MEDIA RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 1, 2006

Harper must defend Canada Health Act against Klein’s Third Way

Alberta’s Health Policy Framework released yesterday clearly violates the Canada Health Act and the federal government must intervene to protect public health care, says the Council of Canadians. In December 2005, Stephen Harper made a clear commitment in his party’s election platform to uphold the Canada Health Act. He reassured Canadians that any plan undertaken during his mandate would comply with the federal health care legislation. Canada’s leading citizens’ organization calls upon the Harper’s Conservatives to live up to their election promise by taking action against Klein’s new plan.

“What is being proposed is a clear contravention of the letter and the spirit of the Canada Health Act,” says Guy Caron, health care campaigner for the Council. “This is a direct assault on the national Medicare program - a program that is integral and valued by Canadians.

Specifically, the policy framework would violate the Canada Health Act by allowing:

• Wealthier patients to “jump the queue” and pay for private health care services.
• The option to buy private health insurance for publicly insured services.
• Doctors to operate in both the public and private systems.
• The delivery of public services through private for-profit facilities.
• “Non-government investment sources” - which could mean opening health care up to foreign investors and companies.

The Canada Health Act prohibits extra billing or user fees and requires that all health care services be delivered “on uniform terms and conditions” to residents.

Dismissing the importance of the Canada Health Act, Klein’s proposal states: “Albertans view (the principles of the Act) as part of a larger framework of values and beliefs about how the health system should perform, not simply as eligibility for federal-provincial transfer payments.”

Stephen Harper stated in no uncertain terms that there would be “no private parallel system” under his mandate. The Council of Canadians challenges the federal government to stand up for Canada’s public health care system.

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For more information, contact:
Dylan Penner, Media Officer, Council of Canadians: (613) 233-4487, ext. 249; 1-800-387-7177, ext. 249; .