Budget cuts expected in health care

On June 11th, the CEO for the Interior Health Authority admitted that IHA is currently experiencing a budget shortfall of $20 million, and that this budget crisis will continue into subsequent years.  What does this mean for healthcare in this area?  Without an increase in funding, there will have to be further cuts to clinical services and that is going to cause hardship for some.

The Campbell Liberals have shown by their continued underfunding of our health care system that they do not believe, as most of us do, that we have a responsibility as a society to provide quality, accessible and publicly-funded health services to all British Columbians.

Many would also say that the appointment of Kevin Falcon, a strong supporter of Premier Campbell’s privatization agenda, to the position of Minister of Health Services is another clear signal that there will be an even more dramatic decline in health care services.

Over the next nine months, IHA will be cutting $20 million in spending in health services across interior British Columbia.  In this community, we have fought to retain every health service that we have, and I am concerned that there will be further losses unless we continue to fight.

Rural British Columbians deserve access to a reasonable level of health services within their own communities.  For example, our children should be born close to home.  Our seniors should be able live either in their own homes, or in quality facilities, near to family and friends.  And we should have access to palliative care so that our last days can be spent where we lived.

All of these services cost money. It is tempting to view these costs simply in terms of dollars and cents, and to move towards the centralization of services.  But the provision of comprehensive health services in small communities provides a quality of life to rural residents that makes it possible for us to live here throughout our lives. 

It will be up to each one of us to fight for the retention of health services.  When a lack of funding effects the level of service provided to you or your family, you need to speak out.  You can reach me by calling 1 (866) 870 – 4188 or by emailing Norm.Macdonald.MLA@leg.bc.ca.

Strengthening your democracy is up to you

The recent election left me feeling both encouraged and dismayed.  While I was naturally thankful for all the support I received from voters in Columbia River – Revelstoke, I was very concerned by the low voter turnout both here and across British Columbia.

I can’t help feeling that the lack of voter interest is in some way a failure on my part.  At the very least, I am part of a group, politicians of all political stripes, that has failed to communicate with voters and engage them in the democratic process.

For me, the empowering part of the election was the large group of volunteers who worked so hard to re-elect me.  Similar to last election, my campaign was run on a very tight budget.  My campaign was successful because of people who gave of their time and skills, and I was pleased that those people felt passionate enough to get involved.

But that level of engagement was not apparent in the wider public; a symptom of just how uninspiring the democratic process has become.  Last month’s provincial election managed to draw only half of those who were eligible to vote.

As we commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre where many lives were lost fighting for democratic freedom, many British Columbians chose not to exercise their democratic rights. 

Elections BC did everything they could to make voting easy, including five full days of voting over the course of a week.  Voting takes only slightly longer than getting money from the instant teller machine. 

Politicians have failed the electorate, whether it be through resorting simply to sound-bites and political spin when discussing important issues, or by turning to name-calling and partisanship rather than working towards real solutions. 

But voters must also take responsibility for the state of our democratic process.  If you stay home on election day, you accept the system as it is.  Those that are in power are quite content with an electorate that is disengaged.

I am committed to doing what I can to ensure that voters in this area are engaged in issues of importance to our communities, but to be successful I need your help.  If there is a provincial issue you care about, you need to get in touch. 

Ultimately, strengthening our democratic institutions is up to you.