Leader Post(pdf) – NDP offended by Gormley show;
The provincial government is taking offence to comments made on a
popular radio talk show Tuesday about Premier Lorne Calvert’s handling of the province’s health-care system.
The topic – failures of the Saskatchewan health care system, highlighted last week by the story of the Hansen family in trying to find help for their 18 month old, who was finally diagnosed with leukemia after an emergency trip to an Edmonton children’s hospital.
But for Clay Serby, defending the practice of medical rationing goes beyond the treasured “fundamental principles of equality and free access” – this has evolved into a threat to government!
Deputy Premier Clay Serby said members of the broadcasting profession should review John Gormley’s Tuesday show, which Serby said enticed people to consider acts of civil disobedience.
“I have never seen, in my view, a piece of work that has created so much anxiety for people as what I’ve seen the last two days being reported by Mr. Gormley,” Serby said.
Yes there were anxious calls. Waiting for weeks to see a specialist while your health deteriorates and finances crumble can do that to a person.
During the show, Gormley played a clip from Calvert from Monday’s question period, when he stated, “It is one thing to criticize the system and it is appropriate, and it is appropriate when there is flaws that we discover those flaws and do the repair but you know, if you are going to be credible, you need to stand up and provide some alternative.”
After the clip, Gormley said, “You know what my alternative is, Lorne Calvert? Get the hell out of my way … Act like you are in charge and fix things. And if you can’t, get the hell out of the way, there are those who can.”
Gormley is bang on in this.
The NDP forfeited any right to cry foul over health care failures. This is the party that climbs aboard the Mediscare Express during every election, chasing the privatization bogeyman into seniors homes to frighten the elderly into believing the “scary fascists” will turn them into the streets to die.
“I’m of concern that yesterday’s broadcast and this morning’s has solicited a response from Saskatchewan people that is hugely troublesome, that you have an individual who phones in and says that had his presence been closer to this place, he may in fact be in jail today,” Serby said.
“Where then Mr. Gormley says that what he would like to see is he would like to see the health minister’s head on a platter … This kind of action, civil disobedience, that is perpetuated by a radio host is in my view over the line.”
Clay Serby was treated for cancer in 2004. Unlike others in the province, I think one can safely assume he wasn’t told he had a three month wait for an appointment with an oncologist.
Serby has not filed a complaint to a professional body yet about the
show, but he has asked to meet with the owners of the radio station to see if they condone the host’s conduct.
Don’t go anywhere just yet, folks. With all the gauntlet throwing going on, this story appears ripe to go national.
(Reports coming in from question period at the Leg this afternoon are that the session was a meltdown over the Gormley show. Hansard and video feed)
Good, gutless insects like Calvert, Serby, etc get frightened when people across Canada actually get a look at the mess they are brewing here. They fear the truth like vampires fear sunlight.
so since Sask has violated the CHA by NOT delievring required services, by inventing a de facto “third way”, why doesn’t Ottawa step in to levy fines ??
Can you imagine the screeming moonbat brigades if an Oncologist opened a private clinic in downtown Regina ??
Yeah…socialists really hate it when someone points out how full of crap they really are!!
Kate,
The scary part of this story is the Clay Serby and the NDP believe that they have the right to pressure a private business because they are not in agreement with what a talk show host said.
What do you think they want from their discussions? Are they going to threaten to pull advertising dollars? Will they try to censor a private business?
The fact they believe they can attempt to pressure Rawlco Radio, under the phony baloney excuse of Gormley inciting civil disobedience should make everyone in Saskatchewan fearful of their rights.
This government is arrogant and utterly stupid at best and at worst, a danger to anyone living in Saskatchewan.
And all this because the NDP themselves failed baby Paige and Gormley, along with other media outlets, brought this to light. Even the MSM should be screaming about censorship from a government in North America.
The NDP need to be banished from this great province FOREVER…
Watch for reduced advertising on Rawlco stations from the likes of SaskPower, SaskTel, SaskTel Mobility, SaskEnergy, SGI, Max and many other crowns.
Large corporations like these in other provinces are run privately, therefore they don’t meddle with, or withhold advertising from media that disagree or challenge the government.
In Saskatchewan Crown advertising dollars are used to buy or punish the media as the Socialist Masters see fit.
Listen for it on Rawlco soon, the money that Lorne saves, he can use to prop up the Sheaf with their “Capitalist Piglet” cartoon, which is a perfect fit with the Regina Manifesto. !!
