Filibuster Cartoons
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In a complex and controversial ruling, yesterday the Supreme Court of Canada ruled that private clinics and hospitals in Quebec have the right to operate. Up until now it had been illegal to operate such private healthcare institutions in the country, on the grounds that their existence would threaten to undermine the famed “free” state-run healthcare system. In their ruling, the majority of judges argued that since pay healthcare often provides a quick, much-needed service to desperate patients who can’t afford to wait around forever, it’s unconstitutional for Quebec to uphold laws that ban such a service.
It’s unclear how this ruling will affect the healthcare system in provinces outside of Quebec, but many liberals, both small and large L alike, who have spent their lives fighting the “creeping tide” of private healthcare in Canada are no doubt feeling a bit glum.
