Health Care

Dalton McGuinty claims that the health care system in Ontario has improved under his government. Yet despite the immediate imposition of a heath care tax after repeated promises not to raise taxes (he even signed a pledge to that effect, nice lie Dalton) there is little evidence that things are improving at all.

Here in Brantford wait times especially in the emergency department at Brantford General Hospital are as long or longer than ever. This has been aggravated by the closing of the former Terrace Hill walk-in clinic. But this closing should make the Liberals happy as it was a privately run clinic which the Liberals are opposed to. I'm surprised that Dave Levac skipped this opportunity for a photo-op. He could have had his picture taken as the last patient left the clinic and the doors were locked for good. After all, it's what he supports.

And the doctor shortage is acute as ever here with no doctors accepting new patients and thousands of residents without a family physician. Some improvements!

Brantford has now gotten an MRI machine although it is yet to be fully operational and this is being pointed at as a positive step but despite the local politician trying to take credit for it, the funding came mostly from private sources spearheaded by the Rizzo family.

So despite this major tax increase, which goes into general revenue, not any specific health related account, the health care system is no better (and probably worse) in Brantford and most of the rest of the province now than four years ago in spite of what a smiling Dalton McGuinty would try to have you believe. But then Dalton and the truth have always been strangers.