Proud Canadian that I am, I like to keep my ears and eyes on my homeland. A couple of days ago, the province of Quebec had a general election. As always, in states where the government monopolizes “universal” health care, the permanent health crisis is a major political issue.
You may recall that Quebec’s interference with the private practice of medicine, outlawing Dr. Jacques Chaoulli from operating on patient George Zeliotis, resulted in a Supreme Court of Canada judgment that the government’s monopoly of health care violated its citizens’ civil rights.
The Parti Quebecois, which came in 2nd place, was running this ad during the election.
The speakers are candidates, not actors. For those who don’t speak French, the translation goes like this:
1st woman: “Everybody talks about health. Everybody talks about hospitals.”
1st man: “And everybody talks about money. Our health-care calculation led us to the following conclusion…”
2nd woman: “What’s necessary, is that everyone has access to a family doctor.”
2nd man: “It’s not complicated, and above all, its not difficult to understand.”
3rd man: “Every Quebecker must have a family doctor.”
4th man: “It’s just as simple as that.”
3rd woman (party leader Pauline Marois): “The Marois plan really makes sense, in accord with Quebec’s needs. It’s our plan – for a winning Quebec.”
So, there you have it: In the U.S., politicians promise “universal” health care. In a jurisdiction with “universal” health care, the politicians can’t handle talking about hospitals or money, so they focus on the apparently simple goal of a general practitioner for every family – which they haven’t achieved after four decades of government monopoly.
Home, sweet home!
Government Monopoly Health Care in Quebec
John R. Graham
Proud Canadian that I am, I like to keep my ears and eyes on my homeland. A couple of days ago, the province of Quebec had a general election. As always, in states where the government monopolizes “universal” health care, the permanent health crisis is a major political issue.
You may recall that Quebec’s interference with the private practice of medicine, outlawing Dr. Jacques Chaoulli from operating on patient George Zeliotis, resulted in a Supreme Court of Canada judgment that the government’s monopoly of health care violated its citizens’ civil rights.
The Parti Quebecois, which came in 2nd place, was running this ad during the election.
The speakers are candidates, not actors. For those who don’t speak French, the translation goes like this:
1st woman: “Everybody talks about health. Everybody talks about hospitals.”
1st man: “And everybody talks about money. Our health-care calculation led us to the following conclusion…”
2nd woman: “What’s necessary, is that everyone has access to a family doctor.”
2nd man: “It’s not complicated, and above all, its not difficult to understand.”
3rd man: “Every Quebecker must have a family doctor.”
4th man: “It’s just as simple as that.”
3rd woman (party leader Pauline Marois): “The Marois plan really makes sense, in accord with Quebec’s needs. It’s our plan – for a winning Quebec.”
So, there you have it: In the U.S., politicians promise “universal” health care. In a jurisdiction with “universal” health care, the politicians can’t handle talking about hospitals or money, so they focus on the apparently simple goal of a general practitioner for every family – which they haven’t achieved after four decades of government monopoly.
Home, sweet home!
Nothing contained in this blog is to be construed as necessarily reflecting the views of the Pacific Research Institute or as an attempt to thwart or aid the passage of any legislation.