This morning, on Public Eye Radio, Association of Canadian Editorial Cartoonists president Michael De Adder discusses The Province's recent decision to re-assign or buy-out its two editorial cartoonists. New Democrat parliamentarian and former provincial cabinet minister Penny Priddy talks about her party's upcoming leaders' summit. And our rabble-rousing panel - Don Anderson, Bob Russell, Alex Tsakumis and Allan Warnke - debate the week that was in provincial and federal politics. You can listen to Public Eye Radio outside of Victoria by logging into CFAX 1070 between 8:30 and 10:00. If you have a question for one of our guests, you can email us, leave a comment below or phone (250) 386-1161 during the show.

This morning, on Public Eye Radio, Simon Fraser University public policy association professor John Calvert gives some advice to B.C. Hydro Corp.'s new chair. Vancouver-Quadra federal Conservative candidate Deborah Meredith tells us why she deserves to win the upcoming by-election in that riding. And provincial parliamentary secretary Mary Polak discusses the conversation on health's recently released summary of input. Also on the show: our rabble-rousing panel - Don Anderson, Bob Russell, Alex Tsakumis and Allan Warnke - debate the week that was in provincial and federal politics. You can listen to Public Eye Radio outside of Victoria by logging into CFAX 1070 between 8:30 and 10:00. If you have a question for one of our guests, you can email us, leave a comment below or phone (250) 386-1161 during the show.

On October 29, parliamentarian Blair Wilson resigned from the federal Liberal caucus admist allegations of election campaign misspending. And now Public Eye has learned he won't be running for the party in the next election either. In an interview, federal Liberal communications director Elizabeth Whiting stated, “As you know, there was a comprehensive review that was done by the Liberal Party of Canada’s British Columbia’s green light committee. After that, the leader consulted with the British Columbia and the national campaign co-chairs of the party and has determined that Mr. Wilson will not be the candidate for us in the next election.”

Mossadiq Umedaly will be making up to $100,000 as B.C. Hydro Corp.'s new chair - which isn't much when you consider the average compensation for corporate directors at Canada's largest publicly traded companies came in at $118,026 last year. But don't feel too bad for him because, just before Mr. Umedaly resigned as vice-president and chief financial officer of Ballard Power Systems Inc. back in 1999, he made a fortune.

According to Bloomberg News, Mr. Umedaly earned "$22.5 million, mostly from exercising stock options in his last year at the fuel-cell developer." At the time, he was "paid of a salary of $96,133, a bonus of $449,735 and $1.04 million in other compensation in 1998" But he boosted his pay by "exercising options for shares in Ballard Power worth $20.9 million." Cha-ching!

Mayor Sam Sullivan's effort to put in place a new homelessness funding model is getting some help from the Vancouver Foundation. In an interview with Public Eye, foundation communications vice-president Catherine Clement confirmed the charity has hired government relations giant Hill and Knowlton Inc. to convince the federal government to introduce the tax changes necessary to make that model work.

Ms. Clement explained the model's architects (former top provincial bureaucrat Ken Dobell and former Canada Line Rapid Transit Inc. chief financial officer Don Fairbain) "had gone to Ottawa to make some original pitches around the tax incentives."

But because the foundation, which has partnered with the city to support the model, "doesn't have any representation there, it was decided that we would hire a firm to do some of the education and lobbying work on these changes" that would give tax credits to private individuals, companies and foundations investing in the building of 1,500 new housing units for Vancouver's mentally ill and drug addicted.

"We believe that, in order to be successful" those changes "have to be introduced in the next federal budget which will probably be in February of next year," Clement continued. Which is why the Vancouver Foundation "as one of the partners in the development, decided to hire Hill and Knowlton to have them for the next five months do some of that work."

