February 19, 2007

Building A Future Together
MLA Statements

In 1947, Saskatchewan was the first province to establish public universal hospital insurance. Decades later in 1984 the Canada Health Act was passed into law by our federal parliament. But a lot has changed since 1947. New procedures, new technologies and new demands have changed the face of health care in British Columbia, in Canada and around the world.

In 1947 the population of B.C. was about one million people, and health care costs were $4.6 million, or 1.2 percent of the provincial budget. In 1965 the population of B.C. was about 1.8 million with health care costs growing to $123.2 million, or 19 percent of the provincial budget. In 1975 the population of B.C. had grown to 2.5 million with health care costs coming in at $745 million, or 22 percent of the provincial budget. In 1985 the population of B.C. reached 2.9 million with a cost of health care pegged at $2.6 billion, or 28 percent of the provincial budget. In 1995 the population of B.C. was 3.7 million, and health care costs had risen to $6.8 billion, or 34.1 percent of the provincial budget.

Now here we are in 2007. The population of B.C. is about 4.2 million. This year, with the addition of $885 million, the health care budget is over $13 billion. That's $400 per second, $24,000 per minute, $1.5 million per hour, $35 million a day, or 43 percent of the provincial budget. Imagine 43 cents out of every dollar of taxpayers' money in British Columbia, and that cost continues to grow.

Since 2001, B.C. has increased health care funding by 25.5 percent. Next year's increase of 7.3 percent is three times the rate of inflation. In fact, if the current rate of increase in health care spending is maintained, health care will represent 70 percent of the provincial budget in ten short years.

With 30 percent of the provincial budget dedicated to education, there will be no funding left for child care, for social assistance, for housing or for transportation infrastructure. Indeed, there will be no funding left for the wide array of provincial programs and services that British Columbians expect and depend on.

There is no doubt that the sustainability of British Columbia's public health care system is at risk. In last year's throne speech a question was posed to government, to opposition and to all British Columbians: are we prepared to change to face up to that fact? Are we prepared to accept that the escalation of health care costs is not sustainable?

I'm proud to say that through the Conversation on Health, British Columbians are answering yes by the thousands. As of today more than 6,000 people have registered for an opportunity to take part in regional public, patient and professional forums. More than 70,000 have participated through the website. British Columbians recognize the need for fundamental changes in order to protect our public health care system, and they are ready to be a part of that.

For the first time British Columbians are being given a chance to provide direct input to government on health care. They are giving of their time, sharing their experiences and assisting us as we wrestle with the many challenges facing us for the future. We will have the benefit of the collective wisdom of patients, professionals from the front line and members of the general public as we act to move our health care system forward sustainably.

Nevertheless, no new initiative is without its critics. The opposition has tried to portray the dialogue as rigged. Those who've actually seen the forums firsthand have a different view.

One example is from Deb Ducharme, B.C. Nurses Union regional representative and participant in the Kamloops forum. She's quoted in the Vancouver Sun as saying: "They certainly set it up to allow input…. There was no guiding. People could go where they wanted on a subject. I just encourage people to participate."

The opposition has further attempted to turn this into a battle of public versus private. Truly, the stakes are much higher than that. At stake is the very survival of public health care in British Columbia. Surely the sustainability of our public health care system is as important to us, to the opposition and to British Columbians as the sustainability of our environment.

For this government, there's no question that the protection of our public health care system is of paramount importance. We are committed to working in partnership with all British Columbians to build a public health care system that will still be there for our children and grandchildren.

The Conversation on Health is one more way in which this government is working together with all British Columbians to build a bright future for our province. It's part of a Pacific leadership agenda that will take us forward into a Pacific century with B.C. at the forefront, leading the way through innovation and change.

I want to encourage all British Columbians to take advantage of this unprecedented opportunity. Visit the Conversation on Health website, call the toll-free number or provide a written submission. Be a part. Be a part of protecting British Columbia's public health care system, and be a part of building for the future of British Columbia.