Privatization, P3s & public services

3 problems with the Fraser Institute’s alarmist report on health care spending

Jun 3, 2016
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A new report from the Fraser Institute declares: “Health care spending by British Columbia’s government is unsustainable.” But watchers of Canadian politics know to take that declaration with generous heap of salt, since we hear cries of “out-of-control health care spending” like clockwork from certain quarters (followed by calls for privatized, for-profit care). In fact,… View Article

Why American doctors are calling for Canadian-style medicare

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In a dramatic show of physician support for deep health care reform in the U.S., more than 2,200 physician leaders have signed a “Physician’s Proposal” calling for sweeping change. The proposal, published May 5 2016 in the American Journal of Public Health, calls for the creation of a publicly financed, single-payer, national health program to… View Article

Time to rethink BC’s surgical waitlist strategy

Apr 26, 2016
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By Andrew Longhurst, Marcy Cohen and Dr. Margaret McGregor Have you had to wait months for surgical consultation, let alone the surgery itself? If so, you’re not alone. British Columbians are waiting an unacceptable amount of time to receive the care they need. Since 2010, surgical wait times have increased significantly for key procedures, including… View Article

BC throne speech rhetoric doesn’t match reality

Feb 10, 2016
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Yesterday’s throne speech paints a rosy picture of BC as an “island of prosperity.” It acknowledges that “all British Columbians deserve to share in the benefits of a growing economy” but it glosses over the fact that many currently don’t. What is worse, the provincial government’s own inaction in key policy areas is what’s causing tremendous hardship… View Article

The problem with the Fraser Institute’s consumer tax index

Aug 27, 2015
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Every summer, the Fraser Institute releases a report pointing out the average family now spends more on taxes than food, clothing and shelter. But is it really a bad thing that as our economy grows we spend less of our income on basic survival and more on better education, better health, parks, environmental protection and… View Article

Ontario Auditor breaks new ground with review of public private partnerships methodology: BC Auditor says maybe, sometime

Jan 5, 2015
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Last month Ontario’s Auditor General issued her annual report. One of her targets was Ontario’s use of public private partnerships to build public infrastructure. As the Toronto Star put it, “Auditor General Bonnie Lysyk has taken a wrecking ball to the (Ontario) Liberals’ use of private money to bankroll new hospitals and transit…” Lysyk’s report… View Article