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Ontario Health Coalition |
OHC NEWSLETTER Fall 2001 |
Cover Page: The Romanow Commission
The Commission on the Future of Health Care in Canada - popularly known as "The Romanow Commission"- started its work in May. Since then, the commission has been on a fact-finding mission and Romanow has been busy fulfilling a very public itinerary of meetings and speeches across the country. Now is the time for our allies, members and affiliates to start working now to ensure that our common vision - a vision of an enhanced, quality, comprehensive, one-tier, public healthcare system - is the overwhelming community response to the Commission's investigations.
Immediately after the Commission was announced last spring Mike Harris wrote an open letter to Romanow seeking assurance that privatization of healthcare would be on the agenda. The Commission is charged with consulting extensively with the provinces about their views of sustainable healthcare and each province has agreed to provide the Commission with a liaison. Romanow has said that he must pay particular attention to the views of Ontario as one of the major players. This is very worrisome in light of Mike Harris' recent statements about privatizing hospitals, and his government's desire to promote user fees, means tests and privatized services at all levels. It is incumbent upon all of us to demonstrate that the overwhelming and informed public concern in Ontario is to protect and extend Medicare. For more information on the Commission's mandate, timelines and deadlines for submissions click here.
The provincial Conservatives announced last spring that they would begin a province-wide consultation that would complete its work before the Romanow Commission concludes. To date, this consultation consists of a carefully crafted and extremely controlled survey sent to every household in the province. The Ontario Health Coalition, in partnership with local health coalitions, has called for a Day of Action on October 24 to highlight the manipulative nature of this process and to demand real public consultations. For more information about the Day of Action and Ontario community mobilizing click here.
Table of Contents
Cover Story on the Romanow Commission
Romanow Commission: Facts & Details
OHC Conference: Convergence December 1st 2001
OHC Day of Action: October 24
Health "Consultations" Panned
Province's Long Term Care PR a Slap to Seniors
"Two-Tier Tony" - Profile of Health Minister Tony Clement
How YOU Can Help Save Medicare: Become a Campaign Organizer!