The Valhalla Wilderness Committee says it's prepared to sign a declaration of no-confidence against ForestEthics, one of British Columbia's most influential environmental groups. In an exclusive interview with Public Eye, committee chairperson Anne Sherrod said, "This is a very delicate subject to talk about publicly" because "we are not aware of any other situation previously in the province where one environmental group has publicly criticized the other." But Ms. Sherrod said she has strong concerns about the tactics ForestEthics uses in its campaigns to protect wilderness areas, brokering conservation deals with the forest industry and government behind closed doors.

"They waged - at least they did here in the Interior - a very visible and very good campaign to protect the mountain caribou." But "they use all of the visibility they gained through the press and through their market campaigns" to put ForestEthics "in a priority position to have these private negotiations about public resources" - negotiations Ms. Sherrod says have resulted in deals that make too many compromises to forest companies.

ForestEthics program director Tzeporah Berman hasn't yet responded to a request for comment placed yesterday.

Last week, we reported the Campbell administration's climate action team had its first meeting last week. The team will have until July 31, 2008 to do their work. And it seems they won't have much of an opportunity to get that work done during the time period. According to team member Naomi Devine, she and her colleagues are scheduled to meet just eight times. In an interview on Public Eye Radio, Ms. Devine explained, "We've got a very quick pace that's been set for us and a big challenge that's been set by the premier. But everybody is pretty enthusiastic about meeting it and the conversations we're going to be having over (climate action) options and where we see the province going."

And what options will she be pushing for? "Many of my dream ideas are already on the table or being taken by the government. But the one that really stands out for me is transportation and public transportation specifically. I really would like to see - and within a very short period of time - public transportation become a viable first option for people. And that involves many things. And I think one of the first things I'd like to talk about is advocating for free public transit within a well-designed, sustainable and integrated system. We've advanced the idea at the University of Victoria where students, of course, get a univeral bus pass. And that has greatly increased the amount of ridership among students. And we've proposed the idea of a U-Pass for the whole university. But if you take that idea further, why don't we have that idea as a policy for everyone in British Columbia."

Ms. Devine, 27, also addressed her status as the youngest member of the climate action team, saying "I don't worry about getting steamrolled. It's quite an interesting table of people who bring a tremendous amount of experience and a wide and diverse amount of experience. But the nice thing about being a youth member is that they're often interested in hearing what I have to say about things and the perspective that I bring. And a lot of people turn, because of the very large nature of this challenge, to what younger people have to say about it."

This morning, on Public Eye Radio, Right to Die Society of Canada president Ruth Von Fuchs talks about a recent conversation on health finding that many British Columbians are "in favour of instituting a process to allow euthanasia or assisted suicide." We'll be discussing the current status of the Bear Mountain tree sit-in. And provincial climate action team member Naomi Devine shares her thoughts on how British Columbia can meet its greenhouse gas emission goals. Also on the show: our rabble-rousing panel - Don Anderson, Bob Russell, Alex Tsakumis and Allan Warnke - debate the week that was in provincial and federal politics. You can listen to Public Eye Radio outside of Victoria by logging into CFAX 1070 between 8:30 and 10:00. If you have a question for one of our guests, you can email us, leave a comment below or phone (250) 386-1161 during the show.

A David Suzuki Foundation national survey - conducted by McAllister Opinion Research Inc. and The Frameworks Institute - has produced some fascinating results. The survey reportedly shows environmentalists are more credible than scientists when talking about the science of climate change. But scientists are more credible than environmentalists when talking about the crisis of climate change. Strange, eh? The study - which is being kept on the down low by the foundation - also shows Canadians don't care whether our country signs onto international environmental agreements so long as Canada is a global leader on climate action.

This morning, the Vancouver Sun's Miro Cernetig reported Labour and Citizens' Services Minister Olga Ilich won't seek a second term in office. But could it be that she, like Finance Minister Carole Taylor, is considering a run for civic office - possibly as the mayoral candidate for Richmond First? Inquiring minds want to know.

