This week in Canada, our "new" majority conservative government has decided to take on the long-standing boogeyman issue: healthcare.

There's a distinct Canadian procedure of debate and negotiation that takes place between the provincial premiers and the prime minister's office in a public effort to determine healthcare spending for a fixed period of time. This long-standing and traditional method has been summarily abridged by a new "take it or leave it" funding model dictated by the Prime Minister's Office. Eight of the ten premiers (including the two biggest - Ontario and Quebec) are poised to fight this new model on principle alone even though it may or may not be a bad thing. That's not the real issue.

The real issue is a prime minister who has decided to govern by decree - despite protocol, the law, or the wishes of the vast majority of Canadians. The role of his cabinet is to just get behind the prime minister, vote how he wants them to vote and say what he wants them to say. It's getting to be beyond sickening to witness but it does indeed reveal the real Stephen Harper.

It's important to understand that the prime minister did this at a time when the political opposition is virtually vacant - the unfortunate passing of the new and popular leader of the opposition was a blow that coupled with the virtual death of the once-mighty liberals. I suspect that Harper is pouncing on this "opportunity" and is once again going to assume that "Canadians don't care..." - but this time, it may well turn out to be one assumption too far. Privatization of the Canadian system is a huge issue that may fracture the country along sharp geo-political lines. This new funding model will be the defining issue of this session of parliament and perhaps even the next election four years from now.

Wait till the Premiers have had enough.
He'll be in a fight he'll wish he'd never started.
Federal "jurisdiction" only works with provincial co-operation. Withdraw that co-operation and he's dead meat.

I have to admit, the man has guile.

Get 10 pissed off provinces going on a Danny Williams ABC campaign and Harper will wish he was never born.

When Williams (former Progressive Conservative Premier of Newfoundland/Labrador) went on his ABC (Anybody But Conservative) tear not a single federal CONservative was elected. Not one.

Sooz... there's Canadian politicians and then there's the public. The Canadian public has been known to go on a tear where healthcare is concerned. This one could bite Harper where it hurts.

Many of the problems are epidemic, Sooz, but their effect is different from country to country.  For most of the recession Canada has been hurt but fared far better than many other countries partly because of our resources, partly because of our regulatory system and partly because we started from surplus budgets.  While we are running deficits now they are not of the same magnitude or of the same impact as those of the U.S. and European countries. 

While I really despise how Harper, through his puppet Flarehty, dropped his take it or leave it scripp on the provinces, I'm not really as upset about its contents as some.  To the Premiers, it's politics.  It means they are going to have to go back to their constituents to make-up the difference.  No politician likes the idea of having to say they are going to increase taxes.  To the tax payer, it doesn't make any difference.  One way or another we're going to spend the money.  What the Cons have done really isn't a lot different than what the L:iberals did to ballance the budget back in the '90's.

  

The difference is that Martin can count past 100.
Flaherty can't.