THE HEALTH RISKS OF AN EARLY ELECTION - ACF SPOTLIGHT, MAY 2005

While the disease of electoral opportunism has once again assumed its prominence in the political bloodstream, the long term health and wellbeing of Canadians is also up for grabs with the Federal budget on life support.  Beware the health risks of an early election.

When the first ministers met last September to supposedly “fix health care for a generation”, the most inspirational day of this meeting was its first, with an emotional morning dedicated to the devastating state of Aboriginal health. Later that day, the premiers spoke with vision and passion—not about the illness system they were there to fix--but about all of those other things that matter more when it comes to achieving the health outcomes we seek as a nation. They spoke about what the experts call the determinants of health: income and the blight of child poverty; early learning and childcare; education and training; proper shelter; clean air and water.  Was it possible that these noble words before the television cameras would trigger real action back home? Maybe.

For example, Ontario has started to connect some of the healthy policy dots by combining bold health care reform with early learning &childcare, environment, education/training, and (finally) social housing, policies.  But generally, the gap between those noble speeches in September and genuine progress regarding health status across Canada is widening rather than narrowing.

Which brings us back to the current Federal budget.  I am not so naïve to suggest that this budget is informed by a clearly thought out vision based on better health outcomes for all Canadians.  But through the vagaries of power politics, a few old resuscitated promises, the unrelenting vision and passion of advocacy groups across Canada, and some bailing wire and duct tape, this budget represents a chance to enhance the health and prosperity of all Canadians.

The budget contains a bold early learning and childcare initiative, increased support for poor seniors, resources to strengthen Aboriginal communities, important immigration and settlement supports, movement on otherwise neglected environmental issues, health prevention initiatives, support for post-secondary education and training, help for the disabled, and a social housing initiative that is designed to bring all jurisdictions back to the table.

And while it is widely recognized that ensuring proper investments in health determinants will reduce our health care costs and promote economic prosperity, we still have those with bat-like vision who continue to argue for trickle down tax cuts. 

While this budget started out as a typical grab bag cafeteria deal made coherent by a good writer, this “cafeteria” does contain some very healthy public investments made even fitter with last week’s power brokering.

And while power often corrupts, can it transform? A grab to gain or hold on to power can do strange things to politicians.  Can the increasingly popular hearing this revised budget is getting cause some of these strange things to end up as good things.  Just look at the transformed language of a few of the leaders. Witness one of the budget’s antagonists, who up until last week, favored having “Aunt Emma” or the next door neighbor take care of the kids, is now talking about the importance of licensed childcare.  And a life long decentralist has suddenly staked claim to an interest in a strong central and activist role for the Federal government.  These pronouncements are very encouraging especially if sustained actions ever catch up to the words.

I for one do not need to wait for Gomery because the final report is already written in the minds of most Canadians who take a minute to reflect. Bad things happened, a political party  needs a strong rebuke, a few folks need to be sent to jail, and new rules are needed to prevent this from happening again. 

But I can wait for an election because we can’t wait afford to wait any longer to get Canada get back on track.  And I can’t think of a better measure of political accountability than ensuring that this budget is given a chance to transform its somewhat hollow origins into hopeful behavior. 

Charles E. Pascal

Executive Director, Atkinson Charitable Foundation