowed to interfere in Canada’s internal affairs, ” it said.

Global Affairs Canada said it was aware of the issue.

Saudi Arabia also said it was freezing all new trade and investment transactions with Canada .

It said that it will not accept any form of interference in its internal affairs and considers the Canadian position “an attack” requiring a firm stance to deter “attempts to undermine the sovereignty of the KSA.” (Source: Toronto Star) 

 

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Saturday February 4, 2017

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Saturday February 4, 2017

In light of Donald Trump, Justin Trudeau is clearing the decks.

The prime minister is ditching complicated and politically difficult aspects of his agenda in order to focus on the mercurial U.S. President.

February 2, 2017

That’s the context for Trudeau’s dramatic about-face this week on electoral reform.

It also helps explain why he put the kibosh Wednesday to suggestions the government might tax employee health and dental benefits.

In that case, he publicly undercut Finance Minister Bill Morneau who, in his review of pricey tax breaks, has been deliberately noncommittal about such a move.

A political fight over a popular tax break is the last thing the Liberal government wants now.

Nor, apparently, does it want to spend time and energy on an issue, like electoral reform, that polls suggest most Canadians don’t much care about.

January 11, 2016

Ottawa has always been sensitive to political ebbs and flows in the U.S. During the 2015 election campaign that brought him to power, Trudeau promised to be even more Washington-focused.

But Trump’s election victory has presented Canada’s government with a host of new problems.

First and foremost is the future of the North American Free Trade Agreement. Trump’s insistence on a renegotiation of that pact could, in the short run at least, devastate portions of the Canadian economy.

As well, Trump’s ambitious public works promises, if affected, could put upward pressure on interest rates. That in turn could raise the cost of Trudeau’s proposed public investments.

Trump is also musing about a 20 per cent border adjustment tax on exports to the U.S., including, presumably, exports from Canada.

His decision to ban citizens of seven Muslim-majority countries from entering the U.S. threw Ottawa into a tizzy, one that was only partially resolved when the Americans agreed to exempt dual nationals holding Canadian passports. (Source: Toronto Star) 

 

Thursday February 2, 2017

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Thursday February 2, 2017

Trudeau drops pledge to reform Canada’s electoral system

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has abandoned his longstanding promise to overhaul Canada’s voting system.

December 9, 2016

Trudeau made the dramatic reversal of a key platform plank in a new mandate letter for Karina Gould, his newly named minister of democratic institutions.

“Changing the electoral system will not be in your mandate,” reads the letter.

“There has been tremendous work by the House of Commons Special Committee on Electoral Reform, outreach by Members of Parliament by all parties, and engagement of 360,000 individuals in Canada through mydemocracy.ca,” Trudeau wrote.

“A clear preference for a new electoral system, let alone a consensus, has not emerged. Furthermore, without a clear preference or a clear question, a referendum would not be in Canada’s interest.”

December 2, 2016

That clearly contradicts a report submitted by a parliamentary committee to the government last fall.

Trudeau had long said the Liberals would ensure the 2015 election was the last one held under the current first-past-the-post system, under which the party that wins a plurality of votes gets to form government, even if it doesn’t win a 50-per-cent-plus-one-vote majority of the popular vote.

In a town hall in Belleville three weeks ago, Trudeau admitted he was “on record” as personally in favour of a ranked ballot system. But he insisted at that time he would not back away from its plan to change the way Canadians vote and elect their governments.

Instead, Trudeau set out a broader goal — with some new marching orders — for Gould.

October 21, 2016

“As Minister of Democratic Institutions, your overarching goal will be to strengthen the openness and fairness of Canada’s public institutions. You will lead on improving our democratic institutions and Senate reform to restore Canadians’ trust and participation in our democratic processes,” he wrote.

Gould told reporters her priorities will be to legislate changes to boost transparency for cash-for-access political fundraisers, and getting the government’s key electronic signals spy agency (CSE or Communications Security Establishment) to assess the risk posed by hackers to Canadian political and electoral activities.

On the defensive in her first major news conference, Gould said that the government undertook major consultations and listened to Canadians on electoral reform but “we realized there was no consensus to move forward with electoral reform.” (Source: Toronto Star)