Who's looking out for you?

Healthcare Reform in Canada: Real Solutions, Not Political Promises

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By Jim Wiedrick, Independent Candidate for Columbia Kootenay Southern Rockies

Healthcare reform in Canada is long overdue.

One in five Canadians do not have access to primary care. Emergency rooms are either closed or overwhelmed. Wait times for specialists are excessive—stretching from months to years. We are in a healthcare mess. The system is stuck in a rut, and it is failing the people it was meant to serve.

As an emergency physician here in Nelson, I see this crisis unfolding every day. Patients suffering in limbo, waiting for the care they need. Families are frustrated and exhausted by a system that just isn’t working. Healthcare providers are burned out and stretched beyond their limits.

And yet, what are our political leaders doing about it? Throwing money at the problem and making flashy announcements.

We need more than band-aid solutions.

Why Healthcare Reform in Canada Is Urgent

The problem isn’t just a lack of funding. It’s political party leaders who aren’t willing to play the long game to create real change. Liberal, Conservative, and NDP leaders focus on election cycles, splashing cash and making announcements rather than implementing lasting solutions. That’s not leadership—it’s short-term thinking.

But what if we looked beyond our borders? Why do healthcare systems in Australia and Scandinavia provide better, faster access? Why is a blend of public and private healthcare acceptable for dentistry, but not for other essential medical services? In British Columbia, needed healthcare options are outright banned.

I am not advocating for an American-style system—their government is not our friend, and their healthcare model has gaping holes. But we must be willing to innovate and create more options that actually work for Canadians.

Who's looking out for you? Throwing money at the problem and making flashy announcements. We need more than band-aid solutions. Why Healthcare Reform in Canada Is Urgent

 

We Need Innovation and More Options

So, here’s what I believe:

  • We need more flexible healthcare options—just like we have in dental care.
  • Also we need to rethink the Canada Health Act and allow innovation at the provincial level.
  • We need a government that leads—not one that just reacts.
  • We need to put patients, not political parties, first.

I want to see a healthcare system that actually serves the people who need it. And that means real reform—not political games.

A Bold Vision for Canada’s Healthcare Future

It’s time to rethink the Canada Health Act and demand a system that prioritizes patients over politics. The federal government needs to lead the way, studying what works internationally and empowering provinces to implement better care models.

Because let’s be honest: The Liberals look after Liberals, the Conservatives look after Conservatives, and lately, we’ve learned that the NDP looks after—wait for it—the Liberals.

Who is looking out for you?

I want to be that representative. I’m not here to play party politics—I’m here to fight for real healthcare reform in Canada.

Let’s rejuvenate democracy and rejuvenate healthcare. If you want to be part of the conversation, let’s talk. Request a Coffee Chat today and share this message with a friend who cares about Canada’s future.

Who’s Really Looking Out for You?

Let’s be honest:

  • Liberals look after Liberals.

  • Conservatives look after Conservatives.

  • And lately, we’ve learned the NDP looks after… wait for it… the Liberals.

So, who’s looking out for you?

That’s why I’m running as an Independent. Because this isn’t about protecting a party—it’s about fixing what’s broken for you, your family, and your future.

The Liberals look after Liberals, the Conservatives look after Conservatives, and lately, we've learned that the NDP looks after—wait for it—the Liberals. Who is looking out for you?

 

Let’s Talk About Real Solutions

Naturally, I don’t have all the answers—but I know that together, we can find them. That’s why I want to hear from you.

Let’s grab a coffee and talk about what you think needs to change. And if you know someone else who cares about fixing healthcare, send them my way.

Because this is your healthcare. This is your future. And it’s time for real action.

Healthcare reform in Canada: The Liberals look after Liberals, the Conservatives look after Conservatives, and lately, we've learned that the NDP looks after—wait for it—the Liberals. Who is looking out for you?

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What is prorogation?

