I agree that Jack and the NDP should put more emphasis on the social
determinants of health. If I were leading the party, I would make it the theme
that ties their policies together.

Having said that, this speech was actually called "Health Care and Canada's
Prosperity Gap," not "The Social Determinants of Health." So it makes perfect
sense that he focuses on the role of public health care in reducing health
inequalities and health care costs. How can you dispute the need to protect
public health insurance and to enhance the public health care system by
covering catastrophic drug costs and home care, by lowering drug costs through
bulk purchasing and changes in drug-patent laws, and by facilitating
recognition of foreign medical credentials? These details may seem boring, but
they will save lives and limit suffering.

Btw, what alternative is there? The Liberal Party is all talk and no action. The
Green Party obviously has a good environmental plan (though arguably not as good
as the NDP's) and a newfound interest in a GAIA (which also has been debated at
NDP conventions). But, otherwise, on social justice issues, the Greens are
difficult to distinguish from Harper's Conservatives (their past leader Jim
Harris was a former Tory who split from the party only because he cared about
the environment). As for the Conservatives, well, I'll have to restrain myself
before filling the rest of this message with the profanities they so richly
deserve.

The NDP has never held power at a federal level. But they have always pushed the
other parties to adopt more progressive policies, especially when there is a
minority government. It was the case with Medicare in the 1960s. It was the
case in 2005 with the Liberals' last budget - the NDP forced them to cancel 
$4.6 billion in corporate tax cuts and replace them with funding for public
transit, affordable housing, public education, and foreign aid. And it is the
case right now with the Conservatives' "Clean Air Act" and sudden concern over
the environment. So do you really think the NDP doesn't care?

Jeff

--

"The principle of organizing our society for the benefit of all the people and
not for a privileged few - that is still here and that is a principle to which
we adhere." - Tommy C. Douglas




Quoting Ocean - WISE <[log in to unmask]>:

> I'm not impressed. You have to wade through an excessively long speech
> filled with the usual Tommy Douglas references, public vs private
> arguments, need for more health professionals... Not until the very end
> does Layton mention the social determinants of health - and ever so
> briefly. By that time, people must be asleep.
>
> Seems to me that Layton and his party just don't get it, and don't care
> to get it.
>
> Ocean
>
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