The provincial government seems to be concerned about the aesthetics of air in the Fraser Valley. According to documents posted on BC Bid yesterday, the environment ministry is looking to set visibility goals for wilderness areas and urban areas in the region. The Clinton administration launched a similar initiative to reduce the level of haze in American parks back in 1999. At the time that initiative was announced, southern governors expressed concern "that resources being used to make the air healthier would be 'misallocated' to improve visibility." And power industry executives argued the new regulations to meet those goals were "too rigid" and could "cost billions of dollars, a price that could be reflected in energy bills." This, according to The New York Times's Michael Janofsky. The following is a complete copy of the aforementioned documents, which invites bids on a contract leading to the "establishment a draft visibility goal for the Lower Fraser Valley that will ultimately be the cornerstone to a visibility protection pilot program for the valley." Work on that contract is expected to get underway in January and wrap-up in March.

A) SERVICES
The objective of the services will be to establish a science and policy foundation which will serve to develop a visibility goal for i) wilderness areas and ii) urban areas. The services listed here define the foundation which includes: the development of a process to be followed to establish such a goal, the appropriate form/metric of the goal and the scientific tools, methodology and data/information that are critical to its development.

The outcome of these services should allow an application of this goal setting process to the establishment of a draft visibility goal for the Lower Fraser Valley that will ultimately be the cornerstone to a visibility protection pilot program for the valley. Such a goal and the process should have generic elements that allow its broader geographical application.

The contracted services will involve reviewing past and current science and policies on visibility, conducting interviews with US government agency contacts regarding visibility experience, and to provide recommendations on the establishment of a visibility goal. In order to achieve this, specific services will include:

* an inventory of methodologies used for establishing ‘model’ visibility goals in other urban (e.g. Denver) or wilderness visibility protection programs (e.g. Regional Haze Goal for Class I areas) and an assessment
of their effectiveness in achieving visibility protection and improvement.
* a review of science tools and studies needed to establish a goal (including modelling, monitoring, analysis techniques, establishment and testing of a metric)
* a review of public/perception tools that assess acceptability and valuation and further studies needed to establish a goal. This will include an assessment of the implications and applicability of public/perception valuation studies that have been applied in the Lower Fraser Valley (McNeill and Roberge, Pryor)
* produce a template process/approach for establishing a visibility goal (for application in the LFV with generic elements for broader geographical application, both urban and wilderness) which would include
recommendations on:
* an appropriate form and metric of a visibility goal
* a science program needed to provide support for the goal
* methodologies that could be applied to establish a goal
* provide a report which summarizes the findings of the above reviews, the template process/approach,
and recommendations.
B) TERM:
From Jan 9/08 to March 31/08

When Premier Gordon Campbell announced the members of his climate action team last month, he said "they've been people who have been involved in these activities - sustainability, the science of it and the applications of it - for a number of years now." Which had some environmentalists wondering how British Columbia Restaurant and Foodservice Association president and chief executive officer Ian Tostenson made it onto that team - which met for the first time today. After all, according to a biography distributed by the government, Mr. Tostenson didn't seem to have any involvement with sustainability activities.

So Public Eye phoned Mr. Tostenson up to find out what he would be contributing to the team. In an interview, he explained most of his experience with sustainability comes from the four months he spent organizing Al Gore's visit to Vancouver this past September.

"Bringing (the former American vice-president) was no small feat," he explained. "It was a massive undertaking. Very hard guy to get. And where probably 15 organizations and companies dropped out of the race, including a very large television station in Vancouver - they just said it's too complicated - (the restaurant association) pursued it. And we pursued it for one reason: we recognized the issue has to be dealt with. So when you say background in sustainability - am I scientist from UBC, no. Do we need anymore scientists from UBC. We've got lots there. We've got Nobel Peace Prize guys."

Instead, Mr. Tostenson says "I'm going to be the practical catalyst of making sure we get change...This is an action team. And we have to have a balance of science and a balance of application because that's critically important. If we get too scientific and we don't translate that into practical application, we're not going to get to our goals."

