Mr. Speaker, the Liberals and the NDP are wailing and wringing their hands over Alberta's bill 11. Terms like two tier medicare and private clinics are used as if they are strictly forbidden in Canada just like they are in Cuba and North Korea. It is strange that only certain provinces and sectors of the health care system are targeted by the socialists for their criticism.
Two years ago the Globe reported that 21 special private clinics were operating in Canada. In most provinces these clinics are even funded by the taxpayer, except in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Manitoba where clients were charged $300 to $500. No one said a word about these clinics or anything about these provinces violating the Canada Health Act.
We have a government that allows privatization of health clinics that provide abortions but not private health clinics that provide medically necessary heart surgery. This is an obvious double standard. The dictionary defines a standard that applies to others but not to oneself as hypocrisy.