NUPGE President James Clancy criticized the Harper government for sending a review of the 2004 Health Accord to the unelected Senate rather than allowing elected Members of Parliament to conduct public hearings.
Ottawa (11 Mar. 2011) - The National Union of Pubilc and General Employees (NUPGE) is criticizing the Harper governments decision to have the unelected Senate conduct the second mandatory review of the 2004 Health Accord (for more on Health Accord and federal transfers click here).
The previous review was conducted in 2008 by the House of Commons Standing Committee on Health. This moves the review outside of the elected House of Commons, where the Harper government is in a minority, to an unelected Senate committee where the Conservatives are now in a majority.
"What does this government want to hide from the public in this action," asks NUPGE President James Clancy. "Why won't the prime minister allow elected Members of Parliament to review his record on health care?"
Clancy pointed out that the move sends a bad signal about the future of public health care and Canada's democracy.
"This is one more example of the prime minister's anti-democratic nature. He sees the House of commons as a nuisance to be shoved aside. He'll do anything to bypass the democratic process," said Clancy.
The unelected Senators clearly hope to get the review done as quickly as possible. Hearings have already started in the Senate Committee on Science, Technology and Social Affairs.
A number of organizations that are calling for the federal government to play a stronger role in health care have been told they will not be allowed to appear and give testimony.
"The message for Canadians is clear: The Harper government not only holds Parliament in contempt, it also seems to view Canadians who strongly support public health care with contempt as well,” said Michael McBane, National Coordinator of the Canadian Health Coalition.
In the build-up for negotiations for the renewal of the Health Accord in 2014, some members of the Harper government have started to hint about making cuts to health care transfers. One prominent caucus member, Maxime Bernier, has publicly called for a termination of all federal health care transfers.
NUPGE
The National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) is one of Canada's largest labour organizations with over 340,000 members. Our mission is to improve the lives of working families and to build a stronger Canada by ensuring our common wealth is used for the common good. NUPGE
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