And as the former president and chief executive officer of winemaker Cascadia Brands Inc. and chair of the British Columbia Wine Institute, he added he has "a very strong track record in the community of getting things done...It didn't matter how complex the issue was, I'm uniquely positioned to bring people together and get consensus and move on and accomplish things...And I think the premier, even when he was in opposition, saw those things happen - because we had a lot of interface with this government when they were in opposition." So that explains that.

The Campbell administration may continue to boast it's the most open and accountable government in Canada. But, just east of the Rocky Mountains, the Stelmach administration is putting in place a lobbyist registry with much sharper teeth than British Columbia counterpart. Under legislation passed last week, Alberta's lobbyist registrar has the power to conduct investigations "necessary to ensure compliance" with that act. And, during the course of such investigations, he'll be able to "summmon and enforce the attendance of individuals" and compel them to "produce any document" or "give oral or written evidence under oath." By comparison, British Columbia's registrar has no such investigative authority.

The penalties for violating Alberta's lobbyist laws will also be stiffer, with offenders facing fines of up to $100,000 and the possibility of being suspended from government relations work for two years. Here in British Columbia the maximum fine is $25,000. And the Stelmach administration will be publishing an online searchable index of all government contracts, which will be updated on a quarterly basis. So who's the most open and accountable government now?

Earlier, we reported Children and Family Development Minister Tom Christensen acknowledged his deputy's good practice action plan "contains unrealistic timelines." This, according to minutes from First Call's last meeting. And it turns out the minister isn't alone in that opinion. Back in September, the Federation of Children and Family Services provided the ministry with a response to that plan. And, in that response, the federation noted its members "have commented on the ambitious scope of, and short timeframes attached to, the action plan."

"While there is strong support for taking action to continually improve and enhance the systems of care, much of the work appears to be slated for completion within 6 months and the entire plan is to be competed within 15 months. Is there sufficient capacity to achieve these plans while simultaneously ensuring that adequate care is provided to children and youth? How will these changes be achieved, within the proposed timeframes, without negatively disrupting the lives of the children, youth and families that we jointly care for and about? Concerns about the timeframes and access to financial and human resources have lead people to question the “doability” of the plan and wonder when implementation plans will be developed and who will inform these plans?" The following is a complete copy of the relevant portion of that document.

***

Timelines and capacity:
Federation members have commented on the ambitious scope of, and short timeframes attached to, the action plan. While there is strong support for taking action to continually improve and enhance the systems of care, much of the work appears to be slated for completion within 6 months and the entire plan is to be competed within 15 months. Is there sufficient capacity to achieve these plans while simultaneously ensuring that adequate care is provided to children and youth? How will these changes be achieved, within the proposed timeframes, without negatively disrupting the lives of the children, youth and families that we jointly care for and about?

Concerns about the timeframes and access to financial and human resources have lead people to question the “doability” of the plan and wonder when implementation plans will be developed and who will inform these plans? Are there some areas of action that are of higher priority than others and will some actions precede others? Federation members have suggested that the plan would be enhanced by some commentary about the process for developing implementation plans and identifying priorities and sequential or contingent actions. The Federation members also believe that the community service sector must be integrally involved in the transformative work and supported to deliver the daily care during the transition process. The Federation is very willing to facilitate and support the participation of community based agencies in the planning process with the intention that this will add to the overall capacity of the system to achieve the plan.

Many of the initiatives listed require substantial funding. Whether, for example, mounting new Aboriginal authorities, undertaking continuous research, implementing pilot projects, evaluating all programs and policies, increasing foster care rates, improving post-adoption support, implementing more youth development and crime prevention initiatives, implementing a post-majority program, or developing a new electronic integrated case management system, new funding will be required. What are the options should sufficient funding not be available to achieve these actions. What role might the community services sector play to raise awareness about the need for adequate financial capacity?

University of British Columbia professor Bob Evans wasn't surprised when he learned many of the conversation on health's findings are similar to those of the 1991 British Columbia Royal Commission on Health Care and Costs. And now David Sinclair, another former member of that commission, is expressing a similar view.

