Health Care

In 2007 the Council of Canadians played a significant role in the fight to preserve and protect public health care. Our advocacy focused on countering the message that public health care is “unsustainable” and should therefore be turned over to the for-profit sector. In letters to the editor and opinion articles in dozens of national and local newspapers, Council staff members and chapter activists demonstrated that solutions to wait times and other health care concerns can be found within the existing public system.

We took this message to the streets of Vancouver in August, as the Canadian Medical Association (CMA) convened its annual meeting. Council activists protested proudly outside Dr. Brian Day’s private Cambie Surgery Centre in Vancouver while the CMA met behind closed doors. We were there to protest against incoming CMA president Dr. Brian Day’s support for health care privatization. We worked with patients, doctors and nurses to tell the CMA that profit has no place in Canada’s health care system.

It seemed appropriate that Vancouver served as a focal point for health care activism this summer, as Council chapter members in British Columbia have been so deeply involved in the struggle to protect public health care in the province.

The B.C. government recently wrapped up its Conversation on Health, which visited 16 communities in the province, to discuss citizens’ perspectives on the future of heath care in B.C.. Council chapters actively participated in the socalled “Conversation,” despite their deepseated suspicion that the process was a thinly veiled attempt by the Gordon Campbell government to justify its inclination toward private healthcare delivery.

The results of the Conversation were released in November, revealing resounding support for public health care. Still, we continue to call on B.C. Health Minister George Abbott to crack down on private clinics that charge large sums of money to access doctors and medically necessary services, including the Copeman Clinic, operated by Vancouver businessman and private health care promoter Donald Copeman.

This year, we launched our new project, Best Kept Secret, which will train chapter members and supporters to give presentations to small businesses and community organizations about the economic benefits of public health care.

There are so many opportunities to get involved in the fight for a better Canada. Consider joining your local chapter today.

More in this report:

• National Chairperson’s Report
• Executive Director’s Report
• Deep Integration
• Health Care
• Energy
• Trade
• Water
• Blue Planet Project
• Chapters in Action

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Annual report 2007 (including summary statement of revenue and expenditure)
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