Walkom: NDP would sacrifice even medicare for Quebec votes

[CHIMO]

Desperate to maintain seats in Quebec, New Democrats — like the Liberals and Conservatives before them — are going through a familiar round of ideological contortions.

Is the party of Tommy Douglas still a stout defender of national medicare? Absolutely yes when New Democrats are speaking to audiences outside Quebec.

But inside that province, as NDP leadership candidate and Toronto MP Peggy Nash made clear Sunday, matters are more complicated.

During a debate with fellow contenders in Quebec City, Nash was asked how she would react if the Quebec government decided to charge patients user fees every time they went to a doctor or hospital.

http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/politics/article/1131276--walkom-ndp-would-sacrifice-even-medicare-for-quebec-votes

[Joe Shlabotnik]

1. I'm not so sure about all of this.

I don't fully understand the background of this issue. But I doubt, the NDP once in power would dare back away from national medicare, and secondly I think Trudeau passed a bill in 1984 that outlawed extra billing for doctors services, so I think there'd be a substantial conflict. Although user fees are already in limited existence, and its certainly a slippery slope.

[CHIMO]

3. Royal Victoria Hospital turning away new patients for colonoscopies

MONTREAL - The Royal Victoria Hospital has stopped accepting new patients for colonoscopies for the foreseeable future, but is not suggesting alternative hospitals to those in need of the diagnostic procedure, The Gazette has learned.

Meanwhile, some private colonoscopy clinics are offering promotional discounts to attract more patients. And many of the gastroenterologists who work at those clinics also practise in hospitals that have lengthy waits.

A number of patients have told The Gazette that gastroenterologists often promote their private clinics during consultations at the hospital.

“They’re cutting back in the hospitals to work at their private centres, and they’re forcing people to have no other options,” he said.

http://www.montrealgazette.com/news/Royal+turns+away+colonoscopy+patients/6237231/story.html

If they don't want to do anything then they don't do anything.

[Ken Burch]

2. We can assume, though, that whatever the Liberals would do on the issue

would end up being to the right of the NDP.

The Liberals are STILL committed to the "third way" neoliberal austerity "free trade" thing that has had nothing but right-wing results for Canada.