Asked about the those similarities, Mr. Sinclair (who hadn't yet read the conversation's summary of input) said "I think the issues of healthcare are pretty clear. And there's probably a much broader consensus then is apparent from time to time in terms of opinions and comments by individuals." And that consensus - which is reflected by the work of the commission and the conversation on health - "makes a heck of a lot of common sense. But there's a lot of institutional hurdles to overcome." Specifically, he said the government needs to move "the bureaucracy to - in a sense - be more entrepreneurial. It's the greatest challenge. And, basically, I think that our healthcare system is far, far better than we give it credit for. And that's a function of the people."

In October, former Retail Council of Canada vice-president and Coalition of British Columbia Businesses chair Kevin Evans was appointed chief executive officer of the province's Industry Training Authority. But there's already talk Mr. Evans may be destined for a higher office - running as the provincial Liberal candidate in North Vancouver-Seymour should Dan Jarvis retire. Asked about such talk, Mr. Evans said, "I've not heard those rumours myself. So that is point number one. Point number two is no one has talked to me about running in Dan Jarvis's constituency or any other constituency. And point number three is that I want to be wherever I can make the most contribution to British Columbia. And I'll tell you, right now that's right where I am as CEO of the Industry Training Authority."

"I think that the labour shortage is a looming storm that really does pose quite a threat to British Columbia's prosperity," he continued. "It is the economic challenge of our age. So I'm very, very pleased with the challenge I have before me at the moment."

So would he rule out a future in elected politics? "No I wouldn't rule it out. But, as I say, my criteria will be where can I make the most contributions to British Columbia. So it would depend on what the scenario and the landscape looked like at the time. But certainly, at the moment, I've got a big, big challenge here at the ITA. And I'm going to need several years to make the kind of contribution I want to make at the ITA. And that's where I'm focused on right now," responded Mr. Evans.

Last month, Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond stated the ministry of children and family development's good practice action plan is "highly abstract, avoids making specific commitments where they should be made, and remains only 'a draft plan' to which further amendments must be anticipated. On key areas there may be no real action for years, even if the broad principles and objectives in the plan are laudable ones." But it appears the province's child and youth representative isn't the only one who sees deficiencies in that plan, which was first reported on by Public Eye. According to minutes from First Call's last meeting, Children and Family Tom Christensen has "acknowledged the plan contains unrealistic timelines." Fancy that!

Last month, former Kelowna mayor Walter Gray was appointed to the British Columbia Lottery Corp.'s board of directors. But some might find that appointment - which will put him in charge of administering the province's gambling industry - passingly curious. After all, back in 1997, Mr. Gray expressed concern about three new applications for destination casino licenses in the Okanagan. Speaking with B.C. Christian News's John Keery, the then municipal politician said he believed the increased emphasis on gambling would have long-term costs for the community. "It is a case of the proliferation of gambling. We worry for the future, but there is little we can do." Explained Mr. Gray, "We are talking about a (provincial) government desperate to create new and increased revenue sources. The city and regional district are going to have to come up with a pretty powerful argument to ward off an application for a destination casino."

Last month, the province's children and youth representative announced she had found "too little evidence...of a coordinated effort" to implement recommendations included in Ted Hughes's 2006 independent review of British Columbia's child protection system. So what does Mr. Hughes have to say about Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond's finding? Well, when the Canadian Press's Dirk Meissner spoke to the former conflict of interest commissioner last month, he hadn't read Ms. Turpel-Lafond's report. Although he was prepared to give the government some slack. "I assume, there would be some reason for that. There may be some sensible reason why it hasn't occurred up to now," he said. But, now, Mr. Hughes is expressing disappointment at the government's apparent lack of action.

