The signing of this bilateral agreement on health care funding slashed our federal funding in almost half of what it once was. As far as we know the province or the Feds haven’t released any details of the bilateral agreement. It seems to be a secret.
That’s sad given the state of health care in the provinces and the health care crisis many people see themselves in. Canada’s universal health care system is in the tanker because of poor decisions by our elected leaders.
Our health accord should unite the country in recommitting to our shared vision. It must encourage the scaling up of best practices and the implementation of national standards. Standards to ensure that no matter where we live in our country, we can access high-quality public health care. I am afraid that we now realize that our health system’s foundational principles of equity and compassion have been thrown out the door.
If we don’t demand better things will just get worse. It’s time for the public to see the details of the bilateral health agreement we signed.
If it’s so good, what’s the secret?
Danny Cavanagh is the president of the Nova Scotia Federation of Labour.
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The liberals under Stephen Mac Neil have turned into conservatives with nothing but. Dollars as their goal. This is a long way from all the promises in the last election. Sure. We need fiscally responsible government but even a farmer knows when you starve a cow you won’t get much milk
The deal is neo-liberal-good and it furthers exactly what the federal and provincial governments are working towards – privatization. These deals are not made because McNeil or Trudeau are stupid or incompetent, they are made because the two of them know exactly what they are working for – privatization. This is the neo-liberal agenda – get government out of people’s lives, leave it to the marketplace. From a neo-liberal point of view it makes good sense – businesses (privatized medical care, pharmaceutical companies, etc.) can make a lot of money and those old people will die sooner thus solving the problem of an aging population. Uncaring, cruel, crass, greed-unleashed, neo-liberal Liberals.