Wednesday, October 17, 2007

G&M’s Jeffrey Simpson right “It's time to draw a federal line in the parliamentary sandbox”

“Or maybe Mr. Dion will pick a social program - national pharmacare, say - and stand on the other side of Mr. Harper's line by insisting Ottawa use its constitutionally affirmed spending power to negotiate a federal-provincial deal in an area of direct concern to all citizens.
It would be a fine national debate. On one side would stand the Conservatives opposing pharmacare as (a) an expensive, unnecessary program, (b) an intrusion into the sacred provincial jurisdiction over health, (c) a further expansion of government into the lives of Canadians, and (d) an insult to Quebec.
On the other would stand the Liberals proposing pharmacare as (a) a necessary extension of medicare, (b) a program once supported by at least five premiers during Mr. Martin's time as prime minister, (c) an affirmation of the federal government's relevance to citizens, and (d) the best way to restrain soaring drug costs.”

http://www.rbcinvest.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/ArticleNews/PEstory/LAC/20071017/COSIMP17/Columnists/columnists/columnistsNational/1/1/3/

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