Alberta holds off on health reforms

[CHIMO]

EDMONTON - Alberta has backed away from making controversial health-care reforms that might violate the Canada Health Act - at least for now.
Alberta has no immediate plans to bring in user fees, delist services or expand the role of private-for-profit health clinics, Premier Ralph Klein suggested in a news release that didn't mention the Canada Health Act.
"We would not move forward without first getting some sense that Albertans are ready to do that. They are not ready at this time."

http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1087985095918&call_pageid=968332188492&col=968793972154

Much more in the article.
Required definitions:
Consultations: echoes
People: party members

Time to get representatives that represent the majority. Bang a few Liberal an NDP heads together at the local level and run a co-ordinated campaign for at least one provincial election, at least long enough so that Klein's right will become a political force!

[Spazito]

1. Ya gotta love it!

Martin's broadside on Klein's secret plans to privatize healthcare were outed and he had to back off to limit the damage to Harper. Score one for Martin on that one.

[daleo]

2. Klein will go into stealth mode for a while

But, as soon as the election shooting is over, he will be back to trying to dismantle public health care. I think he is a little worried about the new Liberal leader, Kevin Taft, though. He has possibilities of cutting into Klein's support in Edmonton for sure. Some day Calgary may even come around.

I have been doing some informal lawn sign surveys in the Edmonton Strathcona federal riding, at least in the university area. The local NDP candidate, Malcolm Azania, is way ahead (at least 2 to 1) over the Conservative candidate, Raheem Jaffir. I know the university area is a little atypical, and NDP candidates are usually good about getting out the lawn signs, but I smell an upset.

I think people are still mad about Jaffir having his riding manager phone in on a radio interview a year or so back and pretend to be him, so he could be spending time at his private business that day. Also, a local RW newspaper columnist dug up some very old newsgroup postings by Azania, and tried to smear him with them. I think that is backfiring - the NDP lawn signs really sprouted up after that.

Apologies to those not interested in the minutiae of riding politics in the Canadian election.

[TrogL]

3. NDP may be good in your riding

They certainly aren't getting out the signs anyplace else. I've seen about 15 in total.

[TrogL]

4. Wanna join a flash mob?

I'm helping a Liberal campaign on Saturday.

[Minstrel Boy]

5. I like Azania's chances.

And he'd be a great MP.

Good luck on Monday!