Remember brothers one baby and her plight is not nearly as important and the collective and the status quo. !!!!
It is very unfortunate for the family but I am hoping this gets the public focus on the problems with the existing system. Only by shedding light on this nationwide can we look at any kind of changes or progress.
Kate, I love the term Mediscare!
The NDP only encourages civil disobedience for unions (who are also free to fine those that do not break the law).
Oh darn, just linked into the Sask Leg video and all I got was some wanker asking for more money so Kate could have highspeed internet. (Just kidding, it was some IT thing).
Anyhow, I totally agree with the others, that government is aragant to the max. Instead of trying to head off a bad PR session [ Mr Speaker, the Minister of Health was in touch with Paige’s parents last night and we assured them that…] they try to bully a broadcaster with a microphone! Good Lord, even I know better than that. And before the moonies chime in about the Harper/press tiff, let me say it ain’t even close to the same. Telling the parlamentary press corp that the PM & cabinet will not conduct interviews in a hallway but instead in a proper venue is a hell of a lot different of accusing Gormley of sedition.
Remember the NDP mantra: All Canadians are equal, just that some of us are more equal than the rest.
So now we see what happens when the people protest. I happened to listen to the Gormley show over the last couple of days and what I heard was a heart wrenching story of a child and her family abandoned by the Government and its health care system. I heard people (not just the host)expressing outrage at this situation and piling on with their own horror stories. I admit to having to turn off the radio as my emotional state deteriorated from rage to incredible sadness. But now my rage is back!
What have we heard from the Government since Gormley brought this to our attention:
1. We will do a study
2. Oh didn’t you know you could go out of province without a referral?
3. Just think how bad it would be if the NDP weren’t in power
4. The NDP is offended that the media (not just Gormley I assume) is still talking about this and making people “anxious”
Grrrrr
I don’t know what has me more worked up:
The failure of the system for young Paige;
The fact that we can get health care elsewhere without referral AND NO ONE TOLD US
Or the stongarm tactics of the NDP that doesn’t like to be criticized.
I won’t be forgetting this and I hope no one else does either.
Here is the warcry for the next provincial election…
“Remember Baby Paige”
God bless Paige and her family…
There is a simple solution,folks,in dealing with Lorne Calvert and his arrogant bunch of useless bureaucrats.
There will be an election in 2007.
KICK THEM THE HELL OUT OF OFFICE!!!!
I think Mr. Calvert is not really interested in anyone trying to “provide some alternative”!
When an alternative is provided the threats start a coming…
Good for Gormley.
By the way, I thought PM Martin had “fixed healthcare for a generation”? Oh I get…he didn’t specify WHAT generation…apparently it wasn’t that of baby Paige…
We are so sorry Clay and Lorne, how wrong of us tax paying citizens of Saskatchewan to dare to criticize your government. How arrogant the NDP in this province has become. They are dead wrong and they know it and still they lash out at others to deflect blame. I applaud Gormley, and others for calling for someone’s head to roll on this. On a side note did anyone see the CEO of the Saskatoon Health district giving her apology speech from her table at some luncheon? Hopefully it was an event to raise money for Childrens health issues.
The NDP truly are:
“The Prairie Undertakers”
Sounds like someone needs to bring some crying towels to the next question period.
Gormley “enticed people to consider acts of civil disobedience”? Well my word, what is the radio business coming to? Good thing he didn’t comment favourably on a (hypothetical) rural property tax revolt or we could have anarchy!
God forbid the citizens of Saskatchewan should consider the tactics of dangerous insurgents like Ghandi or MLK Jr. We don’t need their kind around here, no sir!
There are alternatives to be considered but the NDP don’t even want to hear about them,much less discuss them,because they all come back to some form of private health care.
That’s not Tommy’s way.
That’s American style health care.
I say down with Tommy and take Shirley along too!
this story appears ripe to go national.
Good. Conservative dishonesty needs to be exposed on a national level. This story has nothing to do with waiting times. It was a case of a misdiagnosis; something that happens in private healthcare too.
The baby had to be taken to Edmonton’s Children’s Hospital after the Saskatoon Health Regina failed to diagnose her health issues. Doctors in Edmonton determined Paige is suffering from Leukemia.
You have no shame, Kate. Lying is not something to be proud of.
