Host of Openline, VOCM Radio
Two weeks ago you told me that the Premier said "the surgery was not available in NL". I have been trying to get the NTV video or transcript since but it is very well hidden.
But this transcript shows what he said and I was right, not available in Canada! He lied to the people of our province on NTV.
"The Globe and Mail 23rd Feb 2010 http://politifi.com/news/Its-my-health-its-my-choice-Danny-Williams-says-214293.html
With these words, Newfoundland Premier Danny Williams defended his decision to hop the border and go under the knife for Heart Surgery in Florida. The minimally invasive mitral valve Surgery he needed is not available in Newfoundland, he told his province's NTV News channel in the first part of an interview aired last night. "Did some checking, of course, and what was ultimately done to me, the Surgery I eventually got ... was not offered to me in Canada," he said. But it is available in his..."
Will you make an on air correction to your audience tomorrow morning please?
Robin Brentnall
Gambo, NL
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Friday, March 26, 2010
My Member of the House of Assembly (MHA)
MHA Terra Nova District,
It never fails to amaze me how the Conservatives can take such a well educated man and make him produce such utter nonsense in a document.
Walk-In Services has been an issue since the 4th of December 2010 when I originally submitted it to you in writing. There are still no proposed actions or even interest in this topic by your government, even though the people are in strong agreement with the need for Walk-in Times at Rural Medical Clinics.
Your Minister of Health and Community Services did, however, move the Air Ambulance out of St. Anthony to Goose Bay on a moments notice. How was the deficiency, solution, and funding initiative dreamed up for that knee-jerk Conservative idea? Coincidentally, this was just after he had instructed you and Tracy Shute to cancel my very worthwhile presentation.
Now you insult my Party, the NDP, who under Tommy Douglas started healthcare in Saskatchewan. Statements such as "Given the number of NDP members in the House of Assembly it is very unlikely that they will form government anytime soon and thus be never held to task on there suggestions" and "The NDP are fantastic at identifying deficiencies but are not the least bit interested in discussing how we implement and just as important, fund these initiatives" shows me your true side, one that I hoped I would never see, especially as the MHA for my district.
I'll identify a major deficiency and provide a solution to the problem: Jerome Kennedy should resign as Minister of Health and Community Services. I'll pay for the piece of paper he needs to write it on to make it official and that should take care of the funding initiative.
2011 my friend, 2011!!!
Subject: Re: Cancelled Presentation
Hi Robin,
Its safe to say that we have very different opinions and even easier to identify our different political ideologies.
There are always things that can be done to improve an existing system...however the way in which we arrive at those changes can be more problematic then identifying the initial issues themselves.
As Minister Kennedy pointed out in an earlier email, all correspondence that is received by his department is reviewed. Anything he can do to improve the Health Care system in this province, he will consider doing when possible and fiscally prudent.
This is where we differ the most in our political ideas. The NDP are fantastic at identifying deficiencies but are not the least bit interested in discussing how we implement and just as important, fund these initiatives. Given the number of NDP members in the House of Assembly it is very unlikely that they will form government anytime soon and thus be never held to task on there suggestions.
They are quick to criticize government when investments are made into the oil industry or new business attraction (Rolls-Royce for example) but they fail to realize...or simply are oblivious to the fact that in order to fund social programming...we as a province must create revenue. Revenue from our oil resources is hugely responsible for the unprecedented investment in Health Care, Education, Municipal Infrastructure, and Poverty Reduction....just to name a few. And while my government has invested heavily...there are limits. When these limits are not recognized we see the accumulation of debt. Another priority of our government is to rid ourselves of that as well. It certainly is a balancing act.
So to conclude, its very easy to identify issues however, it takes a responsible government to implement these changes in a sensible way. We can not simple implement such a change without investigating the numerous considerations, human resources and monetary concerns being two of the more important ones. Due diligence must be done...and to simplify this issue is completely irresponsible.
I promise your ideas will be given the same attention and consideration as any other ideas that are put forth. In my capacity as MHA I will do whatever I can to help the good folks of my wonderful district. I do realize though that I must work with my government, a government I am so extremely proud to be part of. I can hold my head high and stand on the record of this administration. I expect to see many more wonderful things on a go forward basis from our government and based on the overall satisfaction shown through public opinion polls by the people of this province, so are they.
All the best,
M.H.A. Terra Nova District
Government of Newfoundland & Labrador
Sent Via BlackBerry
Subject: Cancelled Presentation
MHA Terra Nova District,
As you can see by the media response and the public comments in the following CBC newsletter, there is a great support for Walk-In Clinics in Rural NL.
Too bad that same support was lost on the Health Minister and Department Staff.
From here on, I will channel my solutions to problems being experienced in the District of Terra Nova and Rural NL through alternate voices. I gave you first crack at putting our people first but unfortunately you thought I was playing political games, or you were mislead by your Party. I now see that not only are the good people of Newfoundland and Labrador being mislead, even the back benchers have no say in what the Williams government does.
I only wish it could have been different.
Still a friend...
Robin Brentnall
It never fails to amaze me how the Conservatives can take such a well educated man and make him produce such utter nonsense in a document.
Walk-In Services has been an issue since the 4th of December 2010 when I originally submitted it to you in writing. There are still no proposed actions or even interest in this topic by your government, even though the people are in strong agreement with the need for Walk-in Times at Rural Medical Clinics.
Your Minister of Health and Community Services did, however, move the Air Ambulance out of St. Anthony to Goose Bay on a moments notice. How was the deficiency, solution, and funding initiative dreamed up for that knee-jerk Conservative idea? Coincidentally, this was just after he had instructed you and Tracy Shute to cancel my very worthwhile presentation.
