Canada: Leaks show privatization (of healthcare) on Tory agenda

[Robbien]

Source: Edmonton Journal

Additional evidence has surfaced of the Stelmach government's intention to further privatize the provincial health system, says NDP Leader Brian Mason, who released a new leaked document Tuesday.

The document, titled Timing and Process Map, outlines an agenda for preparing and rolling out the new Alberta Health Act through the summer and fall. Its release follows last week's leak of a government PowerPoint presentation on the same subject.

Despite government denials, the two internal documents show the Tories are continuing to keep alive the idea of greater privatization, Mason said.

"It's more evidence of the government's duplicity with respect to health care," he said. "Both this document and the one that was leaked last week show everything that has happened so far was part of a plan and they have followed that plan exactly up to this point.

Read more: http://www.calgaryherald.com/business/Leaks+show+privatization+Tory+agenda+Mason/3943638/story.html

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Hopefully the leaking of this info stops this nasty business.

[snagglepuss]

1. Thanks for posting. nt

[John Q. Citizen]

2. Take a good thing and fuck it up. They privatized our power

generation and distribution here in Montana and a hand full of mo fos got wealthy and the rest of us are paying far more and getting far less.


We used to have surplus generation of low cost powe that we would sell off and put into state coffers, now we are being raped by private out of state carpetbaggers.

[Robbien]

6. Nigeria is trying to privatize its power

As if the poorly paid/unemployed Nigerians can pay pricey privatized power rates.

an article today
Nigeria: We Will Resist Privatization of Electricity - Adeyem

Vice President of Public Service International, Africa, (PSI) comrade Peters Adeyemi has said stakeholders in the power sector will do all within their power to prevent the planned privatization of electricity in Nigeria which he insisted would lead to increase in consumer tarriffs rather enhance electricity supply in the country.

Comrade Adeyemi made this assertion at the PSI Africa and Arab countries strategic think thank meeting in Abuja yesterday. He suggested that instead of the planned privatization, government should provide investments needed to provide access to households and businesses in the country.

Adeyemi, who doubles as the deputy president of NLC and the general secretary of Non Academic Staff of Nigerians Universities (NASU), expressed regret that despite the huge financial investment in the sector from public finance, government is still talking about relinquishing the sector to the private individuals.

[Jackpine Radical]

3. Christ, it's everywhere!

Not much point in emigrating to Canada if we're gonna have to fight the same battles there that we thought we had left behind.

[glinda]

16. They are working directly with investors from the USA. to dismantle the HC system.

[Jackpine Radical]

20. Pretty much what I figured.

[glinda]

22. Uh ha. I read about it awhile back and cannot remember the link but it was about

setting up "for-profit" situations like clinics or specialty areas that were in financial connection directly to US Companies that provided certain medical machinery or procedures " or some things like that. They made a point to declare it in the article that this would "open up the competition" for the HC system. I knew exactly at that point what was going on.
Ya see.... the US investors in the HC system are being a slight focus here these days and sometimes pressure is applied so they are in part moving north to claim new blood. Literally.
The goal s to take it over and make it as crappy as ours with high profits.

[suffragette]

4. K&R

I think this is a pretty big one.

[Bragi]

5. Leaking won't stop privatization dreamers, but it's still good

Good example of how leaking can be beneficial and serve an important goal.

[drm604]

7. Would Canadians stand for this?

My impression is that the Canadian people would never stand for this.

[riverbendviewgal]

9. I hope not

Canadians did vote Tommy Douglas, who started on payer health care in Canada, as the greatest Canadian to live. Canada refused to put our health care on the NAFTA table. We had a liberal leader in power then....Harper is Progressive Conservative. He wants to privatize everything.

[Robbien]

10. Corporate hold over governments worldwide is pretty powerful

I expect Canadians will put up a better fight than we can ever muster up for our issues, but privatization elites don't seem to lose many battles.

[JBoy]

13. Health care is in Provincial jurisdiction, but must comply with Fed rules to get Fed money

The Federal "Canada Health Act" provides overall guidelines, one of which is that Provinces receiving Federal money for health care cannot establish private facilities that have extra-billing, or charge user fees.