“…after waiting three weeks for diagnosis of her pain in Saskatoon. The child was “screaming every waking minute”, and had stopped walking 6 days earlier. In the meantime, they were advised to give her children’s Tylenol.”
How nice of you, Robert, to try and drop the context. I believe that’s called an error of omission.
TROLL ALERT! TROLL ALERT!! Robert the Idiot is here!!
I remember last year when Lorne was trolling for cash from the Liberal Feds with a new equalization deal, he had that bogus voting scheme going that wasn’t counting the “no” votes. I know, I voted “no”, but no response was noted at the web site. In the MSM Lorne was noted for being dismissive of anything called “Small Dead Animals”… he claimed then that he didn’t know anything about SDA…
I bet he knows now…
In the next few months, will every time someone needs to go out of Saskatchewan to have their medical needs dealt with in a timely manner become an election issue? and the cost of this will be…?
I had understood the government was elected to lead. If the premier’s attitude is, “if you can’t think of a better solution, then shut-up”, doesn’t that suggest he’s out of ideas? I think that the system being out of money (according to ex premier Roy R) is quite different from the system is broken.
I hope that Paige Hansen is able to have her health improved, and when their lives approach normal again, something good can come from this…
Appearances at SDA by Bigcitylib, Jason Cherniak, and now Robert “F*^% the Jews” McClelland?
Man, the tumbleweeds must be blowing through their blogs. They so ronery, they gotta come here for interaction with others.
Robert McClelland, clearly this was a mis-diagnosis, but how did a hospital miss it so many times, and miscommunicate how long, and why the family “had” to wait for a specialist? Why weren’t they told that they could find a specialist at a Regina, or Edmonton hospital for an earlier diagnosis? Just what did they think the rash on the arm was, and the inability to walk? Sheesh, don’t be ridiculous, this was obviously more than one doctor messing up, it was an utter failure in communication between at least one doctor, at least one staff person, and the parents.
Kate–finally people are speaking up. After all, we get the government we deserve and we no longer deserve any government that is there for themselves alone. Kudos to Gormley and all the other people of Sask that have said enough. I hope it goes National because this story is happening every day across Canada. The HepC and HIV infected people who got contaminated blood are still waiting for help. The MSM would rather howl about a flag than about a human life. Finally Canadians are waking up. I hope we stay awake long enough so that every Canadian in every province gets proper and timely healthcare. As with every other government the money goes to administration and empire building in their own little fiefdom and the purpose of their existance is forgotten. The people that are not more equal must be heard NOW
Robert McClelland, clearly this was a mis-diagnosis, but how did a hospital miss it so many times, and miscommunicate how long, and why the family “had” to wait for a specialist? Why weren’t they told that they could find a specialist at a Regina, or Edmonton hospital for an earlier diagnosis? Just what did they think the rash on the arm was, and the inability to walk?
All good questions to which I don’t have any answers. But I can tell you one thing though. Those answers aren’t going to be found on this blog. Kate has no interest in the truth. She only wants to beat the healthcare system down because she despises the left and anything associated with the left. There is only hate and dishonesty here.
To Communists, subverting free speech is fixing the problem.
Robert, this and other blog sites are the only places where the issues can be discussed. It is not possible to have an intelligent discussion in parliament or in the MSM because as soon as someone proposes something that is not simply throwing more money at the current system they are labelled as a destroyer of the public health care system. It is political suicide to even discuss some private health care. The blame for this, in my view, falls sqarely on the NDP and the Liberals who use fear mongering instead of rationale discussion of the issue. All I’m asking is that they be honest. The current public system cannot, given our demographics and increased costs, be fixed with more money. Let’s start discussing the options instead of politicizing the issue.
that the staff at the hospital misdiagnosed this… “so many times”, maybe that’s a bit in the other direction… my opinion is, this isn’t a mark of staff misdiagnosis, it’s more a sign that its misdiagnosis is systemic.
after all, weren’t the staff at the Edmonton hospital just doing their job?
Troll said: “this story appears ripe to go national.”
Right you are, red-green moonbat. >
Here is socialist deathcare in B.C. +
The Morning Star
Health care crisis looms
Apr 26 2006
We applaud the nine doctors at the Royal Columbian Hospital for speaking out on the declining level of care at the New Westminster facility. The current state of health care in the province of B.C., whether you live on the Coast, the North or the Interior, needs a dramatic overhaul if it hopes to effectively serve a growing and aging population.