Understanding Trudeau’s Prorogation & the Leadership Vacuum

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Understanding Trudeau’s Prorogation & the Leadership Vacuum

A critical analysis of Canada’s current political situation and its implications for national sovereignty

In a move that has sent shockwaves through Canadian politics, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Trudeau’s prorogation of Parliament until March 26th, 2025. This decision, coming alongside his intention to resign, effectively puts Canada’s government on pause for three months during a period of significant international tension.

Understanding Trudeau's Prorogation & the Leadership Vacuum: It means parliament is suspended until march 26, 2025.

 

The Path to Trudeau’s Prorogation

The roots of this crisis trace back to the fall 2024, when Canada was already grappling with substantial economic challenges. The federal government’s deficit had ballooned to $62 billion, triggering intense parliamentary scrutiny. This came after weeks of the Liberal government refusing to produce documents regarding a controversial “green slush” fund.  Parliamentary gridlock was in place as Conservative opposition members responded by obstructing committee functions.

Understanding Trudeau's Prorogation & the Leadership Vacuum: all current bills are paused. Not committees can meet. Government functions limited.

 

The Finance Minister’s Departure

Perhaps the most telling sign of internal Liberal Party turmoil came with Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland’s resignation. After being asked to deliver a delayed fall economic statement while being told of her imminent replacement, Freeland stepped down with a scathing resignation letter highlighting growing tensions within the Liberal leadership.

Why now? Trudeau announced resignation.

 

A Leadership Vacuum at a Critical Time

The timing of this political crisis couldn’t be more concerning. As Canada faces unprecedented economic threats from its southern neighbour, with the incoming U.S. president openly discussing economic measures against Canada, the country finds itself with a “caretaker government” for the next 90 days. This leadership vacuum raises serious questions about Canada’s ability to respond to immediate challenges to its economic sovereignty.

Why it matters? Economic challenges mounting.

 

The Conservative Alternative

While the Conservative Party positions itself as the natural successor to Liberal governance, questions remain about their policy depth. Their campaign focuses heavily on simple messaging like “axe the tax,” but critics argue this approach lacks the nuance required to address Canada’s complex challenges, and they offer no comment on voting reform, healthcare reform or environmental policy.

What's next? A liberal leadership race.

 

Looking Forward: Beyond Trudeau’s Prorogation

As Canada navigates this unprecedented period of political uncertainty, the key question remains: Can the country afford three months of suspended governance during a time of international tension? With the Liberal Party focused on its leadership race and opposition parties preparing for a likely May election, Canada’s ability to respond to immediate challenges appears significantly compromised.

The coming months will be crucial in determining not just the future of Canadian leadership, but potentially the nature of Canada’s sovereignty and its relationship with the United States.

Stay informed! This is a crucial time for Canadian democracy. Follow for more Canadian political updates.

 

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Clean Electricity for the Future

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The electrification of our society is proceeding rapidly. Recently I have been thinking about how Canada should seek the electricity we need in the years ahead.

The best evidence shines a light on the need for electricity generated by nuclear energy.

The energy experts who pen the popular Substack series Doomberg put it this way “There is no path to significant decarbonization of our economy without a global nuclear renaissance”.

 

Three issues are at the current forefront in Canada.

1. Many provinces still rely on coal and fossil fuels to generate electricity.

2. Wind and solar are relatively expensive and affected by season and weather

3. New technology is  available today for nuclear energy generation that is portable, safe and simple to implement even in remote regions.

A quick cross-country check-up reveals that British Columbia, Manitoba, Quebec and Newfoundland predominately employ hydroelectric generation. Alberta, Saskatchewan and Nova Scotia mostly use a mix of natural gas and coal burning to provide for their grid. Ontario stands alone as a province with a majority of its electricity needs sourced from nuclear reactors.1 PEI generates much electricity from the wind with one small caveat—they need more power than they can produce and have to import the majority of their needs from New Brunswick and its diverse profile of generation sources. Nunavut has to burn oil to make electricity for each individual community.

