WCR Letters to the Editor

Comments on Bill 11 distorted

Bill 11 will protect our publicly funded and administered health care system by entrenching in law the single-payer system that currently exists and ensuring that no one will have to pay for insured health care services. It also incorporates government's commitment to the principles of the Canada Health Act. No other legislation in the country does this.

Bill 11 does not set up any new or two-tiered health system. The first line of the bill bans private hospitals from operating in Alberta in clear and distinct terms. It does offer health authorities the option, under tight conditions, to have small and specialized private facilities provide some minor surgery provided there is proven net benefit to the health system.

This is not two-tier health care, as Mr. Lynch suggests. All funds continue to be publicly administered. In fact, far from being a threat, the bill will actually bring all surgical clinics, including those in existence for years, under the control of the public health system.

Patients will not pay for insured services, they cannot pay or be charged for quicker service and all they continue to need is their Alberta health card. Where is the threat to the public health care?

Mr. Lynch's reported contention that the rich could pay for faster and better service is absolutely wrong, as stated in part 1, section 3 of the bill mailed to every Alberta household and available for individual inspection. There are stiff penalties for violating these rules.

Mr. Lynch is also being disingenuous in his comment that the bill "makes it very possible for owners of private for-profit clinics . . . to sell extra things." This suggests that no such thing happens now, whereas public hospitals have always offered patients the option of buying "enhanced goods or services" beyond what is covered by public health care.

A good example is the option of paying extra for a fibreglass cast for a broken leg rather than the standard plaster cast. I understand that hospitals owned by Catholic health organizations also offer these enhanced goods and services.

Bill 11, in fact, protects patients from being pressured into paying for extras by requiring anyone offering such services to provide verbal and written explanations of why upgrades are being offered, a clear outline of costs and it sets fines of up to $10,000 for facilities or doctors who fail to do so.

Mr. Lynch also concedes that the status quo is not good enough, while advocating for that very same status quo. He calls for increased funding and more staff while ignoring the fact that this has been happening for years.

Health care spending has increased by $1.5 billion since 1995-96 and will increase by another $1.1 billion in the next three years. Front-line staffing, the number of nurses and physician levels are also up and funds have been announced for further increases.

Bill 11 contains the strongest legislated protections in Canada for the publicly funded health system while offering health authorities more choice in finding the most efficient, cost-effective and beneficial delivery of health services.

Catholic groups have long been involved in the delivery of health care in this province and we would continue to welcome any positive, progressive ideas they may have.

Halvar C. Jonson
Minister
Health and Wellness
Edmonton

Save Canadian medicare

If this bill is passed, you can be sure that other provinces will pass similar legislation and it will be the beginning of the end of the public health care system in Canada.

This is third time that Premier Ralph Klein has proposed legislation that would privatize hospitals. Even without this legislation there are private clinics in Alberta that have proven to offer higher prices and longer waiting lists for certain surgical procedures.

Why are we failing to learn a lesson from these private clinics that privatization is not the answer for every system?

As Christian citizens we have a duty to get involved in our political system, as outlined in the Vatican II document, entitled The Church in the Modern World.

The most important involvement is through prayer. However, educating oneself on issues of concern and then contacting politicians to inform them of one's views is also vital.

Now is the time to get involved and help save Canada's world renowned health-care system. Together we can make a difference.

Mary-Ellen Robinson
Edmonton

Feminism gives rise to state of depression

When I first heard that a band of feminists and pro-abortionists desecrated Mary Queen of the World Cathedral in Montreal my response was that of rage. How could anyone commit such a vile and sick act?

However, upon greater reflection it becomes evident that when one dwells upon the ideas of militant feminism long enough it can cause a state of rage or depression, which was perhaps the root cause of their actions.

I now feel sorrow for these poor souls and pray that Almighty God and Holy Mother Mary forgive them for they really know not what they do.

Suzanne Verreau
Edmonton

Grappling with an unsettling book

Sarnecki says he found the book unsettling and that it took him three months to complete the review because "it was a bit of a bombshell to discover the troubled soul behind the pen. . . . Nouwen was able to express clearly his need for God in (his) struggles and I guess that is why I could identify with him."

I understand that those friends of Nouwen who provided Ford with intimate information about the man had mixed feelings about revealing such matters as Nouwen's homosexuality. They feared that many who had come to love and trust this great spiritual guide of our time might be shocked and dismayed if they knew about his sexual orientation.

However, they decided that if the truth were told people would struggle, but eventually come to terms with it. No matter what some might think about homosexuality in general, they would continue to love and value Nouwen for his struggles to follow Jesus in spite of the challenges of his life.

It would appear that in Sarnecki's case at least, this risk on the part of Nouwen's friends paid off.

Wayne Holst
Calgary

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