Today, the Hospital Employees’ Union (HEU) is demanding federal leader Pierre Poilièvre clarify his party’s plans for public health care considering comments made by North Island-Powell River Conservative candidate Aaron Gunn between 2021 and 2024 in support of increasing the private sector’s role in Medicare.
“Pierre Poilièvre's North Island-Powell River candidate Aaron Gunn has repeatedly said he supports U.S.-style two-tier health care over the past four years,” says Lynn Bueckert, HEU secretary-business manager. “Our union is asking Pierre Poilièvre to be clear with Canadians about his party’s plans for the future of health care, in light of Gunn’s radical prescription for giving for-profit care a bigger share of Canadians’ health care dollar.”
When Gunn was a B.C. Liberal leadership candidate in 2021, he promised as leader he would allow “competition in the delivery of health care services” and end the B.C. government's then active court case against private clinics. Together, these two measures would “unleash the power of private-sector innovation” in health care, argued Gunn at the time.
Last year, Gunn released a video explaining why Canada needed to see an expansion of corporate private care. He even featured an interview with Cambie Clinic owner Dr. Brian Day, who was caught extra-billing B.C. patients contrary to the provincial Medicare Protection Act, even after Day lost his Supreme Court of Canada challenge that aimed at overturning the legislation.
“The last time the federal Conservatives were in power, they cut health care transfers to provinces and territories by $36 billion – after promising not to in the 2011 national election,” says Bueckert. “In addition, they failed to enforce the Canada Health Act resulting in a ramping up of private health care across Canada during their nine years in power.
“Given their past record and the lack of clarity on their plans for the future of public health care in this election, British Columbians deserve to know where Pierre Poilièvre and his candidates – like Gunn – stand when it comes to protecting, maintaining and expanding Canada’s hallmark social program,” says Bueckert.