Yesterday I committed blasphemy by talking about healthcare reform within Canada. People need to ask themselves, do we want the best universal healthcare we can get or not? I gave a firsthand example on how I got better care within our universal system through a private specialist. It worked some folks right up. When it comes to the notion of mixing more private provision within Canada's public system, many people act like kids who screw their fingers into their ears and start screaming rather than listening to reason. Well, the kids had better get over it because Canada's healthcare system is failing. Waiting lists are growing in every province and people are dying while awaiting services. In international rankings of systems, Canada's has fallen to the mid-30s and is dropping. We continue to spend more and it doesn't matter what party is in power in which province whether NDP or UCP, the systems are crashing. Clearly, the Canadian system which is governed by the federal Canada Health Act and administered by the provinces is failing. I stated that because some people like to blame the federal government for the failure while others blame the provinces. The failure is in the system itself. The legislation is federal and the delivery is provincial. The act is so rigid, that no real reforms can come about. It needs to be scrapped and rewritten if we want to see improvements. Yes, I said it! Now get your fingers out of your ears! There's more. If we were to revamp the system, we need to start by asking if we want the best or not? Many universal models outperform ours. Over 30 actually. I have attached an image of the top ten. There are all sorts of aspects both good and bad within the models. There is one common denominator among them though (aside from Iceland). They all allow a much larger segment of private involvement with the provision of care and often the funding mechanisms. Private hospitals supplement care in the nations with the top universal healthcare systems and it works. People aren't dying awaiting care and they aren't being bankrupted in getting it. So why won't we emulate these working examples of better systems? Fear and envy. Unions and others dependent upon Canada's bloated, inefficient system have spread fear whenever any changes are proposed. They raise the specter of "credit card care" even though none of the top systems have that. The other part is envy. You see, with private options, some people will pay to get faster treatment. Yes, this is true. So damn what though? If the person paying out of pocket helps you get better care and faster, why stop them? Suck back the envy. You are benefitting from their spending. Let's quit pretending that people of means or desperation aren't jumping the line anyway. They are just taking themselves and their dollars to other countries to get treatment. Why not keep those dollars here? It would jeep those specialists here too. The wheel doesn't need to be reinvented. There are many proven models that are superior to Canada's. It's time to shed the delusion that Canada has a good healthcare system and look at the nations that do have the best systems. It starts with the question; do you want the best healthcare system possible in Canada or not? The attached image offers 10 to start from when considering reforms.

Between 2015-2019 ZERO schools got built in my riding of Rimbey-Rocky Mountain House-Sundre. In Rocky Mountain House, two new schools got built by our government. The NDP doesn't care about rural Alberta.

Congratulations to the winner of the District 2 election, Amber Link, of @WheatlandCounty. #rmalberta