Said Mr. Hughes, who has now had an opportunity to read the children and youth representative's report, "The government said at the time of the release (of my review) that they embraced all of the recommendations and they would be acted upon. So I expect them to be. I see in some of the responses (from government) last week it was indicated that there's a target 90 percent of them will be in place a year from now. It's a little disappointing. On the other hand, I realize some of them do take some time. But my wish would have been the matter would have moved faster as I think it could have moved faster."

And why does he feel government could have moved faster on his recommendations? "The commissioner has pointed out things in her report that haven't happened. And it seems to me sufficient time has passed that most recommendations would have had some action by now. And that hasn't happened," Mr. Hughes responded. "There's really nothing more important than the safety and care and the well-being of children who are in care of government and are at risk. And that report was put out to really start the process of solving some very major problems that existed in that whole area. And, once fully implemented, I think the remedy to the past problems was there."

Mr. Hughes couldn't say on why just 60 percent of his recommendations have been acted on, stating "I haven't been in touch with the government since the day I released the report." Asked whether he found the situation surprising, he stated, "I'm not prepared to say that. It's disappointing. And I guess we have to accept the fact that by my calculations, a year from now, 56 of them are going to be in place. I don't know which of the six are that are still going to be outstanding a year from now. But that's where (Ms. Turpel-Lafond) is going to have to direct her attention if those five or six are outstanding."

Earlier, we reported some provincial Liberals are promoting Royal Pacific Real Estate Corp. president and chief executive officer David Choi as a possible successor to outgoing Vancouver-Langara legislator Carole Taylor. But other party members have suggested the seat could be kept open for Gordon Campbell just in case the polling numbers in Vancouver-Point Grey turn against the premier.

Earlier, we exclusively reported many of the conversation on health findings are similar to those of the 1991 British Columbia Royal Commission on Health Care and Costs. But that doesn't surprise University of British Columbia professor Bob Evans, one of the royal commission's six members. In an interview with Public Eye, Dr. Evans - who allowed he hadn't yet read the conversation's summary of input - explained, "The issues and the responses people want have been around for a long time. But the system just doesn't respond...Andre-Pierre Contandriopoulos in Quebec wrote a paper on this 15 or 20 years ago called A System Held Hostage. And that seemed to capture the idea that you can't somehow get a hold of the levers of change."

So do you find that troubling? "Well, I'm used to it," responded the healthcare economist, who called the conversation a waste of the government's time. "I've been in this game a long time. So doesn't trouble me anymore. But it should. And it should trouble us a lot because what is happening is, when you can't make the changes that people want and that would make things better, you get the crackpot schemes. Well, not crackpot schemes, you get the kind of malcious schemes that say, 'Let's just privatize the thing and get on with moving the burdens down onto the users and increasing the income opportunities for the private sector.' When you block real reforms, then you provide more pressure and opportunity for the things that aren't really reforms."

Moreover, Dr. Evans said one of the conversation's principal findings - that British Columbians want more health promotion and disease prevention programs - might not do much to actually improve the healthcare system. "I think the public are significantly over-optimistic about the prospects for prevention," he said. "It's certainly true that lifestyles are quite connected with patterns of illness. But to go out and say, 'We're going to tell you not to smoke' - well, we've done that. And it worked as far as it worked. And that's about it. It's really much more difficult and much more important to get at what leads people into those lifestyles. You don't choose to say, 'I'm not going to worry about lung cancer or I'm not going to worry about heart disease.' Certainly, there is an increase in obesity among children. This is not a matter of a personal choice to be fat."

"If you look across Canada there are substantial variation in obesity and overweight rates with Vancouver being down near the bottom. We're actually pretty healthy. And central cities looking a lot better than suburbs and rural areas. And you say why? Well, my daughter lives in Coquitlam. Where do they walk to? Nowhere. They drive. If you live in downtown Vancouver or, bless us, out in Point Grey like as I do there are any number of places to walk to. We have constructed a built environment which encourages obesity to say nothing of the whole fast food process and increased stress on working families and increasingly restricted non-work time," continued Dr. Evans.

