May 12, 2000

PM MUST ACT NOW TO KILL BILL 11: SAVE MEDICARE

"The passage of Bill 11 by the Klein government imperils universal medicare across Canada, under the terms of the Canada Health Act and under the rules of NAFTA, and must be overruled by the federal government now," said Communist Party Leader Miguel Figueroa speaking to a Convention of the Communist Party of BC in Vancouver today.

"The Prime Minister has the authority to instruct the Lieutenant Governor in Alberta to delay giving Royal Assent to the Bill, and to bring in emergency federal legislation to kill the Bill, and that is what Canadians are demanding the government do from coast to coast to coast. This is what the Communist Party demands that the government do," said Figueroa.

"Royal Assent – which will make Bill 11 the law - effectively puts medicare on NAFTA's privatization table by opening up health care in Canada to private, for-profit operators. Once two-tier medicine is introduced into Canada, there's no going back under NAFTA. That's why Bill 11 is the point of no return," he said, adding "and that's why we have to get rid of NAFTA."

"Canadians know that the federal Liberal government has the power to stop Bill 11. Any effort to drum up an election win against the Tories and the Canadian Alliance, without federal action to kill Bill 11, will result in a Liberal election defeat to rival the Mulroney government's collapse in 1993," Figueroa warned.

Calling on Canadians to step up the pressure on the Liberals, the Communist leader pointed out that medicare in Canada was fought for and won by working people across Canada fighting and campaigning in every city, farm, and outport for socialized medicine.

"The Canadian people, led by the labour and democratic movements, won medicare after a hard struggle, and a long campaign. Today Canadians need to fight to save medicare, forcing Parliament and the Legislatures to repudiate private, for-profit health care now and for good."

© 2000 Communist Party of Canada