This week, after cutting health regions across the province down to a single centralized one, the Sask. Party announced the new board members who will be responsible for healthcare across Saskatchewan.
Instead of learning from Nova Scotia, where political interference has been flagged as a cause for increasing problems in health care delivery, or from Alberta, where their single health authority suffered as a result of political meddling and interference from previous governments, the Sask. Party is repeating these mistakes and have stacked their board with Sask. Party donors, supporters, and privatization advocates.
The Sask. Party appointed ten people to the new Health Authority Board. They include:
• Six Sask. Party donors;
• A former chief of staff to a Sask. Party finance minister;
• A campaign manager to another Sask. Party Minister;
• Someone who has voiced extreme and intolerant positions on their social media feeds; and
• Someone who brags that he has “provided advice on virtually all of the major privatizations that have occurred in Saskatchewan during the past 30 years.”
The fact that they have appointed a self-proclaimed expert in privatization to be responsible for Saskatchewan health care in the province that is the birthplace of Canadian public health care adds insult to injury and makes their plans for further cuts crystal clear.
It’s bad enough the Sask. Party has plowed ahead with their plan to silence local voices in Saskatchewan health care and to cut front line services but, by putting partisanship ahead of experience and merit, they have once again proven that they’ve forgotten who they’re supposed to be working for.