"So what do you expect the poor devils to do? They get in their cars and they drive to Macdonalds and then they go to work. So to say it's a matter of lifestyle choice is, on one level, true. People do choose what they eat and so on. But how did they come to make those choices in the first place?"

On Friday, the provincial government released the findings of its year-long conversation on health in the form of a 1,466 page tome. That tome details what British Columbians - including the 6,600 people who registered for the conversation's forums - had to say about how to renew the healthcare system. And, perhaps not surprisingly, what they said during those forums and in the 12,000 submissions made to the government isn't much different from what British Columbians told the province's Royal Commission on Health Care and Costs back in 1991.

That's when the commission released a 20-page booklet summarizing the results of its consultations - which included 900 presentations and 1,450 briefs. According to the report - entitled A Great System But...What You Told The British Columbia Royal Commission on Health Care and Costs - British Columbians overwhelming felt "an ounce of prevention is still worth a pound of cure. There is a feeling that health education and promotion, and illness and injury prevention initiatives are not prominent enough or adequately funded." And there is a need to "change unhealthy lifestyles that are directly responsible for many of our illnesses."

But, 16 years later, that need seems to remain unfulfilled. The Campbell administration is reporting "Health promotion and disease prevention were two of the most common discussion topics in the Conversation on Health." Indeed, conversation on health "Participants believe that we need a combination of policies and education related to health promotion, lifestyle and personal responsibility for health to encourage healthy behaviours." But that's just one of many similarities between the commission and the conversation on health's findings. The following is a selection.

***

"Participants expressed frustration with the lack of collaboration between the federal and provincial governments around serving First Nations communities. They emphasized that increased control on the part of First Nations over their own health care services would help to ensure improved treatment.

Conversation on Health Summary of Input

"The Commission has been told...How federal and provincial jurisdictional disputes confound and complicate attempts to improve native health. How it is inefficent for money to be allocated by bureaucracies who have no idea what policies and programs are needed or are effective for aboriginal people in BC. Native British Columbians ask for the understanding and resources necessary to help change the patterns of ill health that have plagued generations and continue to damage and destroy so many people. Native peoples want to control their own health."

A Great System But...What You Told the British Columbia Royal Commission on Health Care and Costs

***

"Participants generally perceive the current approach to performance management to be sub-standard. Insufficient attention to incentives, lack of clear measures or of measures that focus on outcomes, and lack of provincially available data, among others, are the reasons British Columbians think that the health care system needs a
revitalized performance management system."

Conversation on Health Summary of Input

"There needs to be stronger incentives and more practical support for the effective and efficient management of the health care system's resources."

A Great System But...What You Told the British Columbia Royal Commission on Health Care and Costs

***

"One issue that came up frequently was the lack of specific financial information related to health care costs. Specifically, participants want to know what the total costs are for any given procedure. They argue that, in the absence of this data, it is impossible to judge the efficiency of any approach, and therefore impossible to know which approach to adopt."

Conversation on Health Summary of Input

"Managing the costs of health care services is impossible if the costs of the services are unkown. Access to accurate information is an absolute prerequisite to good management."

A Great System But...What You Told the British Columbia Royal Commission on Health Care and Costs

***

"...participants uniformly believe that there needs to be a long-term integrated plan."

Conversation on Health Summary of Input

"The long term goals of planning and management need to be clearly stated."

A Great System But...What You Told the British Columbia Royal Commission on Health Care and Costs

***

"Some British Columbians feel that prescription medications are over-used, and frequently mis-used....Many British Columbians feel that the Pharmaceutical industry is in part responsible for escalating drug costs, suggesting that the marketing of prescription medications and the extended length of patents are two of the leading causes of increasing costs."

Conversation on Health Summary of Input

"The cost of prescription drugs, the improper use of prescription drugs and the influence of pharmaceutical companies on prescribing patterns is also of concern to you."

