Stephen Harper Begins his Assault on Healthcare

[damngrumpy]

Every province and territory and the federal government have a political
football field called parliament. They punt things around and change them
to their liking when in power.
In this case the football is Medicare and the game is played in all parliaments
Now they have reduced it to a game of Charades and no one knows what the
hell the answer is

 

[L Gilbert]

lol Harper's attack on healthcare? Yeah, ooookaaaay.
Mid '70's, the split between federal and provincial funding was 50/50. It is now approximately 25/75. Guess which party has been governing the most since the mid '70's. Guess which party is the one that consistently whittles the federal funding rate down. You guessed it - the "natural governing party of Canada".

 

[Cobalt_Kid]

There's something downright insane about an anti-information government.

 

[L Gilbert]

There's something downright insane about an anti-information government.

Hey. Harpy cutting back on the Health Council ain't no secret.

 

[Cobalt_Kid]

Hey. Harpy cutting back on the Health Council ain't no secret.

I'm referring to the ongoing campaign to base policy on Harper's ideology and faith in opposition to the best available facts.

Einstein's definition of insanity is being played out by a conservative government that could care less about reality, they just "know" their ideology is going to triumph in the end despite whatever evidence to contrary exists.

 

[L Gilbert]

I'm referring to the ongoing campaign to base policy on Harper's ideology and faith in opposition to the best available facts.

Last I heard, Harpy said he wasn't going to revisit the abortion or gay rights thing and that was years ago. And neither have been an issue in Parliament that I know of. So what ideology and faith stuff are you talking about?

Einstein's definition of insanity is being played out by a conservative government that could care less about reality, they just "know" their ideology is going to triumph in the end despite whatever evidence to contrary exists.

Einstein was himself a bit touched. So?

 

[petros]

Yep, from what I've heard, BUT, I was told several years ago the numbers aren't as scary as they sound......the scenario goes something like this, before AIDS about 0.00001% of the population had it, and then it was 0.00008% (numbers approx. to make a point), so it was broadcasted that T.B. had spiked by 800% overnight. What caused the rise was a couple of hundred AIDS victims with a compromised immune system. So if you don't have AIDS Petros, your chances are about the same as before.

The TB clinic here in the RQHD is a bustling place. It just one of theose dirty little secrets when it comes to inadequate Indian, Native, Aboriginal, First Nations health care.

 

[Cobalt_Kid]

Last I heard, Harpy said he wasn't going to revisit the abortion or gay rights thing and that was years ago. And neither have been an issue in Parliament that I know of. So what ideology and faith stuff are you talking about?

The free market rules, anything goes in politics from the neocons. We're rapidly losing our economic and political control in this nation.

Einstein was himself a bit touched. So?

He was eccentric, he was also able to understand reality in terms that few have ever approached.

 

[petros]

Last I heard, Harpy said he wasn't going to revisit the abortion or gay rights thing and that was years ago. And neither have been an issue in Parliament that I know of. So what ideology and faith stuff are you talking about?

Einstein was himself a bit touched. So?

Crazys lead the curve on genius. By a long shot. You'd swear some of them are getting info from the otherside.

 

[Cobalt_Kid]

Lacking some social skills doesn't make someone "crazy" which isn't even a legal term let alone a medical diagnosis.

I'm betting someone that can model unique fundamental aspects of the universe in their head is also going to have insights in other areas.

 

[petros]

There's something downright insane about an anti-information government.

If you want information, get it off the Provincial sources. It's more current and accurate to boot.

 

[L Gilbert]

The free market rules, anything goes in politics from the neocons. We're rapidly losing our economic and political control in this nation.

lol We been losing it for longer than Harpy's been around.

He was eccentric, he was also able to understand reality in terms that few have ever approached.

Yeah, he had his own version of reality, alright. lol

Lacking some social skills doesn't make someone "crazy" which isn't even a legal term let alone a medical diagnosis.

I'm betting someone that can model unique fundamental aspects of the universe in their head is also going to have insights in other areas.

Like his wacky idea of gods, for instance?

 

[Cobalt_Kid]

If you want information, get it off the Provincial sources. It's more current and accurate to boot.

It was giving a comprehensive picture that Harper didn't like, we can't count on local sources to do that.

[16-Apr-13] Council of Canadians denounces Harper decision to kill the Health Council of Canada

“The Harper government continues to show its contempt for evidence by cutting the Health Council of Canada,” says Adrienne Silnicki, Health Care Campaigner with the Council of Canadians. “The Health Council produced factual reports that offered Canadians a picture of what health care looks like across our country, in remote areas, and to vulnerable populations. Their research showed that Canadians are being abandoned by the Harper government when they need care most. It’s no surprise Harper wants them gone.”