Bottom line: we don’t want to burn fossil fuels if there are alternatives.

Plus it is challenging to find regions where wind or solar will be enough; there just are too many problems with their intermittency, seasonal weather shifts, and lack of sufficient storage options to give the 24/7 supply that we all need. Here we clearly need the federal government to take leadership and coordinate national infrastructure development

Fellow emergency medicine doctor Chris Keefer is doing great work with his group Canadians 4 Nuclear Energy. They make the case that nuclear energy is our best bet either existing with the technology of CANDU (Canada Deuterium Uranium) reactors or new designs of small modular reactors (SMRs).

A major new documentary by Oliver Stone “Nuclear Now” agrees and shows the many upsides of supplying our household and industrial needs via nuclear energy electricity generation.

How does it work? (Great balanced unbiased review of SMRs here).   Nuclear energy does not equal nuclear weapons. In short, nuclear reactors produce heat by splitting atoms, and then converting water to steam, moving a turbine that spins a magnet and produces electricity. Waste storage requires only a tiny allocation of space and is safeguarded.

The federal government must promote the best national infrastructure. A major role of a Member of Parliament is to foster debate and bring forth fresh ways of looking at issues.

Our need for increased caseload electricity and the path for nuclear energy to supply is a topic we must truly explore and debate as a citizenry.

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SMR schema

1 www.opg.com.about-us

 

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Canadian Medicare Policy Reform: A Big Picture Fix

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Canadian healthcare policy needs a big-picture fix NOT just more money.

Now that the hard part has been said out loud and I want to be part of the solution.

I am running for federal office and while I acknowledge the delivery of the healthcare system is constitutionally a provincial responsibility, the federal government is always positioned to be a funder and leader and coordinator of policy for the country at large.

Too often though, the federal government doesn’t serve the people, but just plays politics with healthcare policy. 

We need Canadian Medicare policy reform: a big picture fix!

Canadian medicare reform

Experience in the healthcare system matters when we want to make decisions for Canadian medicare policy reform.

  • I am a practising physician who has either trained or worked in Ontario, Alberta, British Columbia and the Northwest Territories (with two stints in mission hospitals in Africa).
  • And I have worked in and led group private practice offices, attended hundreds of births, given thousands of anesthetics and done plenty of emergency room shifts 24/7/365 (my main gig now).
  • I have spent most of my life thinking about improving our Canadian Medicare.

What is the purpose of our healthcare system?

Our system anchors itself to a 1984 version of the Canada Health Act whose stated purpose is to “protect, promote and restore the physical and mental well-being of residents of Canada and to facilitate reasonable access to health services without financial or other barriers”.

There are five organizing principles for the Canada Health Act:

  • Public Administration,
  • Comprehensive,
  • Universality,
  • Portability,
  • Accessibility.

The Canada Health Act sounds good on paper. Yet the reality? The system too often cannot deliver the healthcare folks need.

Canadian medicare policy reform needs to serve all Canadians.

Do you personally have access to a family physician or nurse practitioner for primary care?

Not everyone does. In fact, many don’t.

Have you considered that access to a waiting list is not access to healthcare?

Just because you got yourself on a waiting list for any number of services doesn’t mean you get access to healthcare any time soon.

I think we need to tweak our list of five principles and add two principles to that list: timely and patient-centred medicare.

Canada has excellent providers and good facilities. So what slows Canadian healthcare down?

Two words: government bureaucracy.

Too many people now have a career centred around running a system that serves the system, not the patients.

We have decades of evidence that demonstrate that tweaking medicare plans and its coordination systems doesn’t get to the heart of the issue. And the nature of health care and systems is radically different today than in 1984.

Nearly forty years since the Canada Health Act was enacted: it’s time for a renovation.

Did you know that of twenty-eight (28) countries in the world with universal health care, only one (Canada) has a government monopoly?