A Great System But...What You Told the British Columbia Royal Commission on Health Care and Costs

***

"...many suggest that the challenges facing residents of rural areas (in accessing health care) are extreme. Other participants believe that rural communities are under-serviced and do not receive the same standard of care as larger communities."

Conversation on Health Summary of Input

"A large number of submissions describe the north and other remote areas of the province as poor relatives in our health care system. You feel that few attempts are being made to address the major health problems or to relieve the need for suitable health care services."

A Great System But...What You Told the British Columbia Royal Commission on Health Care and Costs

"There is widespread agreement that there is a shortage of health care professionals in rural communities such as doctors, specialists, pharmacists, and nurses. Participants suggest it is very difficult to find a doctor in rural areas and especially in rural First Nations communities. They also express concern that people in rural communities do not have equal access to specialized care. Many emphasize that where there are doctors practicing in rural areas, they are often over-burdened."

Conversation on Health Summary of Input

"...the chronic shortage of workers in all fields is a major concern in rural BC....You speak of a need: for health care generalists; for doctors able to handle a wide range of problems, including minor surgery and obstetrics; for community nurses; for professionals trained in the special requirements of rural practice; for specialists of all kinds."

A Great System But...What You Told the British Columbia Royal Commission on Health Care and Costs

***

"Many participants highlight the need for accessible, community health services based on community needs. The majority of participants involved in the discussion believe that investment in community care will result in decreased costs and demands in other parts of the health care system."

Conversation on Health Summary of Input

"There is also wide spread support for an increased emphasis on community-based health care, designed and funded to meet the specific needs of our communities."

A Great System But...What You Told the British Columbia Royal Commission on Health Care and Costs

Last Friday, Finance Minister Carole Taylor announced she wouldn't be running in the next provincial election. So who's going to replace her as the provincial Liberal candidate in Vancouver-Langara, you may wonder. Well, some party members are promoting Royal Pacific Real Estate Corp. president and chief executive officer David Choi as a successor. Mr. Choi, a member of the Campbell administration's Asia-Pacific Trade Council, had considered seeking the federal Liberal nomination in Vancouver-Kingsway. He hasn't yet returned a request for comment placed yesterday.

At five kilograms, the conversation on health's 1,466-page summary of input catalogues the Campbell administration's attempt to "talk to British Columbians openly" about the "risings costs of health care and the future pressures on the system." But it seems that report, which was released this past Friday, didn't carry much weight with CanWest Global Communication Corp.'s major provincial daily newspapers. To date, The Province's John Bermingham is the only reporter from those papers to have written a story about its release - although columnists Michael Smyth and Les Leyne have shared their opinions on the conversation's findings.

Thanks to a 29 percent pay increase, provincial Liberal legislators will be able to put a few extra presents under the Christmas tree this year. But at least one of those MLAs had a Grinch-like attitude when she found out some healthcare bosses received raises of up to 32 percent back in 1991. Speaking with The Vancouver Sun's Stewart Bell, then Liberal health critic Linda Reid - now the minister of state for childcare - said, "For a hospital administrator to have 32 per cent in a single year seems unwarranted. I can't imagine that those same hospital administrators that preached restraint would be the very same ones that would give themselves such incredible increases." Ho! Ho! Ho! New Democrat legislators are donating their raises to charity but taking advantage of a generous new pension plan.

This morning, on Public Eye Radio, provincial Liberal backbencher Dennis Mackay talks about his effort to reactivate the select standing committee on aboriginal affairs. Former mayoral candidate Ben Isitt discusses the dissolution of the Victoria Civic Electors. And New Democrat house leader Mike Farnworth shares his thoughts on the fall legislative session. Also on the show: our rabble-rousing panel - Don Anderson, Bob Russell, Alex Tsakumis and Allan Warnke - debate the week that was in provincial and federal politics. You can listen to Public Eye Radio outside of Victoria by logging into CFAX 1070 between 8:30 and 10:00. If you have a question for one of our guests, you can email us, leave a comment below or phone (250) 386-1161 during the show.