Liberals ignore high Niagara hospital death-rates.

In the St. Catharines Standard (Sept.7, 2007), Keith Leslie wrote in a column about Liberal Dalton McGuinty headlined “ ‘I need the money’: premier”: “McGuinty said 40% of healthcare dollars are spent on people 65 and over, a group that is expected to double in size in the next few years, putting an even greater demand on the entire system.”

‘Putting an even greater demand’?? ‘Greater’ than what?? Didn’t McGuinty know the demographics of Ontario? A demand for health care from this 65+ demographic should be of no surprise to anyone…except Liberals. Maybe they can save costs in their single-payer health monopoly by not treating this demographic.

In the St. Catharines Standard (Dec.7, 2007), the Niagara Health System (which was found by CIHI to have the third-worst mortality rate in Canada, 35% higher than the national average, and is located in a region with a high seniors demographic) said they needed more money to run the hospital. It's now a month later, and the Liberals have done nothing. They also refused to launch an investigation into the high NHS death rates. What are they afraid of? Are the Liberals not funding the NHS adequately? Where is McGuinty’s “health” tax gone, which he claimed he ‘needed’ in the Standard’s story above?

During the Sept.20, 2007 televised leaders’ debate, McGuinty twice said that Ontario spends “one-half” of all its spending on health care. So: If two weeks earlier, McGuinty was saying that 40% of Ontario’s health care spending went to the 65+demographic, then everyone else under 65 years of age must be receiving their health care from the 60% of the remaining health care spending (which together make up 50% of all budget spending).

Is this correct? Was McGuinty citing accurate figures during the election? Could his Liberals be reallocating funding out of the seniors-heavy NHS to spend elsewhere?

The St. Catharines Standard, Oct.11, 2007, wrote: “In his victory speech delivered in his riding of Ottawa South, McGuinty named health care as a top priority under his new mandate.”

Health is a Liberal ‘top priority’?!?

Did anyone tell local Liberal MPP Jim Bradley?

Bradley has essentially ignored the issue. He’s barely said a word about the NHS mortality rates and the NHS statement that it needed more money.

Is this just sad, or is it criminal?