KENNEY CONTINUES ATTACK ON DOCTORS AND PUBLIC HEALTH CARE

EDMONTON - Premier Jason Kenney continued his war on Alberta doctors and his rush to bring a failed American-style model of health care to the province today.

Bill 30, the Health Statutes Amendments Act, weakens public health care by moving more surgeries out of the public health care system and into private, for-profit clinics.

“We have seen clearly through the pandemic that privately-delivered long-term care prioritized profit at the expense of Alberta seniors and their families,” said David Shepherd, NDP Opposition Critic for Health. “Now we’re going to see those misguided priorities applied across the healthcare system. Jason Kenney isn’t satisfied to give a $4.7-billion handout to corporate shareholders, now he wants those shareholders to profit off of injured and sick Albertans.

“Let’s be clear. This is not ‘patient-centred’ or ‘person-centred’ care, this is ‘profit-centred’ care,” Shepherd said.

Bill 30 is also an attempt to divide Alberta doctors and weaken the Alberta Medical Association.

“Doctors do not trust Tyler Shandro or Jason Kenney,” Shepherd said. “Even if the premier named a new health minister, the lack of trust with this UCP government is baked into Bill 21. Last year this government gave itself the power to tear up any contract with doctors on a whim, so I really don’t know who would want to enter a contract with someone they know to be so untrustworthy.”

Bill 30 also seeks to change the boards of Alberta’s health professions’ colleges, creating more spaces for government appointees but with no requirements for diversity.

“Tyler Shandro said last week that he would be changing the composition of professional college boards in response to the racist incident in Grande Prairie,” Shepherd said. “I am very disappointed to see that he has no provision to save space for diversity on these boards. This government’s record on appointments has been abysmal and highly partisan. We will be bringing forward an amendment to secure those spaces, and we will see if Tyler Shandro is sincere about supporting diversity or not.”