Today’s letters: Where did all those health-care dollars go?

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Competition won’t hurt health care

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Re: Letter, Judge health care options properly, March 17.

For a long time, the status quo has involved politicians fighting over more and more taxpayer funding of the public health system. Is this working? No. I detect virtual unanimity that our approach can and needs to be improved by trying new delivery methods.

A letter-writer makes two statements about the Ontario government’s thinking and actions, with respect to alternative delivery methods. First, and I quote, “There was no consideration given to simply increasing the funding to the public system to provide more care.” In fact, funding to the public system has been increased by billions of dollars over the time span that this letter refers to.

Second, “There was no evidence to suggest that the public system was incapable of expanding care; it was never asked if it could and it was never adequately funded to do so.” But if not for expanding care, then what was all this money for?

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I am doubtful it all made it to the front line, where it is so urgently needed. In my view, a large proportion is absorbed and wasted by the massive bureaucracy that is involved in centrally planning this economic activity. Nothing cuts through this quite as well as competition amongst private sector entities. This is what some politicians are willing to try and I laud their efforts.

Richard Williams, Ottawa

Let’s investigate other influencers

It is reassuring that the federal government is taking the issue of Chinese election “interference” seriously, although it will be tragic if this creates a backlash against people of Chinese background. Meanwhile, let us consider the actions of other influencers, including the following:

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• The deep pockets of the insurance and pharmaceutical industries. How odd that after more than 50 years of supposedly comprehensive public health care coverage in Canada, we still do not have a national pharmacare program. Hmm.

• The carbon-producing fossil-fuel sector, still massively subsidized by governments despite lip-service concerns about pollution and climate change. Hmm.

• Our friendly American neighbor to the south, which has recognized a role in de-stabilizing governments it does not like for decades, sending each action a “don’t try this at home” message to others. Hmm.

So yes, by all means let us investigate current threats to our electoral system but at the same time let us not lose sight of the myriad other threats to our autonomy.

Carol Evoy, Ottawa

Parliamentarians make too much

I am utterly disgusted with the pay raises parliamentarians have again authorized for themselves. I believe this is the third increase in their pay since the pandemic began.

This will also increase their gold-plated pensions, which are outrageous.

If anything, they should roll back their salaries given their utter mismanagement of Canada.

Marlin Palmer, Stittsville