6
Opinion
1
February
2005
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Bush
isn't
the
only
one
doing
some
cabinet
shifting;
the
provincial
Liberals
have
been
busy
shuffling
people
too.
Colin
Hansen
has
retired
from
his
seat
as
Minister
of
Health,
so
everyone
deemed
important
is
moving
up.
Under
Hansen's
management,
we
have
seen
epic
waitlists
and
a
province-wide
nurses'
strike
which
ended
in
a
forced
back-to-work
order.
Thanks
in
part
to
Hansen,
there
is
a
drastic
shortage
of
doctors,
patients
routinely
wait
more
than
a
year
for
needed
surgery,
and
emergency,
room
visits
often
involve
12
hours
of
waiting.
With
such
a
shoddy
record,
and
few
notable
high
points
to
compensate,
his
replacement
should
be
a
good
thing
for
British
Columbians,
right?
After
all,
Gordo
publicly
promised
"a
big
name"
to
fill
the
position,
and
his
word
is
golden,
right?
Even
though
this
big
name
could
have
been
a
new
shortstop
with
an
introduction
like
that,
could
an
untrained
baseball
player
do
any
worse
than
Hansen
and
manage
to
do
further
damage
to
our
health
system?
Well,
in
her
own
words
in
the
PG
Citizen,
Shirley
Bond
says
she
is
"up
to
the
challenge."
Hold
on
a
minute!
This
couldnt
pos
sibly
be
the
same
Prince
George
MLA
who
was
Minister
of
Advanced
Education
from
2001
to
2004,
could
it?
No,
it
couldn't
be
the
same
Shirley
that
dis
missed
the
protests
of
last
year's
Day
of
Action
because,
as
she
said,
the
government
already
pays
for
70-80
of
a,
student's,
edu
cation,
(ignoring
the
evidence
that
that
money
.almost
always
comes
back
threefold
in
the.
form
of
increased
income
tax
payments
later)
could
it?
Alas,
they
are
but
one
person!
mmm
care
worse
Campbell's,
cost:cutting
lap,
dog
is
taking
care
of
us
when
we're
sick;
oh
rapture
and
joy!
What
could
this
mean
for
the
regular,
carbon-based,
mortal
person?
Could
prayer
and
laugher
soon
be
the
best
affordable
medicines?
Here's
what
I
see
ahead:
There
will
be
dramatic
increases
in
Medicare
costs.
The
government
pays
for
almost
all
of
a
hospital's
expenses,
much
like
a
college
or
a
university.
Under
the
same
spending
philosophy
applied
to
tuition
fees,
the
government
would
have
no
reason
to
cover
all
of
a
patient's
medical
costs.
The
nurses'
shortage
will
only
continue
to
worsen.
Under
Bond's
rule,
colleges
from
CNC
to
Kwantlen
have
seen
the
difference
between
a
professor's
salary
and
an
administrator's
salary
widen
into
a
gaping
maw:
In
addition,
the
BC
Liberals
have
repeatedly
shown
their
disdain
towards
medical
workers.
These
two
factors
are
far
from
promising
for
nurses'
wages,
and
likewise
the
pull
for
nurses
to
come
to
this
province.
Other
businesses
will
be
booming
too.
With
t
FrEE
FOftti
m3t"Mg
person
to
the
inevitable
health
care
cuts,
more
prescriptions
will
be
give
instead
of
other,
often
more
appropri
ate
therapies
that
would
require
more
of
a
pro-f
fessional's
time,
and
more
money
from
the
med
ical
centers
instead
of
the
patients.
Even
more
so
than
drug
companies,
health
insurance
will
become
a
major
industry
in
British
Columbia
(hey,
business
really
is
"back
on
track
in
BC"),
as
it
becomes
less
and
less
public.
If
you
watch
a
lot
of
Canadian
television,
you
might
have
noticed
an
influx
in
health
insurance
advertising.
t
It
may
be
for
the
sake
of
these
industries
thar.
we
ended
up
with
such
a
"big
name"
in
health,'
;
Shirley
Bond
has
already
proven
that
she's
willing
'
to
sell
out
the
public,
and
that's
what
Campbell
is
i
counting
on.
But
hey,
at
least
she's
off
the
back
;
of
you,
the
student.
;
What
grand
surprises
new
Minister
of
Advanced
Education
Ida
Chong
has
planned
for
us
remains
,
to
be
seen.
She's
used
to
funding
cuts
from
her'-previous
post
as
Minister
of
Women's
and)
Senior's
Services,
so
therecould
be
hope
for
her.
party
career.
We'll
just
have
to
wait
and
see,
and
hope
not
to
get
sick
in
the
meantime,
m..
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