With Premier Dalton McGuinty stating like a typical left wing moralizer, that the Health Care system is fine, and does not need competition, privatization or major reform, we should give consideration to the entire edifice of the welfare programs that Canadians pay for. The consideration should centre upon what is a justifiable level of welfare and health care that a society, should pay, without endangering its prosperity. In Canada as McGuinty the great intellectual that he is, so alarmingly puts it “health care defines what it means to be Canadian.” In effect he repeats the soft headed Liberal line that welfare systems are what being Canadian is all about. If that is true, and we doubt that it is, it would be very sad.

The root of any welfare system is support for the poor. Canadians should be debating what is poor and what is needed support for those unable to help themselves. This would never happen here in a country where any mention of social reform is met with derision. Recent studies indicate that the left wing and Liberal pronouncements that so many Canadians are below the poverty line and in need of help is vastly exaggerated. More probably these statements are used to justify the huge transfers of money from one region and income group to another. All in the name of buying votes and equalizing society.

Most social groups state that 17-20 % of Canadians are below the poverty line. Independent data provides compelling evidence that the number is closer to 8 %. The differences are in part attributed to how the data is interpreted and what constitutes the poverty line. Independent data studies define poverty as “a lack of basic necessities” which includes food, clothing, shelter, telephone service, transportation, and hygiene products. The social groups are using Statistic’s Canada data of ‘low income’ groups. Stat’s Canada maintains that low income does not equate to poverty, but their data is being misconstrued by interest groups who make that link. This misconception is prevalent in the media who report widely that poverty levels in Canada keep growing when in fact they are if anything shrinking and at worst since 1950 stable.

The concept that we have many poor people has caused Canadians to accept widespread monopolization in health care and incredibly inept and futile re-distribution policies at all levels of governments. Witness the scandal in Toronto one month ago about homeless housing. The City has a budget of $640 MILLION for shelters and care facilities of various kinds. On any night in Toronto there are 40-50 homeless persons almost all of whom could have shelter if they so desired, but who, for whatever reason reject using the shelters. Instead of increased budgets which the left wing fanatics want to ease the ‘homeless crisis’ why not look at spending what we have smarter or using alternative policies to help these people become meaningful members of society. Sadly reformation of our welfare system will probably never happen while the media and left social groups continue to mangle and manipulate facts and emotions.