In Saskatchewan, the birthplace of medicare, health care experts came together Feb. 7 to celebrate 30 years of the program Saskatchewan premier Roy Romanow described as “the railway tie that binds us together as a country.”
Romanow told the conference his government has a firm commitment to medicare and will continue to maintain funding for single-tier health care.
“This government rejects outright a two-tiered approach to health services. Care must be based on need alone and not on ability to pay,” he said.
“Private health care will bleed to inequality of health care across Canada and destruction of Saskatchewan’s gift to Canada.”
Read Also
Research looks to control flea beetles with RNAi
A Vancouver agri-tech company wants to give canola growers another weapon in the never-ending battle against flea beetles.
A Canadian debate on the renewal of health care should include several issues, he said.
- Provinces need to make a commitment to strong social programs that reflect the values of Canadians.
- Ottawa must stop reducing transfer payments to the provinces.
- A comprehensive tax review is needed to ensure everyone is paying their fair share.
Neil Brooks, a tax professor at Osgoode Hall Law School at York University in Toronto, said Canadians could pay for medicare three or four times over by closing tax loopholes that benefit large corporations and the rich.
