Since they were opened to the public this week, the Friends of Medicare are beginning to receive a growing number of comments and reactions from regular Albertans who are attending the Government’s Alberta Health Act meetings. Here are some of the comments:
I attended the meeting last night. I asked a number of questions to see why they were trying to put this legislation in place – I didn’t get an answer that I was satisfied with. Personally, I don’t think any Albertans were asking the government to do this – the impetus must have come from someone other than citizens. The government should be listening to the will of the people – if that is the case, there should have been some public outcry to have new legislation put in place – however, as you and I both know, there was no public outcry – there is some hidden force behind this.
…it appears that they are pushing this legislation through without giving Albertans the opportunity to say anything about it. I feel that this process is more of a formality so they could say they consulted Albertans.
There is the illusion that the government wants to know what we think, but the reality is that they will likely disregard our comments and push through their agenda regardless of what we want.
The very tight structuring of the meetings with only set questions being answered troubled me. Although our answers were recorded (written and taped), I am concerned that the response that Fred Horne will write will just continue along preset party lines.
I said again and again that we did not need the Alberta Health Act or the Charter for patients, as these issues are covered in the health acts we have in place, plus the 100 resolutions, and 30 pieces of legislation. I also said quite strongly that this process is simply to take away those pieces of legislation and acts which have been hard won over the past generations. I truly expected to be shot.