Why is Canada the outlier?

I guess we could brag if the healthcare system served its residents, but it doesn’t. It’s the exact opposite case.

The heart of the issue is that most Canadians live within a system that doesn’t provide universal healthcare; rather, it is inefficient, slow, and inadequate.

We need a new way of looking at the system and we need to stop stifling innovation or incentives to change.

Many of the bandaid solutions that have been applied to pressure points just worsen other problems (such as a shortage of primary care providers) because central planning lacks the ability to be nimble with its one size fits all approaches.

  • Funding should follow patients and not just be system based.
  • Dollars must flow with work and patient care: this is the Patient-Centred part.
  • No money should go just to “administer stuff” or run programs that don’t see people in a timely fashion with good outcomes.

Canadian medicare policy reform should serve patients and providers.

Medicare should be available for all. Period. That would be our safety net.

And yet Canadian residents and providers have a pent-up demand for new upgrades and options. These upgrades and options should be allowed to thrive and be a source of improvement for each Canadian medicare recipient.

Artificial rules suppressing this innovation and improvement won’t work. Canadians with dollars just travel for their unique healthcare options anyway creating an extra tier of care in an international realm that deserves to stay in our country.

  • Let local innovation reign.
  • Reward timely provision.
  • Grant special travel allowances and patient transport infrastructure for rural and remote areas.
  • Fund patient transportation networks so comprehensive healthcare is not just an urban reality.

These are a taste of my ideas on how to reform Canadian medicare. What are yours?

Share your best with all of the rest. Leave your comments below.

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Electoral Reform is Required in Canada Now!

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Why do we need electoral reform?  Because governance matters!

We need electoral reform through a new electoral system.

Governance refers to the actions and ways of governing. The purpose of governance is to improve the lives of people and move a nation toward prosperity, justice, fairness and cohesion.

Centuries ago, those of Canada’s ancestors were governed by Chiefs, Kings, or Queens. Prosperity and success depended on the wisdom and heart of those rulers. 

When Canada came into being in 1867, a parliamentary democratic system was built to pick the best rulers for our new nation.

Sadly, over the generations, our democracy was corrupted and the practice of power is focused on the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO). Members of Parliament (MPs) have attached themselves tightly to the party system of power and mostly choose to go along with that practice.

     Electoral Reform at the Peace Tower

Are we content to let this broken system stagnate? 

Will the PMO continue to rule the land keeping secrets and engaging in often corrupt decision-making? There are many problems with democracy in Canada.

Electoral reform would require us to address corrupt decision-making.    

How can we address corrupt decision-making?

The solution is simple: make Parliament matter! 

Ensure the representatives of Canadians matter more than the voices of unelected officials appointed by the Prime Minister. We must elect MPs who will stand against this centralization of power.   

  1. To do this we have to move away from current patterns of voting.
  2. We need to deliver wider choices and flexibility in choosing MPs.
  3. We need an updated voting system that is transparent and easy to use.

Why first past the post doesn’t work.

Pause with me and reflect on our current system.

If you get the most votes (also known as a plurality) of all the candidates in a riding, you become the Member of Parliament. 

The description of this practice is known as first past the post. Consider that this system is most useful if only two serious candidates are running in any given riding. 

This never happens anymore in Canada.

Diversity has dramatically increased in Canada since 1867, influencing political party options. Therefore, we currently have five political parties with seats in the House of Commons and two Independent Members of Parliament. Other parties received substantial votes in recent elections but no seats in parliament.

Canadian electoral reform to represent diverse needs and opinions of all Canadians not just two parties.

Recent election results have not reflected the mood and choices of most of the country.  

Majority governments in Canada have often been elected with less than 40% of the vote. Our last two elections have produced minority governments with the subsequent ruling party getting less than 1/3 of the vote. 

And even more troubling, the party winning the most seats, and ultimately power got only the second-highest vote totals in the 2019 and 2021 elections.

