Health Coalition responds to David Orazietti

NEWS RELEASE

SAULT STE. MARIE HEALTH COALITION

************************* Yesterday, the Sault Ste. Marie Health Coalition conducted a non-confidence health care protest in front of Mr. David Orazietti’s constituency office.

Following the peaceful demonstration and speeches, Mr. Orazietti invited David Harasymiw and me, as coalition co-chairs, to discuss our local and provincial health care concerns and the findings and recommendations of the provincial auditor general’s report released on December 8.

Following our discussion of agreements and disagreements, we were surprised to read a news release where Mr. Orazietti chose to ignore the auditor general’s report entirely and to present several false claims regarding the protest.

We now respond to set the record straight and to correct several of Mr. Orazietti’s points.

One, there is no such thing as bad timing and bad taste when it comes to addressing and attending to a serious issue, crisis or event, which we currently have in the health care system in our province and our community. Would one not attend to an illness or serious issue just because it is Christmas time or any other time for that matter?

Two, the Ontario and Sault Ste. Marie Health Coalitions (OHC, SSMHC) have never made, nor ever will make, an attempt to derail the new Sault Area Hospital, as Mr. Orazietti claims. On the contrary, the coalition’s mandate is to improve the quality of health care delivery and to lobby the government to keep it public, affordable, accountable and transparent. How ridiculous for Mr. Orazietti to claim otherwise and how interesting that the auditor general’s findings support the coalition's claims.

Three, the OHC lobbied and warned the liberal government about the pitfalls of the Brampton P3 hospital financing (AFP – alternative financing procurement) but the government ignored the evidence and advice. Not surprisingly, the auditor’s findings supported the OHC claims. Fear-mongering or simply holding the McGuinty liberal government accountable and transparent, you choose.

Four, the OHC and SSMHC are non-partisan groups. There is no affiliation to any one or more political parties. Health care affects everyone regardless of political stripes. Mr. Orazietti’s claim and attempt to link the health coalition to the New Democratic Party and to Tony Martin, federal MP, is pure fabrication. Mr. Martin was not present in front of Mr. Orazietti’s office nor involved in the protest at any time. In fact he was not aware of the protest until he read about it in Saturday’s newspaper, as did everyone else. As co-chairs of the SSMHC, David Harasymiw and I initiated and planned the protest entirely on our own because of the recent release of the auditor general’s report. Was that release just poor timing for the Liberal government? In our opinion, Mr. Orazietti owes Mr. Martin an apology for making a false public statement about his whereabouts and activities.

Five, Mr. Oraziett disclosed during our meeting that the value for money (VFM) document shows a saving to the Sault Ste. Marie taxpayers of 18.2 percent when comparing the P3 or AFP financing to the traditional procurement financing. This has never been publically scrutinized nor independently substantiated. The auditor general’s report states that the VFM document for Brampton’s P3 financing overstated the traditional procurement cost by $634 million over the life of the contract. This false claim was used in support of P3 financing. What is the public to believe about the 18.2 percent saving on our new hospital? It was flawed then. Is the claim flawed now?

Finally and most importantly, Mr. Orazietti’s news release completely ignored the findings and recommendations of the provincial auditor general’s report. Why? The report was one of the main reasons for the health care protest.

It is obvious that Mr. Orazietti’s news release did not address the findings and recommendations of the report that pertain to Sault Ste. Marie.

He chose rather to complain about the timing and the organizers of a peaceful and democratic protest.

How unfortunate.

For the public’s interest and information, here are three of the auditor’s recommendations:

- Disclose the VFM comparison document and pertinent financial information which affect and include the P3 hospitals in Ottawa, North Bay, St. Catherines and Sault Ste. Marie.

- Place an immediate moratorium on all further P3 (AFP) hospital deals until a proper publically accountable and transparent assessment is done and released.

- Fully reconsider the government P3 policy and AFP regarding the twelve or more hospitals in which 20-30 year deals are underway or being considered.

We wish to publically state, as we have in the past, that the SSMHC commends Mr. Orazietti and his liberal government for all the funding and attention in health care that our community has benefitted from so far.

We further state and protest that a great deal of work needs to be done to correct a seriously ailing provincial and local health care system.

We are still waiting for a government response to the auditor general’s report.

The OHC and SSMHC will continue be vigilant watch dogs as health care developments unfold.

For more information and details regarding the auditor general’s report or the Ontario Health Coalition’s mandate and research, visit the government and OHC websites.

- Folgo DellaVedova, co-chair

************************* Earlier SooToday.com coverage of this story

Hospital activists protest. Orazietti has colonic apocalypse