It's not like this is the first agency that provides objective information that the conservative government(Stephen Harper)has gotten rid of. Anything that contradicts or threatens conservative(Harper's) interests is removed, it's hard to think of one individual who has dominated Canada like this.

 

[taxslave]

The main business of healthcare in Canada currently is to provide healthy bank balances for all those involved in it.

 

[L Gilbert]

Anything that contradicts or threatens conservative(Harper's) interests is removed,

....... or maybe the gov't simply finds it redundant and is trying to save a $ or two after all the whining and sniveling about the deficit and whatnot.
Personally, I like the idea of a smaller federal gov't. Big ones are more inefficient, less effective, and more costly.

 

[Cobalt_Kid]

....... or maybe the gov't simply finds it redundant and is trying to save a $ or two after all the whining and sniveling about the deficit and whatnot.
Personally, I like the idea of a smaller federal gov't. Big ones are more inefficient, less effective, and more costly.

That's possible but given the record so far, it's been mostly about the control of information(and votes) for political interests. Given that access to accurate information is one of the founding principles of effective democratic rule, then this can be seen as a further degradation of the democratic foundation of Canada. Any unwelcome information on Health Care in Canada can be pushed to the side and ignored until it's no longer politically relevant.

 

[CDNBear]

That's possible but given the record so far, it's been mostly about the control of information(and votes) for political interests. Given that access to accurate information is one of the founding principles of effective democratic rule, then this can be seen as a further degradation of the democratic foundation of Canada. Any unwelcome information on Health Care in Canada can be pushed to the side and ignored until it's no longer politically relevant.

Ya, if provinces didn't collect the same data.

 

[L Gilbert]

That's possible but given the record so far, it's been mostly about the control of information(and votes) for political interests. Given that access to accurate information is one of the founding principles of effective democratic rule, then this can be seen as a further degradation of the democratic foundation of Canada. Any unwelcome information on Health Care in Canada can be pushed to the side and ignored until it's no longer politically relevant.

I can't see how information would be impacted by this. Nationwide info can still be accessed and shared by the provinces.
BTW, you have examples of this "record" you speak of? I mean sans the partisan whining and just sticking to the facts?

 

[Cobalt_Kid]

I can't see how information would be impacted by this. Nationwide info can still be accessed and shared by the provinces.
BTW, you have examples of this "record" you speak of? I mean sans the partisan whining and just sticking to the facts?

Canada’s ‘no comment’ Conservative government - The Globe and Mail

Tuesday, a day in Harperland …

“Mr. Kenney declined repeated requests for comment.” (The Globe and Mail)
“The government did not respond Monday to questions about its position.” (The Globe and Mail)
“La Presse posed the question to Mr. Flato [a public servant], but he was bound by strict rules about interviews with journalists so that he had to direct the question to the media relations service of Environment Canada. This service refused to respond to the question.” (La Presse)
“Conservative campaign manager Guy Giorno and the party’s director of political operations, Jenni Byrne, did not respond to e-mailed requests for comment Monday.” (Ottawa Citizen)
“The Defence Department could not comment.” (Ottawa Citizen)
One day, three papers, five no comments, just another day at the ranch for the media operations of the Harper government and Conservative Party.

Vincent Gogolek: Federal Open Government Minister Not Fan Of Open Government

In some ways then, even Clement's much-hyped open data schemes testify to the Conservative government's general trend toward secrecy and one-way transparency.

When it comes to people actually exercising their legal right to access government records through processes like Access to Information, for instance, Clement has much less to say. And sometimes the little that he does say gets nasty.

Last week, the Environmental Law Centre at the University of Victoria and Ottawa-based Democracy Watch filed a complaint with the federal information commissioner, asking her to investigate cases where government scientists have been prevented from speaking out publicly.

When asked about the complaint on CBC Radio's "Early Edition," Minister Clement responded tersely, claiming that there are no such problems and that those making the complaint must have "an ideological agenda."

Of course it might take her a while to get to this complaint. With response timeliness at a record low and extensions taken by federal departments at a record high, it seems Legault will have a lot of complaints to deal with.

And silencing workers and other groups.

Sid Ryan: Tories Attack Rand Formula to Silence Workers

The thrust of this Conservative campaign is to undermine union funding and silence workers' collective voice. If the tactic seems familiar it is because it is the same one they have launched against women's groups, environmental groups, and many other groups that have been critical of Conservative policies. In every case, they erect flimsy straw targets to disguise their agenda and the same is true of their attack on the Rand Formula -- the funding model for unions and a cornerstone of labour relations in Canada.

I could go on but what's the point, if you think the Harper government is fair open and honest then nothing I say to you will make a difference.

 

[Goober]

And silencing workers and other groups.

Sid Ryan: Tories Attack Rand Formula to Silence Workers.

Sid Ryan a known Anti-Semite- yeah someone should shove a sock in his mouth.