My mother’s cousin lived in the U.S. They had no children and both worked, and life was good until the last three years of her husband’s life, when he contracted prostate cancer. Although they had Blue Cross insurance, which was supposed to be the best, the hospital took everything: the house, both cars, her jewelry, her savings, her wages. She was reduced to living on the equivalent of welfare.
This week I received a second Conservative advertising brochure in three weeks telling me how well the current government is doing in creating jobs and in balancing the budget. They were sent out by the government caucus services (Colin Mayes has already announced he isn’t running again), and a response form, also paid for by Canada Post and the taxpayer, is provided.
If the Conservative Party has so much money, can’t they at least pay the postage on their campaign literature?
Having promised in 2011 that they would balance the budget in 2014, they now claim to be “on track” to balance the budget in 2015.
They say they will not cut transfers for health care and education, even though the Conservative government has already stated it will not renew the health care accord which expires this year, it will not negotiate with the provinces, and there will be $36 billion in cuts to health care which will come into effect after the next election in 2015. There will be no cuts to the health care of past and present politicians.
So this is how Stephen Harper balances a budget. On the backs of the sick. Assisted suicide? We will have it, whether you like it or not, and it will be done on the basis of cost.
Richard Smiley
