Will Harper Blink on Healthcare Reform First?

Why is Harper raising concerns over Alberta's solutions?

As a transplanted Atlantic Canadian I have always admired Alberta, and in fact refer to it affectionately as, ‘The Motherland’; a place where strong work ethic is celebrated and promoted, where many fiscal conservatives and libertarians can feel at home.

Growing numbers of Canucks have grown tired of Canada’s ailing and dying single tier, single payer healthcare monopoly a la North Korea.

What has become disappointing however is the caliber of people who “offer” themselves to the public ballot. Each one promising to correct the inherit problems found in the faulty foundation of Canada’s medical system, yet when opportunity for change arises, the status quo continues…

The Alberta government has been doing it best to provide individuals choice in the medical system for those who choose to seek out private medical insurance, and private medical options. Why should anyone be forced to suffer because of some edict from Ottawa? Throughout this long and arduous journey however, Alberta has had to deal with virtuosic attacks from Ontario/Quebec politicians; and oddly enough federal Albertan politicians who claim to be Albertans, Joe Clark comes to mind…

Stephen Harper has become the latest shinning white knight of the Canada Health Act, writing letters to provinces like a born again Stephan Dion explaining how Ottawa wants things done.

Why has Harper made a point of attacking the Alberta government with a condescending letter of disapproval on Albertans seeking out private medical options?

Lecturing Albertans Paul Martin style, Harper says that his concern is “whether the expansion of private insurance would include publicly funded health services, leading to faster access for those who can afford private insurance," of course it would Stephen; that is the very point of introducing private free-market reforms so people do not have to suffer any longer then what they choose…

He has forgotten that Canada is made up of many local provincial governments and a single federal government. According to our Constitution, and our Charter, which of course act as the law of the land, no matter how flawed those documents are; medical services is generally run by the province not Ottawa. So Ottawa should quite frankly butt out where it doesn’t belong.

Stephen is so upset with Alberta reforms which allow doctors to work in both the private and public health sector that he espouses a little gem which could have come straight out of the mouth of Jean Chrétien: "Moreover, such dual practice may be a magnet for rural physicians to migrate to urban centres." Since when is it the job of Ottawa to tell Doctors in Alberta where they are allowed to work?

There was also a time when Harper loathed politicians who attempted to expand federal intervention into provincial matters. Times have changed though; as with most so-called “conservatives”, Harper has changed his ‘moral compass’ suddenly and quickly. His views have “evolved” as he himself has said on numerous occasions.

The best part of Stephen’s analysis however is the following mantra which has been repeated darkly so often by Jack Layton of the NDP: "Furthermore, dual practice legitimizes queue-jumping as it provides an approved mechanism for patients to pay to seek treatment at the front of the line." Well golly, imagine that Prime Minister Harper, individual Albertans who are tired of suffering and dying in a Cuban style medical system wanting to find a way to get quicker treatment…

I was born in Ottawa, why would I presume to tell individual Albertans that they must suffer and die in the name of Canada’s healthcare? Furthermore, why would a Torontonian like Harper raise concerns over Alberta's solutions?

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Many thanks to Kayla, my number 1 fan for getting this column rolling!

***VERY IMPORTANT UPDATE***
CALGARY (CP) - Federal Health Minister Tony Clement isn't ruling out holding back transfer payments to Alberta if the province's Third Way health-care reforms violate the Canada Health Act.

But the minister says he expects full co-operation from Alberta and points out he has yet to see the government's final proposal.

Clement says withholding transfer payments is the only tool Ottawa has if a province violates the act, but he admits it's a "blunt instrument."

He says his only concern at this point is the potential impact of a dual system allowing private and public health care to co-exist.

Clement met with Alberta Health Minister Iris Evans on Wednesday.

The Alberta government caucus is meeting in Calgary to decide how the province should proceed with its Third Way plan.