The letter from the doctors comes after a report was released earlier in the month by emergency officials at Royal Columbian that states the hospital is finding it increasingly difficult to �respond to patients with trauma injuries in life-and-limb-threatening scenarios.�
The report and letter surfacing in New Westminster comes on the heels of a similar letter issued by emergency staff at Vancouver General, where doctors state they have �non-confidence in the ability of the … department to provide, safe, timely and appropriate emergency medical care.�
The doctors at both facilities claim patients are dying in hallways while waiting for care.
While local doctors have yet to claim patients are dying in the hallways, there is the unquestionable fact that hospitals are overcrowded, understaffed and only getting worse. The time for talk and more studies have long past.
In a province boasting surpluses and boasting a surging economy, there can be no excuse for patients waiting in hallways. + more
http://www.paulding.net/bin/url.cgi/13265.3
McClelland is too lazy to actually read links. There was no diagnosis in this case. There was only a minimum of testing, no answers, no treatment outside of baby Tylenol, a doctor who was waiting for a return call from a specialist he hadn’t told was on vacation – and when the child was in such pain that her legs were doubled backwards and she had stopped eating – they were sent home from RUH and told it would be three weeks before they would be able to get back in for a diagnosis.
Now, all of that information is available to him, but he’s so intent on promoting an ideology that is killing people, that families like the Hansens don’t even exist to him.
Now, McClelland, if the best you can do is come here and base your insipid prattle on a link to a news short, then I suggest you take your well-earned reputation as an foul-mouthed idiot elsewhere.
Ouch Kate, that’s going to leave a mark.
What is it going to take to get the NDP out od office in Saskatchewan? After 10 long years of a dismal economy ground down by NDP governments in BC, we did it.
I am proud to say i got out there, knocked on doors. We did it federally too. Get out there. Talk about this to friends and family. If you keep at it, it will wear the NDP fans down, make converts and finally change can happen.
Use this well deserved anger and get to it.
enough
What if we took some initiative here… I am looking for ideas. Maybe each time anyone of us visit the doctor we could make a donation to a fund that would be used to promote political candidates that are not afraid to state that there needs fundamental change in the healthcare system. I am open to ideas, but count me in if we wanted to start some sort of grass roots effort at getting a true debate started.
As long as we all have equal access to death. Now that is fairness in health care.
Mark
Ottawa
I operate a business in Saskatchewan. Believe me when I tell you that government in Saskatchewan behaves as if it were my business partner. I am bullied by bureaucrats repeatedly, even though they do not contribute to my business income. It would not surprise me in the slightest to learn that local media outlets are strong armed by officials.
You have zero evidence to conclude or surmise that Clay Serby had preferential treatment while being treated for cancer. Such a guttersnipe comment would never get past a newspaper editor — perhaps you should moderate your own commentary.
Do you rmember when the hostage in Iraq ripped off his mask and said “I’ll show you how an Italian dies”? I thought at that time that if it were a Canadian, he’d need a hallway, a gurney and a waiting list to demonstrate how a Canadian dies.
Is there anyone out there, other than reality defying members of the left, who believes that members of the provincial and federal government actually wait for medical treatment on the same basis as an average citizen?
Has anyone ever met one while waiting at a walk-in clinic, emergency ward or doctor’s office?
That’s not what I said, though is it? I said that you can “safely assume he wasn’t told he had a three month wait for an appointment with an oncologist”, which, by the way, was the health care horror story last week. In case you miss the implications of that 3 month wait – when diagnosed with cancer, they do not begin treatment until you have seen the oncologist.
Oh – here’s another newsflash from the Cradle Of Medicare – Saskatoon currently has no endocrinologists.
Observer, no evidence other than an understanding of the disgracefull system. There is queue jumping everyday, it is based on knowlege of the system rather than the ability to pay. The aristocrats of pull have a different health care experience than those who do not know someone in the system. We have 2 tier helthcare today, the problem is that the entrenched interests are ones who frame the dabate. The soldiers of the status quo have amanged to take the focus away from quality of care and wrap it up in all sorts of nationalistic nonsense so that the debate becomes an impenetrable fog.
My wife is in the health care system and can easily get friends and families an earlier appointment than if they waited in line like everyone else…and she is just a technologist. This is nothing new…I assume everyone does it who work in the health care system.
