Thoughts on BC Politics and More

2025 will go down as a watershed moment for Canadian health care, courtesy of Wildrose Country. The combination of reforms announced by the Smith government this year represents a bold reclamation of provincial jurisdiction while respecting the federal Canada Health Act (CHA). From changing the way the Alberta government pays hospitals, to allowing patients to directly purchase diagnostic scans and testing, Smith is pushing the boundaries without breaking them. However, the government’s most recent salvo—legislation allowing physicians to “toggle” between public and private practice—has stirred up a proverbial hornet’s nest of controversy. Simply put, Smith proposes to keep the public system but make it easier for patients to pay at private clinics for things like hip and knee operations if they would like. What critics fail to understand is that not only will these reforms fundamentally improve patients’ lives, but they may actually save the public system from imploding ... CLICK HERE...

  A lot of you have written to ask where the Centre Ice Canadians team is at, with all the nuts and bolts of considering preparing a new political party.   This week, we’re sharing our draft policy framework . When you’ve had a chance to read it, please let me know what you think, at dcardy@gmail.com .   Early in the summer, we asked for policy ideas, and we asked for them in a demanding format. We heard from well over a hundred of you, with a lot of excellent ideas. Some of them are thought out to a level of detail that they could be submitted as government policy notes.   There is a lot of experience and sophistication in this group. Thank you for sharing it.   I have tried to synthesize those ideas, and to put them in a framework that begins to describe our potential party’s values and vision. They’re your ideas; with weight given here to ideas that were raised the most often or that justified their urgency most convincingly.   I heard a desi...

Alberta Premier, and UCP leader, Jason Kenney It isn’t just me. Thank God!   I was getting a little concerned for a while. But thankfully there is Rex Murphy, David Solway and Spencer Fernando to turn to. Alberta, through its Premier (Jason Kenney), has made it clear that if other western countries have approved a certain test for the Wuhan Virus, his Government would use it notwithstanding Health Canada’s lack of approval. Sadly, so many Canadians just swallow hook line and sinker whatever comes out of the mouths of so-called Federal experts. I chaired a Federal expert panel on Diabetes a few years ago. Oh, the bureaucracy!! I say no more. Many years later do you think it is better? Look, unless Health Canada can clearly scientifically explain what is wrong with certain tests -- approved by reputable health agencies like the FDA, European agencies or Australia -- I say use them. This is getting a little ridiculous. This reliance on the ‘ China challenged...

Few people understand that every province in Canada has separate sovereignty different from that of the federal government. Our Constitution, Section 92 sets it out:      92. In each Province the Legislature may exclusively make Laws in relation to Matters coming within the Classes of Subjects next hereinafter enumerated ; that is to say,        1. Repealed.        2. Direct Taxation within the Province in order to the raising of a Revenue for Provincial Purposes.        3. The borrowing of Money on the sole Credit of the Province.        4. The Establishment and Tenure of Provincial Offices and the Appointment and Payment of Provincial Officers.        5. The Management and Sale of the Public Lands belonging to the Province and of the Timber and Wood thereon.        6. The Es...

The myth that our federal government is in charge of our economy is ludicrous, and federal interventions in business are killing our economy . Our constitution sets out the powers and responsibilities of provinces under Sections 92, 92A, 93, 94, 94A and 95. 92. In each Province the Legislature may exclusively make Laws in relation to Matters coming within the Classes of Subjects next hereinafter enumerated; that is to say, 1 Repealed. 2 Direct Taxation within the Province in order to the raising of a Revenue for Provincial Purposes. 3 The borrowing of Money on the sole Credit of the Province. 4 The Establishment and Tenure of Provincial Offices and the Appointment and Payment of Provincial Officers. 5 The Management and Sale of the Public Lands belonging to the Province and of the Timber and Wood thereon. 6 The Establishment, Ma...