Edmonton Journal - Feb. 20, 2004?
Premier warns MLAs to prepare for 'firestorm'
James Baxter; With files from Tom Barrett; With files from The Canadian Press

EDMONTON - Premier Ralph Klein warned that Alberta will consider walking away from the Canada Health Act and forfeit millions in federal funding if no deal can be reached with other provinces on how to reform the health care system. In a briefing with his caucus Thursday, Klein told MLAs to expect a "firestorm" because "what we do may contravene the interpretation of the principles of the Canada Health Act." Klein was responding to questions about what he hoped will come from next week's Council of the Federation meetings.

In the three weeks since the premiers met with new Prime Minister Paul Martin in Ottawa, Klein said he hopes the other premiers will have developed reasonable plans for reforms. But, he added, he has doubts whether some premiers, especially Manitoba's Gary Doer, share the same sense of need for significant change. "We need to talk about reform," Klein said. "We need to talk about how the Canada Health Act is interpreted. And we need to have the flexibility to try new and different and innovative things."

Klein said he knows he won't garner consensus for his reform ideas at next week's meetings in Vancouver, but he hopes other like-minded premiers - especially Quebec's Jean Charest, Nova Scotia's John Hamm and British Columbia's Gordon Campbell - will help win over some of the fence-sitters. "At the end of the day, if all else fails, we might have to ask whether it is worth staying in the Canada Health Act," Klein said. The provincial government could forfeit the 16%, or approximately $1.2 billion, that the federal government contributes directly to the province's health care coffers, he said. "I think we are ready to assess the savings that might be achieved against the amount that would be lost in the 16% we get in transfer payments," Klein said. He said that would likely have to be made up through delisting some services, introducing user fees and privatizing some functions.

Thursday marked the first time Klein has raised the spectre of opting out of the national health care program since his meetings with Martin. Klein had emerged from those meetings saying he felt Martin understood the provinces and that he was someone with whom Alberta could do business. Federal officials said late Thursday that they were disappointed that Klein had reverted to a more threatening posture in health care talks. "Of course, we are saddened by tonight's reports," said Sebastien Theberge, a spokesman for Health and Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Pierre Pettigrew, who was tending to family issues Thursday night. "Mr. Klein is our longest-serving premier and we know he cares deeply for the well-being of Canadians. We know that he understands that universal health care is among our nation's proudest achievements and we would hope that we can count on his leadership to help strengthen health care and to work within the Canada Health Act for the future generations of Canadians."

Saskatchewan Premier Lorne Calvert said he shares Klein's frustrations over federal health funding but disagrees with the idea of violating the Canada Health Act. "This is what happens when you have a federal funding withdrawal from a national health care scheme," Calvert said. "I don't share his solution, but it is the outcome. It's important that ... Canadians understand the dimension of the problem."

Klein's comments came during a raucous press conference in which the premier went on the attack over his government's lack of disclosure of travel and discretionary spending. Both opposition parties accused Klein of purposely creating a distraction to draw attention away from uncomfortable questions about his travel expenses. "He's a master tactician," said Alberta NDP Leader Raj Pannu. "He's trying to distract everyone by throwing a bomb into the health care system." Both Pannu and Liberal health critic Kevin Taft say polls show Albertans are huge supporters of the Canada Health Act and are uninterested in changing or challenging it. "I think it would be a very big mistake by the government," Pannu said. "Albertans have consistently shown the strongest commitment to the Canada Health Act of any province," Taft said. "They don't trust the Tories on health care. It's one of their greatest weaknesses."

Klein said he understands the public's concern over Alberta's threats to go it alone, but added that they need to be better informed. "This is a meaningful issue and it is really going to require some explaining to the public (about) really how serious this situation is and how we risk losing health care," Klein said. "If we were to go it alone, we would still abide by the fundamental principles and make sure that the thoughts of Tommy Douglas were really enshrined in what we did. That is that no one should lose their home and their dignity and their livelihood because of a sickness or illness." Klein said he doesn't yet know the full content of Alberta's package, but added that any effective health care reform, be it in conjunction with the other provinces or Alberta's alone, will require considerable belt tightening by health care workers. "We have to achieve sustainability because there won't be the ability to pay anyone if we let the costs go on (rising) the way they have been going," he said.

© Copyright 2004 Edmonton Journal