Warning message

Please note that this page is from our archives. There may be more up-to-date content about this topic on our website. Use our search engine to find out.
Refuse to enforce or strengthen the Canada Health Act

From Medicare cops that cant stop the spread of private health care to poorly-policed health care spending, Health Canada is doing little to defend and expand public health care. Instead, the federal government is sitting by while Bill 11 is implemented in Alberta and private health providers gain a toehold here and in other provinces.

The government is also ignoring calls to expand the public health care system to include home care, a national prescription drug plan and long-term care. All these services are now largely privately provided at a high cost to individuals and providing high profit to corporations.

Underfund infrastructure while inviting in the private sector

The 2000 Federal Budget renewed an infrastructure program that includes funding for water and wastewater treatment systems. However, the funding is woefully inadequate. At the same time, the infrastructure program goes beyond the federal-provincial-municipal partnerships of the past to include private sector participation.

Cut federal funding for health, post-secondary education and social services

The cuts force provincial and municipal governments to do everything from offloading costs onto individuals through new user fees to offloading services altogether to the private sector.
br>Introduce tied funds for research

The Canada Foundation for Innovation puts corporations in the drivers seat when it comes to setting the research agenda for Canadian universities. Only when 60 per cent of funds for a project have been secured from other sources and the source with the deepest pockets and the biggest interest is the private sector will the other 40 per cent of federal funding flow.

Refuse to introduce a national child care program

A national child care program, one of the Liberals longest-standing broken promises, would encourage high-quality, cheaper, public child care. For-profit child care doesnt measure up to public care on any count.

Abandon any role in funding social housing

Leaving market forces to prevail leaves millions homeless or at risk of losing their homes. New federal financing for social housing ended in 1993. Since then, the mayors of Canadas 10 largest cities have declared homelessness a national disaster. Government social housing programs are the only way to ensure Canadians have decent, affordable housing.

Promote deregulation

Deregulation led to the development of a private sector monopoly in the Canadian airline industry and Air Canadas fares are beginning to rise accordingly. Transport Canada unabashedly describes the retreat from providing transportation services: Deregulation, commercialization and privatization have combined to sweeten the pot. Thats good news for business. Over the past decade, the federal government has introduced major reforms to Canadas transportation system, which has encouraged commercialization of the transportation industry and removed unnecessary government regulations.

From transportation to food inspection and beyond, the federal government has a very necessary regulatory role to play. Industry self-regulation will not protect the health and safety of Canadians.

Sign away your rights through international trade agreements

Negotiations underway around the General Agreement on Trade in Services will give foreign-based private corporations the right to gain access to the delivery of public services including education and health care.