Part three examining the NDP's lunacy. “Practical first steps to improve your family's health services” will do everything but. The NDP fall into the old socialist trap of pursuing the “public good” over “profits.” If you're an economic illiterate, then the NDP is the party for you.
3.1 Strengthening Health Care with a New 10-year Accord
We will negotiate a new ten-year health accord with the provinces and territories in 2014. The accord will guarantee a continued strong federal contribution – including the 6 per cent escalator - to Canada’s public health care system – in return for a clear, monitored and enforced commitment to respect the principles of the Canada Health Act and to the integrity and modernization of health care;
There is nothing modern about socialism; throwing money at problems won't solve anything. Canada's public health care system will come to an end eventually. The NDP support doing everything in their power to prevent the inevitable collapse.
We will work with provincial and territorial partners to:
Promote a clear commitment to the single-payer system
Force Canadians to use the government system.
Make progress on primary care;
...while health-care expenses continue encompass the provincial budget.
Take appropriate steps to replace fee-for-service delivery;
Might as well. If we're going to be coerced into this system might as well make taxes cover all expenses.
Take first steps to reduce the costs of prescription medicines for Canadians, employers and governments;
Hate to break this to you, Jack, but passing legislation doesn't automatically lower drug costs.
Extend coverage to out-of-hospital services like home care and long-term care.
And watch health-care budgets skyrocket even further.
3.2 Investing in More Family Doctors and Nurses
We will work with the provinces and territories to address the shortage of doctors, nurses and other health care professionals by training 1,200 new doctors over the next 10 years, adding 6,000 new training spaces for nurses over six years and substantially increasing the number of training spaces for other health professionals;
I wish the NDP would share that magic wand they have. Apparently, from just will alone, Jack Layton will increase the number of doctors and nurses. Of course, that won't solve the waiting time problem. Predrag Rajsic has an article called “Time as a Price” and I think he makes a good case for why adding more doctors won't solve waiting-times.
In collaboration with the provinces and territories, we will establish programs aimed at recruiting and supporting low-income, rural and aboriginal medical students.
Better use that magic wand.
3.3 Expanding Care for Seniors
Establish a new designated federal home care transfer to guarantee a basic level of home care services to all Canadians wherever they live;
That sounds expensive. Good thing the NDP will never win and have to fulfill all these promises.
Initiate a new designated federal long-term care transfer to begin addressing the shortage of quality care spaces across the country;
A federal long-term care transfer will not fix the inherent problems of socialism, Jack.
Double the funding for forgivable loans under the Home Adaption for Seniors’ Independence Program (HASIP) to help seniors remain in their own homes;
You know, if the cost of everything wasn't rising then seniors could afford to live off their pensions. Addressing the effects (HASIP) rather than the core problem (inflation) just proves how irrelevant Parliament is. It's the Bank of Canada I'd like to see.
We will introduce an Inter-generational Home Forgivable Loan Program, modeled on a Manitoba Government initiative, to help up to 200,000 families a year retrofit their homes to create self-contained secondary residences for senior family members. Families will be eligible for a forgivable loan to cover 50 per cent of the costs of a renovation up to a maximum of $35,000.
If the NDP enacted every single plank in their platform within months Canada would be bankrupt.
3.4 Making Medicines More Affordable
We will work with the provinces and territories to save Canadians money on the cost of their prescription medications, including, as finances permit:
“as finances permit”
Improved assessment to ensure quality, safety and cost and health effectiveness of prescription drugs;
Then it's best to eliminate all subsidies and restrictions on the production and sale of pharmaceutical products.
Using bargaining power in pharmaceutical purchases;
Government and Pharmaceutical companies are close enough. Let's keep them away from each other, shall we Jack?
Cutting administrative costs through public administration;
Ha! What an oxymoron.
Establishing science-based formularies and clinical guidelines to advance evidence-based practice by physicians;
This is best directed by consumer preference (under the guise of profits) rather than the State.
More aggressive price review;
Any price in a government system is arbitrary and doesn't reflect true scarcities.
Eliminating kickbacks from pharmaceutical companies to pharmacists;
Leave it to the judicial system and eliminate all subsidies and restrictions on the production and sale of pharmaceutical products. Also, privatize law.
Moving towards more publicly funded research and development, driven by public priorities, not commercial profits.
This will not make medicine more affordable. Profits indicate consumer preference, a rational price system reflects true scarcities. Anything else is bureaucratic and wealth-destroying. The history of socialism (and the economic calculation problem) are clear indicators that – despite their best intentions – central planners can't replace the free market.
3.5 Keeping Kids Healthy and Safe in Sports
We will implement a Children’s Nutrition Initiative to support and expand provincial and local programs that provide healthy meals to school-children;
Just like Cuba!
We will enact the NDP’s National Strategy for Serious Injury Reduction in Amateur Sport Act.
Yes, because without it injured children are just ignoring their broken legs and continuing to play soccer.
Stupid NDP.
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