Re – Who’s calling the tune

Adrian O'Connell | Oct 21, 2020

If the nightmare of second wave Covid now unfolding in Europe is to be avoided in Canada this winter, Canadian governments at all levels need to act fast.

Firstly, the federal government needs to tighten up the Canada Health Act and ensure that federal funds are not abused by allowing provinces to bail out and subsidize the failed, "for profit" model which has resulted in so many deaths in long term care facilities.

In this emergency, the dictum that "he (and/or she) who pays the piper, calls the tune” should definitely apply!

There is no point in increasing health care transfer payments to provinces, if the latter insist upon diverting public funds towards failed private retirement facilities and clinics such as those headed by the lavishly rewarded, former Premier of Ontario, Mike Harris and his ilk, who have successfully exploited the elderly for their own benefit for decades to date, with little constraint.

Secondly, it is long past time that a Universal Basic Annual income be introduced for all Canadians so that we rid ourselves once and for all of the obscenity of food banks, with huge numbers of kids going to bed hungry each night in one of the richest countries on earth.

The new leader of the federal Conservatives, Mr. O'Toole, has commendably made a big deal of "accountability" and if he is sincere, he might start by ensuring that public funds derived from the Canadian taxpayer and intended for Canadian healthcare are not diverted to private pockets!

Adrian O'Connell