The American federal government has direct involvement in the health, education and welfare of that country’s citizens. It was in 1979 that the U.S. separated Health, Education and Welfare into Health and Human Services and the new Department of Education. Canada, in the meantime, has continued to relegate these less important needs to the provincial governments. That is too bad because what the upcoming Liberal Party conference really needs to address is the sorry state of the health, education and welfare needs of Canadians.
This is the third in the series of commentaries about the upcoming conference. Each takes on a life of its own but this time we are going to get to what the conference should be about: Canadians. That would be a novel idea. The last time a Canadian politician thought about Canadians was back when Pierre Trudeau tacked a Charter of Rights and Freedoms onto a repatriated constitution. He was under the impression that the populace would rise up in high dudgeon if any politicians used the ‘not withstanding’ clause to get around the Charter but the federal and provincial politicians now use it routinely because Canadians never seem to notice.
It is not my intent to have Michael’s conference waste a great deal of time on health care. There is no question but we have studied health care to its limit and the truth is that everyone is screwing the system. It is a mishmash of mixed private-public health care and it costs too much. The only good news is that it is better than the Americans have and costs less per capita. All the same, it will not hurt to have someone stand up at the conference and scream and yell about the continued destruction of the concept of truly universal healthcare.
Education is a much more serious topic. Michael has actually said he might like this to be a topic and he deserves support for it. The lack of universal access to the education each of us is capable of attaining from kindergarten to a university doctorate is a crime against Canadians. The cost of higher education in Canada is a denial of access and the debt burden on many graduates is beyond reason. To maintain barriers such as those faced by students is a disgrace and fetters capable Canadians to a life of lower earnings and frustration. The federal government has a direct responsibility to Canadians to ensure open access. It should also be noted that the federal government is not hamstrung to any conditions of other than access to all, in Canada’s official languages. Support for religious education never has and never should have been the responsibility of the state.
The next item is the welfare of Canadians. While Michael has grandiosely told the news media that the Liberal Party will finally honour its commitment to a national daycare program, many will watch that with interest, if not with scepticism. Promised too often and forgotten after the election has been the story of too many of the welfare needs of Canadians. It is the promises-not-kept that has destroyed the credibility of all politicians.
All that can be said to the conference is that if a child goes hungry in Canada, if a child is inadequately dressed for our climate, if opportunity is denied, if proper education is not made available, if health care is inadequate, you cannot blame the “others” nor can you blame the cost. If you accept the Queen’s coin to serve in the Parliament of Canada, the blame rests on you.
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