Why our present system encourages vote splitting?

The two main parties, Liberals and Conservatives, influence the voting public by portraying only those two parties as choices for the governing party. This creates distortions such as vote splitting where a voter might be convinced to support Liberal or Conservative candidates at the exclusion of their first choice.

Despite this predicament, multiple viewpoints and political parties exist and continue to engage.

When many candidates run in an individual riding, some victory scenarios are troublesome.

Imagine an instance of five candidates competing and four each getting under 20% of the vote. The fifth only needs just over 20% and they would have a plurality and a win!

Note: this is not representative democracy! 

Electoral reform is long overdue. Even our current Prime Minister agreed in 2015 that electoral reform is overdue. Too bad that he so dramatically changed his mind once he assumed power.

How to create electoral reform and make it better.

So which electoral system would be better? 

Typically, three common options are considered: Straight Proportional Representation (PR), Mixed Member Proportional (MMP), and Single Transferable Vote (STV).  

1. How Straight Proportional Representation works.

In Straight PR, parties submit lists of candidates and then the proportion of the vote equals the proportion of the party-controlled candidates’ list who become MPs. 

2. How Mixed Member Proportional works.

Mixed Member Proportional has a hybrid system of PR lists and local MP elections using first past the post in ridings (kind of a half and a half and we have already argued against FPTP). 

3. How Single Transferable Vote works.

STV is much more dynamic with voters indicating preferences for individual candidates; voters can choose amongst candidates from the same party, candidates from different parties and even independents. 

In STV ridings are often combined and then many members are elected from ridings with common geography. The website fairvote.ca has a great summary.

Electoral reform in Canada will help rejuvenate democracy

Under electoral reform, consider this New Electoral System.

My favourite electoral system is STV!  This choice is best designed to reflect the people’s true will and fight back against undue party control.

Academics and citizen groups alike have agreed, most notably the  British Columbia Citizen’s Assembly on Electoral reform in 2004/2005. (citizensassembly.arts.ubc.ca )

In the referendum of 2005, 58% of people voted for this — sadly, the question required a supermajority of >60% of the vote to be enacted and the opportunity was lost.

And yet the future is now! 

Certainly, electoral reform is the path to better governance, real accountability, customization of representation and a Parliament more reflective of Canada and all its diversity.  Let’s get to work!

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Problems with Democracy in Canada: In Need of a Cure

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Canada’s democracy is sick: there is cynicism, resentment, mistrust, and apathy.

There are problems with democracy in Canada: she’s in need of a cure.

As an emergency room physician, I identify the problems with democracy in Canada. I believe that democracy in Canada needs to be resuscitated and rejuvenated.

Why does democracy need to be resuscitated and rejuvenated?

Voters don’t have a meaningful way to share and assert their thoughts and opinions beyond the basic X on a ballot at election time.

Recently, I did a statistical analysis in my emergency room work.

On average, I see a new patient every fifteen to twenty minutes.

In even less time today, we can together review, assess, and prescribe treatments for our delightfully aged patient “Federal Democracy.”

Problems with democracy in Canada: Canada's democracy needs to be rejuvenated, even resuscitated

So here’s Federal Democracy’s medical review as I see it:

  • Address: Canada
  • Birthdate: July 1, 1867
  • At triage, everyone agrees that Federal Democracy is depressed. She has lost her sunny ways. She is burdened with apathy and no longer vibrant.
  • On history of present illness, she feels mistreated by the few select people who run political parties and take advantage of her for their own gain.
  • Repeated Prime Ministers and their inner circles over the last few decades have slowly made it so almost all the members of her parliament (MPs) have lost their meaning and purpose.
  • She has become hard of hearing: the only voice that can be heard is the Prime Minister’s Office.
  • She is bloated with a slow-moving and heavy bureaucracy.
  • She has delusions: she keeps telling herself how well she’s doing.

