Letter To The Editor
I sent this to the Regina Leader Post today in response to a letter supporting more government interference in our daily lives in the health care arena.
Jackie Lukey's letter of 25 November 2005 in response to Murray Mandryk raises some interesting issues that I think require more exploration. The issue at hand is the resolution voted down at the recent NDP convention that would have prevented doctors in Saskatchewan from using the results of out of province MRI tests to treat their patients. The bottom line is that the left wing of the NDP party wants to take much more control of how Saskatchewan citizens conduct their private affairs.
In many provinces of Canada it is legal to obtain an MRI test by paying for that test privately. This is a legal business transaction. The customer receives a timely test rather spending weeks or months on a waiting list. The supplier receives a fee used to pay salaries, expenses, and if possible to make a profit. The customer isn't taking up space on a waiting list; therefore the list is shortened by one. The money used in this transaction is after tax income. The customer has already paid his taxes and done his part to support the government medical system. There are no losers here, only winners.
But some people in this country think that they should be able to dictate to others how they spend their after tax income. It isn't enough that they can't purchase a legal medical service in their own province. It isn't enough that by forcing them to go out of province for such services they have to pay more in travel expenses, making the service unaffordable for many more people. It isn't enough that people are expected to get sicker and die while waiting for medical tests in Saskatchewan that could be supplied by the private sector. The Holy Grail of forced government healthcare is more important than any of that.
The left would have us believe that their motives are pure. They only want to protect us from these "exploiters of the public" who would make a profit from our suffering. I would remind them that it is the profit motive that creates wealth and jobs in this country and not the government. If Jackie has a job, whether in the private or public sector, it only exists because someone made a profit.
Recent polls suggest that a majority of Canadians support more private healthcare options. It is time for us to move on and build a better healthcare system. The government has proven that it cannot do the job. It is time for the private sector to pick up the slack.
MacLeans Poll Story
Jackie Lukey's letter of 25 November 2005 in response to Murray Mandryk raises some interesting issues that I think require more exploration. The issue at hand is the resolution voted down at the recent NDP convention that would have prevented doctors in Saskatchewan from using the results of out of province MRI tests to treat their patients. The bottom line is that the left wing of the NDP party wants to take much more control of how Saskatchewan citizens conduct their private affairs.
In many provinces of Canada it is legal to obtain an MRI test by paying for that test privately. This is a legal business transaction. The customer receives a timely test rather spending weeks or months on a waiting list. The supplier receives a fee used to pay salaries, expenses, and if possible to make a profit. The customer isn't taking up space on a waiting list; therefore the list is shortened by one. The money used in this transaction is after tax income. The customer has already paid his taxes and done his part to support the government medical system. There are no losers here, only winners.
But some people in this country think that they should be able to dictate to others how they spend their after tax income. It isn't enough that they can't purchase a legal medical service in their own province. It isn't enough that by forcing them to go out of province for such services they have to pay more in travel expenses, making the service unaffordable for many more people. It isn't enough that people are expected to get sicker and die while waiting for medical tests in Saskatchewan that could be supplied by the private sector. The Holy Grail of forced government healthcare is more important than any of that.
The left would have us believe that their motives are pure. They only want to protect us from these "exploiters of the public" who would make a profit from our suffering. I would remind them that it is the profit motive that creates wealth and jobs in this country and not the government. If Jackie has a job, whether in the private or public sector, it only exists because someone made a profit.
Recent polls suggest that a majority of Canadians support more private healthcare options. It is time for us to move on and build a better healthcare system. The government has proven that it cannot do the job. It is time for the private sector to pick up the slack.
MacLeans Poll Story
posted by UncleMeat at 12:39 PM
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