For Immediate Release
March 16, 2016
Glavine failing to protect public health care, encourages privatization
Halifax, NS – In an interview yesterday with Michael Gorman via LocalXpress.ca, Health Minister Leo Glavine refused to support legislation to protect public health care from privatization.
Bill 144 was passed in 2012 and puts a legal ban on public money going to private, for-profit clinics. The legislation was passed with support from all three political parties. The bill has never been formally proclaimed, which means it is not in effect. Glavine voted for the legislation and prior to the election said that his party would protect public health care. The Minister is shirking his responsibilities and pre-election commitments by failing to proclaim Bill 144 and failing to stop pay-for-plasma clinics.
“Health Minister Leo Glavine is talking out of both sides of his mouth,” says Kyle Buott, Provincial Coordinator of the Nova Scotia Health Coalition. “On one hand he says he supports public health care, on the other hand he refuses to implement legislation that protects health care from privatization and then goes on to praise for-profit health care clinics.”
Glavine spoke in support of the private, for-profit surgical clinic, Scotia Surgery. He also reiterated the government’s idea of privatizing the Victoria General Hospital by making it a P3 - Public-Private Partnership. P3s have been financial disasters in Nova Scotia and across the country, including the P3 schools . Finally, he stated that there is nothing he could do as Health Minister to prevent pay-for-plasma clinics from opening in Nova Scotia.
“Minister Glavine can’t have it both ways. He can’t say he supports public health care, but refuse to actually protect public health care from privatization,” says Buott. “Governments in Ontario and Quebec have taken action to stop pay-for-plasma clinics from opening in their provinces, Nova Scotia must do the same.”
The contradictions coming from Minister Glavine show the true colours of his government. There is no intention of protecting public health care, in fact the government is encouraging privatization.
“The Nova Scotia Health Coalition calls on Minister Glavine to proclaim Bill 144, pass new legislation to ban pay-for-plasma clinics, and shelve the foolish idea of privatizing the Victoria General Hospital,” Buott concluded.
The government should also be actively working with other provinces to push for a strong Health Accord including new national initiatives like Pharmacare and a Senior Care Strategy.
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For more information contact:
Kyle Buott
Provincial Coordinator
Nova Scotia Health Coalition
(902) 406-9422
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