Government must create climate of transparency
It is ironic that we can live in an age where information is so freely available, and still resort to ill-informed emotional responses to scientific developments. In the case of biotechnology and food, the emotions are understandable. After all, this is what we’re going to feed our children; grown in soil that we must preserve […]
Powerful pharma companies opposed to humanitarian aid
It’s not surprising that one of the most important health-care considerations facing Canadians these days is also the most complex and difficult to explain, let alone resolve. This is the world of prescription drugs, a medical necessity for millions, subject to intense regulation by government, the object of study by the bureaucracy and a Parliamentary […]
Quality health care: where do official languages fit in?
As Canadians continue the national debate on our health-care system, the phrase “quality health care” is a refrain repeated by many. It’s what everyone wants, but how is it defined? Quality means different things to different people. Timeliness, thoroughness and accessibility are widely viewed as essential elements of “quality health care,” and as such, are […]
CIHR and health research: exceptional value, says Bernstein
Health research is transforming our lives and our health-care system. From understanding the most intimate molecular secrets of the cancer cell, to the sequencing of the SARS virus genome and the development of a SARS vaccine, to the discovery of new drugs and transplantation procedures to prevent or cure diabetes, to a scientific evaluation of […]
Kirby’s Senate Committee looking into mental illness and addiction
Thank you for inviting the chair and deputy chair of the Senate Standing Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology to provide an overview of their work in the important field of health and health care. The committee has been very busy over the last three years dealing with critical issues surrounding health and health […]
‘We cannot afford to wait any longer’
In many ways, Health Minister Anne McLellan could be considered one of Cabinet’s luckiest members. Whenever the strings of the public purse loosen, she seems to get a big chunk of the pie, if not the biggest. That’s what happens when you’re in charge of Canada’s No. 1 priority. Then again, given the state of […]
Paul Martin’s shameful health-care legacy: Merrifield
As Paul Martin prepares to move into 24 Sussex, Canadians have noticed a distinct lack of clarity as to where he stands on the key issues of the day. It falls, then, to look back on his record as finance minister and right-hand man of the outgoing Prime Minister for a possible preview of what […]
Health Council now appears pointless
Nearly one year has now passed since the Report of the Romanow Commission on the Future of Health Care in Canada was tabled, and little has changed. Many of the concerns outlined in the report remain unaddressed: Canadians are still forced to contend with waiting lists for surgeries, diagnostic services, specialists, treatments, and even to […]
Feelgood a tangled web of powerful political relationships: it’s all about Eddie, the press secretary, who tries to put the final touches on PM’s keynote speech
Just in time for the Liberal Party leadership convention, the Great Canadian Theatre Company (GCTC) is mounting a production of Feelgood, a political farce by Alistair Beaton, British playwright and former speechwriter to Gordon Brown, the chancellor of the exchequer. Based on the spin-doctoring and backroom blunders of the Labour Party convention where British Prime […]
Small and medium business: engine for Canadian economy: it’s time Paul Martin step forward for small and medium enterprises and the economy
The numbers show that the growth and prosperity of small and medium businesses is critical to the Canadian economy and job creation. Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) provide employment for approximately 60 per cent of Canadians, create the bulk of new jobs and account for almost 50 per cent of Canada’s GDP. It is incumbent […]