And her medications…always the same ones: The Red Pills or The Blue Pills. In this case, the red pills stand for the Liberal party and the blue pills stand for the Conservative party and the truth is that neither pill type makes any difference.

Problems with democracy in Canada: federal democracy has a concerning medical history

Here is Federal Democracy’s physical examination as I see it:

  • She has a House of Commons with 338 MPs, one for approximately every 110,000 people.
  • She has a Senate – but just as the appendix might not be entirely useful, the Senate might not be either.
  • The Prime Minister’s office is huge – way too big!  (The Prime Minister appoints everyone in the Senate. The Prime Minister hands out cabinet appointments in excessive numbers. The Prime Minister’s office sets all the policy.  The Prime Minister makes sure to fire anyone who disagrees with him or dares to speak up. “Hello, Jane (Philpott), how’s Jody doing?” (Wilson-Raybould).

Big problem alert: when cohorts of those 338 MPs are surveyed, they admit their job is ineffective because they’ve been trained to follow the leader blindly; whoever leads their party tells everyone else what to think and how to vote.

So how are we gonna fix problems with democracy in Canada?

In medicine, one of the most powerful tools for treating depression is cognitive behavioural
therapy…..changing your thoughts and shaking off distortions to change your actions/moods.

We need to change our thoughts and shake off distortions for Federal Democracy.

Bring her to the therapist’s chair.

  • What’s the goal of democracy?
  • What do you need to make it happen?
  • What’s getting in your way?

Problems with democracy in Canada: we need to change our thoughts and shake off distortions for Federal Democracy.

My first thought for treatment: your Member of Parliament should represent you, not the Prime Minister and not the Party.

This is a foundational principle for Federal Democracy.

Elect an MP free of party shackles: have them vote on behalf of the riding, not on behalf of a party leader.

So that MPs will act as if they matter.

When MPs act as if they matter we can get back to engaging and representing.

We have to believe MPs matter.

My second thought for treatment: we have to use the latest information technology to crowdsource democracy.

We need to enable periodic in-between election direction updates so we can clarify the voters’ priorities and preferences so everyone can see the results on a feedback loop.

Then the MP can take those priorities and get busy on behalf of the voters.

My third thought is that Federal Democracy has to exercise her democratic muscles more regularly.

To truly rejuvenate democracy means to restore it to its original or new: democracy needs to be rejuvenated.

Problems with democracy in Canada: to truly rejuvenate democracy means to restore it to its original or new: democracy needs to be rejuvenated.

But you might think these treatments aren’t necessary because of these commonly misunderstood democratic diagnostic myths:

A. Everyone should just join a political party and get involved.

Lots of people like me have tried this approach to no real effect.

Anyone can buy a membership and then they can vote for a leader, but that’s like electing a monarch to full rule and absolute power.

Once the leader is chosen, then what? The hyper-engaged partisans will circle the leader and you won’t see any more of your influence.

B. Isn’t the problem just the media?

A troubling concept that the media and elites have normalized is the notion that every member of a political party does what the leader says or is kicked out of the party.

This is only the norm because we go along with the notion.

C. What if the fringe actors take over?

This only happens if everyone else falls asleep and does nothing

The message is simple: get engaged and do it now.

The problem with Canadian federal democracy is that it's corrupted.

Absolute power leads to absolute corruption.

When we don’t include people but shun them — they rebel. Freezing people out of decision-making leads to resentment and cynicism.

Instead, we need to listen, empathize, show respect, and collaborate.

My prescription for problems with democracy in Canada:

  • Avoid talking around or over people, ASK the people.
  • Engage with a spirit of problem-solving and leave blind ideology behind.
  • Maintain transparency and create accountability.
  • Decentralize power: bring the power back to the people!

The people want a functioning Representative Democracy and bring her back to good health.

Let’s get started!

Problems with democracy in Canada: the people want a functioning Representative Democracy and bring her back to good health.

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