A member’s concern

Rob Miller

I am writing this letter to express my concern about a recent issue of Canadian Family Physician that opened with a letter from the Prime Minister of Canada (November 2007). The basis of my concern is as follows:

In 2005, a family physician from Nova Scotia, Dr John Hamm, successfully concluded a prolonged “Campaign for Fairness” on behalf of his province, and managed to get the federal government to finally live up to the terms of the Atlantic Accord. The document had originally been developed in 1985 and was to last 15 years once signed.

In 2007, the new Government of Canada passed a federal budget that would unilaterally alter this Accord. A recent study of the Atlantic Provinces Economic Council has calculated that changes in this budget will result in $4.2 billion in revenue being removed from the budgets of Atlantic Canada, money that would have largely been budgeted for health care and education in those provinces.

Hence, it is with utmost concern that I witness letters from the Prime Minister of Canada being published in the journal.

It is also my humble opinion that unless Canadian Family Physician is committed to providing a balanced viewpoint of all Canadian political parties, they should remain a non-partisan voice on all matters that relate to health care of Canadians.