In reaction to the news that the Alberta government has introduced two-tier, for-profit health care, NDP Health Critic Gord Johns issued the following statement:

“Today, Danielle Smith’s provincial government announced Alberta’s rollout of two-tiered health care in the province. Starting this fall, an individual’s income will determine how quickly they can receive non-emergency medical care in Alberta.

What Danielle Smith’s government is doing is unacceptable, and so is the silence from the Federal Minister of Health.

I have one question for Prime Minister Mark Carney and Health Minister Marjorie Michel: how much more privatization is acceptable?

There is no room for American-style for-profit health care in Canada.

Our public health care is a source of national pride. And yet, across Canada, we are seeing our health care system crumble from lack of adequate funding. Instead of allowing for-profit health care in our public system, the federal government must increase health transfers to provinces and demand an end to two-tiered health care.

New Democrats call on Prime Minister Mark Carney and the Health Minister to act with urgency and enforce the Canada Health Act and defend our public health care system.”