Investigate Timeshare Medicine in BC

The Copeman clinic is set to open its doors to the Vancouver elite in October. The BC Liberals opened the door to for-profit medicine through mismanagement of health care. Waitlists, overcrowded emergency rooms and dirty hospitals have all created problems for BC citizens accessing health care. The Liberals can stop privatization in health care by enforcing provincial law and keeping some of their health care campaign promises.

"British Columbians sent the BC Liberals a strong message in the election: fix public health care. That's why the Health Minister should investigate the billing practices of this new private clinic to ensure that public dollars go to improve public health care." - Carole James, BC NDP leader, June 2, 2005

BC's Health Minister, Shirley Bond can't sit on her hands and let the Copeman clinic open without an assurance that public money will not be used to subsidize for-profit healthcare. Federal and provincial law establish clear rules banning extra-billing and the Minister of Health needs to ensure those rules are enforced.

Yesterday I raised some questions that need to be answered. I add another today. Bond has stated she will look into the clinic. That won't be good enough, Bond must look into the clinic and then release the findings before the Clinic opens in October. She might want to as the House will be sitting then and the last thing the Liberals will want is another health scandal to deal with.

So Honourable Minister, Will you release the results of your investigation into the Copeman Clinic before the clinic opens?