January 13, 2006
GOOD ENOUGH FOR ME, BUT NOT FOR THEE (via obc):
Layton had surgery at private clinic in 1990s (Canadian Press, Jan. 13 2006)
NDP Leader Jack Layton, who's campaigning as the defender of public health care, had surgery at a private clinic in the 1990s, The Canadian Press has learned.Posted by Orrin Judd at January 13, 2006 9:13 AMLayton had hernia surgery at the Shouldice Hospital, a private facility in the Toronto suburb of Thornhill, while he was serving as a Toronto city councillor. [...]
While pitching his party as the champion of public health care, Layton has also slipped into a more muddied message on medicare at times.
Liberals accused him of flip-flopping earlier in the election when he declared private clinics are a way of life in Canada.
Federal Health Minister Ujjal Dosanjh said Layton bailed on talks with the Liberal government, supposedly because they weren't prepared to go far enough to crack down on health care.
Suddenly Layton was no longer interested in cracking down, Dosanjh said, adding that Layton "went about inventing facts and manufacturing differences of principle."
Prime Minister Paul Martin has also visited a private medical clinic run by Medisys in Montreal.
I think I have mentioned this before, but there is a large, state-of-the-art military hospital in Ottawa completely outside the national health scheme. All Ottawa politicans and senior bureaucrats and their families are entitled to use it, but I believe no other civilian is.
Posted by: Peter B at January 13, 2006 10:24 AMShocking.
Posted by: erp at January 13, 2006 10:30 AM. . . Not even if I wait in line outside all night? It worked when I wanted to see the Rolling Stones!
Posted by: obc at January 13, 2006 10:30 AMerp:
Morally offensive in the extreme, but not really shocking when you think of it. Almost all closed socialist systems and programs have something like this. The Soviets had special shops for the party favourites. Castro reserves lobster and all the best food for tourists and prohibits Cubans from acquiring any of it. Scandinavian bureaucrats and white collar employees have amazing perks that mitigate punitive income taxes. Somebody made sure Ortega had designer glasses. Kim Il Jong lives like a decadent potentate. The Dems send their kids to private schools and Labour MP's use private clinics. No leftist ruling class has ever accepted the life and services they ordain for the masses.
Posted by: Peter B at January 13, 2006 11:01 AMNext thing we'll find out that all the US dem pols in the pocket of the teachers' union all send their kids to tony private schools.
Posted by: Jim in Chicago at January 13, 2006 11:06 AMPeter B. Just kidding. That should have read, sarcasm/on Shocking! sarcasm/off. I would really be shocked if the comrades actually lived the life they want for the rest of us.
BTW - Why a military hospital in a country that has so little love for the military?
Posted by: erp at January 13, 2006 11:19 AMerp:
Now I am going to shock you, or at least depress you. It's a West-wide phenomenon that started in the 70's and picked up speed after the Soviet Union tanked. Only the U.S. resisted/escaped. Canada's military has been savaged, but no more so and in some cases less so(proportionately) than just about every other Western country, including Australia.
But it is still big enough to need a hospital.
Posted by: Peter B at January 13, 2006 12:11 PMPeter, You're right, I'm not shocked and I was depressed, but you know, I'm feeling more optimistic than at any time in memory.