When the wealthy patrons who give money to hospitals need care, they DO NOT wait in line… and this is based on first-hand knowledge of my wife.
So, I would not be surprised in the least if Mr. Serby didn’t have to wait in line. Money (and influence) talks.
If you need more evidence, how do professional athletes get MRI’s and other tests immediately… their team pays for the tests during off-times. Why can’t WE taxpayers do that to cut down on the wait times? (Psst… that was a rhetorical question)
We have at least a 6 tier system in Canada. Prisoners do not wait for medical attention–the state is afraid of being sued–, they can even get sex change operations courtesy of the taxpayer that is waiting in line for treatment–we do not have the same perogative. Sports figures get immediate care. VIPs like former GG Adrienne Clarkson got immediate care(or did someone in the waiting line fortuitously die), Workers comp gets immediate attention, and of course MPs and MLAs get immediate attention, those with the cash can go to another country to get medical care–the rest of us can wait and wait.
For any government to allow what has happened to Paige happen should be a glaring example of what the real focus of government is–to keep the masses down while they take care of themselves and their fellow trough feeders. The criminals involved in Adscam walked away with millions, and this includes the LPOC while a baby suffers unimaginable pain and suffering. Welcome to Canada
Good one, Grithater!
First, from a medical perspective, any 18 month old child that cries for three weeks and stops walking and eating most probably has a major medical problem. This obviously was immediately recognized in Edmonton. Leukemias, osteomyelitis, myopathies, and other illnesses would be in the differential, but the child needed medical HELP, without a doubt. Many physicians have stopped having empathy for their patients. As in Mash units in time of war, you separate the physical work from the humanity in medicine. In our system, physicians have lost their pride and professionalism. Trying to do the best we can do has become a matter of “What’s the use”. Prior to retiring, it seemed each day diving home was a rerun of feelings that had to do with failing to do the things for my patients that I thought was required in the appropriate time frame.
My option after 40 years was to retire. If you are younger you can move to another country or you “cope” as best you can.
Ultimately it will be the voters who get the last word on this. If this story has legs, it will beget other stories, dominating coffee row conversation. Could be the major issue in the next election, with the NDP on the defensive.
Saskatchewan… birthplace of medicare? more likely the hospice.
Eventually the system will get so bad that the voters will decide they have nothing to lose in trying private care.
John Gormley was hired because he’s an ex tory. How can any political party get a fair shake when the only talk show is manned by Tory supporters.
I remember when the then 620 AM radio offered the Devine government all the free airtime they needed. Why should people believe in freedom of the press when the press is all Tories? The NDP in BC were undun by the media and a free deck. The liberals and Tories are among the crookedest parties to ever rule Canada and you fools still support them. Why????? The federal NDP would restore funding to medicare the only party to say so. They would be a breath of fresh air.
“The federal NDP would restore funding to medicare.”
Typical Dipper t-shirt sloganeering. The fed’s cut funding to provinces, but the provinces haven’t been ‘cutting funding’ to healthcare. It consumes more of each province’s budget every year and yet the results continue to deteriorate.
Let the NDP get a hold of health care budgets and watch the health care unions grow in power and prosperity while the patients queue up in ever longer lines. The NDP will then bray that it is a ‘complex issue’ that requires “innovation by the public sector. Meanwhile they’ll pass legislation that outlaws any participation by those outside the public sector, and hence, a guarantee of anything but innovation.
“They would be a breath of fresh air.”
I’d rather inhale mustard gas.
Funny how the commies always end up having to muzzle the press. I guess it must be for our own good. Strap on your jackboots Mr. Clavert.
Maybe Mr. Serby would like to put his money where is mouth is and show us how long he waited for treatment.
But what do you expect from a government that thinks a canoe race where everyone finished last is an inspirational event?
Gormley is not the only host on Rawlco. Murray Wood is a fuzzy libertarian, while David Kirton is to the left on most issues, (but I’m working on that and he seems to be coming around…). They also run Charles Adler during the afternoon to cover the “pander to a different political demographic each day to keep ratings high” audience.
Then, there is the news staff, several of whom let slip their left-lean into their work from time to time. It’s not a big problem but it squeaks out. (Though, I think the bigger problem is the reliance on wire services, etc. for their sourcing – which often leaves them behind the curve internationally,though they’re probably the best source for local coverage.)