LETTER

Questioning Trudeau 

In the furor over what motivated the resignation of Jody Wilson-Raybould, questions have arisen as to the credibility of the Prime Minister. Although I have no inside information about this matter, I have been writing about the Canada Health Act for over 30 years. 

I was struck by Justin Trudeau’s comment about enforcement of the CHA (Ottawa Citizen, February 8, page A6). When questioned about Ontario’s health reform plans, he stated, “We have acted in the past when provinces have not aligned themselves with the Canada Health Act, and we will ensure that every province follows the requirements of the Canada Health Act.”

This is clearly false. He (and all previous prime ministers) have selectively enforced only parts of this federal law. As most Quebec residents know, their medical should be fully portable, but it is not, a clear violation of Section 11 of the CHA. When they seek medical care in other provinces, most pay out-of-pocket, and then await partial reimbursement.

Of interest is that Trudeau voted in Ottawa last May and at the time acknowledged that he was now a legal resident of Ontario. Thus he almost certainly has a fully portable OHIP card - in contrast to the Papineau constituents that he represents.

This situation brings to mind the phrase, Falsus in uno, falsus in omnibus (false in one thing, false in everything).

Charles S. Shaver, MD

Ottawa