OTTAWA, ONTARIO - The federal government missed a golden opportunity to create a sustainable public health care system for generations to come… and the consequences will be severe, according to the Council of Canadians.

"The legacy for Jean Chrétien is one of opening the door to two-tier health care," says Maude Barlow, National Chairperson of the Council of Canadians. "The prime minister is unable to see health care as more than an accounting question, this opens the door to those with a free market agenda for health care services."

An analysis of the agreement, concluded last night, shows that it is nowhere near what Roy Romanow recommended in his report: less money than what is needed, no strings attached for new programs established outside of Medicare and no attempt to see that this money be directed into not-for-profit services. The Council of Canadians denounces this agreement for giving provinces a free hand to steer toward further privatisation of the system.

"We welcome extra money for delivery of services but if much of this money is destined for private, for-profit, health care this actually undermines our health care system by adding unsustainable profits," said Barlow. "Any expansion must come under the Canada Health Act. By not even discussing profit or privatisation in this agreement, our political leaders pretend this is not an issue, Canadians know that this is the most critical issue."

Roy Romanow recommended an infusion of $15B over three years to reach 25% of national health care expenditures by 2006. Not only the agreement fall far short, much of the promised $17.3B over three years seems to come from already committed funds as well as previously expected increases of the CHST floor funding.

The allocation of the $16B Health Reform Fund for home care, catastrophic drug coverage and primary care looks promising, but with no strings attached to these monies, the road is paved for a funnelling of public monies into private facilities and services, especially to for-profit home care corporations and to the big drug companies.

The creation of the Health Council also follows the Romanow report. However, its efficiency as a watchdog depends on the appointees and the fact that Don Mazankowski, whose report was seeking a massive privatisation of the Alberta health care system, could well be on this Council suggests it would do little to ensure the survival of the public system.

The outcome of the First Ministers' Meeting will be a hot topic at a national health care conference organised this weekend by the Council of Canadians along with various organisations. Over 300 participants are expected to gather at the Ottawa Congress Centre from Friday to Sunday to discuss the future of the Canadian public health care system.

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