Green Party calls for local control over health care

Treat Hull, the Green Party’s candidate for MPP in Prince Edward – Hastings, called for restored local control of health care during a town hall meeting in Belleville last week.

“Locally accessible, quality health care is fundamental to the viability of our local communities,” Hull said. “To have care which meets distinct local needs we need to restore local control.”

“The Local Health Integration Networks (LHINs) which were set up by the Liberals are viewed by many people as a costly smokescreen to take the heat off the provincial government for unpopular decisions. The Conservatives want to take advantage of the unpopularity of the LHINs, but would like us to forget that it was the Conservative government of Mike Harris which implemented forced amalgamation of our hospital.”

“It’s time to put the brakes on healthcare centralization which has been forced on us by both the Liberals and the Conservatives. There is no independent, arms-length academic research which shows better quality, lower cost health care results from the centralization of power which the Liberals and Tories support.

“We live in an area with some of the finest farm produce in Ontario, but if you are a patient in our local hospital, you have to eat what can only be described as disgusting slop brought in from Ottawa. The outsourcing industry claims a 30 per cent savings on food cost, but more than 30 per ccent of hospital meals go in the rubbish because they are so unpalatable.”

“It’s time to get beyond the debate between the Liberal and Conservatives on the best way to centralize control over our health care and talk about how to restore local control instead.”

“Maybe the best way to improve the quality of food in our hospital” joked Hull, would be to make senior managers eat it every day for lunch.”

The meeting was moderated by Picton resident Dr. Robert McMurtry, Former Dean of Medicine/Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, founding Assistant Deputy Minister of the Population and Public Health Branch of Health Canada and former Special Advisor to the Romanow Royal Commission on the Future of Health Care in Canada.

The town hall meeting was the fourth of seven Hull’s campaign will organize on different topics around the riding. The next meeting in the County is set for Monday, Aug. 29th in Wellington and will focus on the economy and jobs.

August 22 – Townhall meeting on energy alternatives Monday, Aug. 22 from 7-9 p.m. at the Parkdale Community Centre, 119 Birch St., Belleville. This fall’s provincial election will set the direction on energy for decades to come. Treat Hull, Green Party of Ontario candidate for MPP will present an overview of Ontario’s current energy situation and alternatives, followed by discussion. For more information, click the poster, visit www.give-em-hull.ca or email PEHastings@gpo.ca or call 613-476-8700