Provinces however, are free to regulate things as they see fit. If a Province wanted to set up a system with a for-profit component they could, but would have to give up the Federal money. Today, all provinces comply with the Canada Health Act.

[AndyTiedye]

15. That is Why They Tried to Keep It a Secret

[Arctic Dave]

8. Sounds like the entire world is being "Shock Doctrined". All of our governments

leaders are in a free for all of trying to carve out their individual fiefdom for their own financial gain.

This is just the tip of the iceberg? God damn it, no wonder JA is enemy number one to these fascist.

I am beginning to wonder if he shouldn't just release the truthbomb and get it over with.

Wait! Maybe he is dripping it out so we can be ready when the shit really hits the fan.

[glinda]

17. I suspect so. They are holding our attention and as more people watch and hear, the

concern I have is what is at the end of this. I suspect it was sooooo big that they are will to put their lives up for this. Or at least some of them.

[Octafish]

11. Got to hand it to Conservative cheapskates everywhere.

They are greedy, murderous sons of bitches.

[Vinca]

12. Oh, those "lucky" Canadians. They, too, can have the best healthcare in the world . . .

if they can afford to buy the insurance and pay the deductibles, co-pays and denials.

[riverbendviewgal]

19. Yes, that is what the Harper government wants.

Right now It is good. My son and husband were treated for cancers...My son had the same type of brain tumor as Ted Kennedy. From what I read my son had the same treatments and care. He had 3 brain operations, radiation, chemo, emergency visits to Hospital, psychotherapy , mri's, ct scans,
meds, 6 weeks of intensive care, a week of palliative care.

My husband had surgery, blood transfusions, stem cell harvesting, stem cell transplant, chemo, radiation, home nurse care and 3 months palliative care.
He also received psychotherapy, the whole family as well together.

Cost - ZERO

[Vinca]

21. In this country, without a paid-up policy, they probably wouldn't survive.

And that psychotherapy thing is totally out even if they are covered. Don't let them do it!!!!

[tomm2thumbs]

14. corporations need to be placed on the watch list - they are undermining humans everywhere

pay to play governments are not just an American trait

[glinda]

18. Corporate heads in some of these leaks should be arrested.

[Uncle Joe]

23. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, Robbien.

[riverbendviewgal]

24. I was born in America

I chose to live and be a Canadian citizen...

It was a very good decision. It seems America is much like a Hollywood set, Las Vegas main street or Disneyland/Disney World.. It is all an illusion and you can only enjoy it if you have the money.

[polly7]

25. I hate NAFTA.

Alone among the world's trade treaties, NAFTA allows foreign investors to sue the Canadian government directly if any public policy or governmental action denies them investment or profit opportunities. To date, Canada has been hit by 15 such lawsuits costing more than $18.5 million with another $533 million in claims pending. This is by far the highest among the three NAFTA partners.

Now, a group of 200 private investors led by Arizona businessman Melvin J. Howard is planning to use the NAFTA national treatment mechanism to pry open Canadian medicare -- often described by neoconservatives as "the last great uncracked oyster in the North American marketplace."

In July, Howard filed legal papers to set the suit in motion and is only awaiting the outcome of the Oct. 14 federal election to start negotiations.

Howard and his partners want to open a private surgical centre in B.C. similar to the Cambie Clinic owned by Dr. Brian Day, past-president of the Canadian Medical Association, but are facing what they call anti-American roadblocks in several municipalities.

They are demanding Ottawa reimburse them $4 million in actual costs and another $150 million in foregone profits.


http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:1nS5kLKIRxsJ:www.winnipegfreepress.com/historic/33080179.html+nafta+canadian+health&cd=3&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=ca

The exemption for health care under NAFTA, which has largely kept U.S. for-profit health corporations out of Canada, applies only to a fully publicly funded system. Once privatized, the system must give “national treatment” rights to American private hospital chains. The NAFTA exemption only applies to medicare as it stood in 1989, and doesn’t provide protection for a possible expansion of medicare into new areas like homecare and pharmacare.

http://www.canadians.org/trade/action/MP_trade.html

Every time I hear of privatization being escalated by any province, it scares the heck out of me.