Now you insult my Party, the NDP, who under Tommy Douglas started healthcare in Saskatchewan. Statements such as "Given the number of NDP members in the House of Assembly it is very unlikely that they will form government anytime soon and thus be never held to task on there suggestions" and "The NDP are fantastic at identifying deficiencies but are not the least bit interested in discussing how we implement and just as important, fund these initiatives" shows me your true side, one that I hoped I would never see, especially as the MHA for my district.
I'll identify a major deficiency and provide a solution to the problem: Jerome Kennedy should resign as Minister of Health and Community Services. I'll pay for the piece of paper he needs to write it on to make it official and that should take care of the funding initiative.
2011 my friend, 2011!!!
Subject: Re: Cancelled Presentation
Hi Robin,
Its safe to say that we have very different opinions and even easier to identify our different political ideologies.
There are always things that can be done to improve an existing system...however the way in which we arrive at those changes can be more problematic then identifying the initial issues themselves.
As Minister Kennedy pointed out in an earlier email, all correspondence that is received by his department is reviewed. Anything he can do to improve the Health Care system in this province, he will consider doing when possible and fiscally prudent.
This is where we differ the most in our political ideas. The NDP are fantastic at identifying deficiencies but are not the least bit interested in discussing how we implement and just as important, fund these initiatives. Given the number of NDP members in the House of Assembly it is very unlikely that they will form government anytime soon and thus be never held to task on there suggestions.
They are quick to criticize government when investments are made into the oil industry or new business attraction (Rolls-Royce for example) but they fail to realize...or simply are oblivious to the fact that in order to fund social programming...we as a province must create revenue. Revenue from our oil resources is hugely responsible for the unprecedented investment in Health Care, Education, Municipal Infrastructure, and Poverty Reduction....just to name a few. And while my government has invested heavily...there are limits. When these limits are not recognized we see the accumulation of debt. Another priority of our government is to rid ourselves of that as well. It certainly is a balancing act.
So to conclude, its very easy to identify issues however, it takes a responsible government to implement these changes in a sensible way. We can not simple implement such a change without investigating the numerous considerations, human resources and monetary concerns being two of the more important ones. Due diligence must be done...and to simplify this issue is completely irresponsible.
I promise your ideas will be given the same attention and consideration as any other ideas that are put forth. In my capacity as MHA I will do whatever I can to help the good folks of my wonderful district. I do realize though that I must work with my government, a government I am so extremely proud to be part of. I can hold my head high and stand on the record of this administration. I expect to see many more wonderful things on a go forward basis from our government and based on the overall satisfaction shown through public opinion polls by the people of this province, so are they.
All the best,
M.H.A. Terra Nova District
Government of Newfoundland & Labrador
Sent Via BlackBerry
Subject: Cancelled Presentation
MHA Terra Nova District,
As you can see by the media response and the public comments in the following CBC newsletter, there is a great support for Walk-In Clinics in Rural NL.
Too bad that same support was lost on the Health Minister and Department Staff.
From here on, I will channel my solutions to problems being experienced in the District of Terra Nova and Rural NL through alternate voices. I gave you first crack at putting our people first but unfortunately you thought I was playing political games, or you were mislead by your Party. I now see that not only are the good people of Newfoundland and Labrador being mislead, even the back benchers have no say in what the Williams government does.
I only wish it could have been different.
Still a friend...
Robin Brentnall
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Is Our Healthcare In Danger?
PUBLISHED IN THE AURORA NEWSPAPER 5 APRIL 2010 AS: A BUNCH OF COINCIDENCES
Ralph Klein was the Premier of Alberta until he finally had enough of not being able to convince Albertans that a Two Tier Healthcare System was the way to go.
Now we see King Ralph doing a TV show similar to the Donald Trump program where he is trying to find the Best Political answers in which they get money for the best answer. Global Warming, re-write the Canadian National Anthem, and other political questions.
How long will the show air before Canada’s Healthcare question is raised?
Stephen Harper is dropping the Gun Registry, I assume in an effort to make all of our “Gun Nuts” happy and get him out of their sites.
Then he becomes friends with archrival Danny Williams and has a big Seal Eating buffet in the Parliament Building while adding 50,000 more seals to the Seal Hunt Cull.
Do you see a pattern?
Stephen Harper and Danny Williams have a long history of not liking each other. Now they like each other. All of this just before Danny was scheduled to depart Canada and our wonderful healthcare system for warmer climates and expensive, difficult to get for the poor, healthcare provided by the Americans. Stephen didn't flinch. The Conservative Government on both sides didn't flinch. No one flinched except the New Democratic Party.
Remember, it was the first NDP Leader, Tommy Douglas, who created Healthcare in Saskatchewan. Since then, it has been an election issue and threatened by the Conservatives and Liberals with being too expensive. It has stayed because Canadian's refuse to do without it!
Now let's look at the world scene as it stands today: The Americans have dragged us into a conflict, which has cost us billions of dollars. Our veterans are being dealt a painful lesson when trying to get enough to live on due to the Conservative and Liberal Governments refusal to provide proper care for them. There are constant rants in the news about the high cost of Healthcare by conservatives.
Barack Obama is trying to get Canadian style healthcare for Americans. The Republican Party (Conservative) is trying to block it as best they can. They even use Danny Williams as a poster boy for how good their current healthcare is compared to ours. The Republicans would rather buy guns and bombs than provide healthcare for their citizens. They want Canada to do the same.
What are Stephen Harper and Danny Williams up to? The way I see it, it seems to be a move afoot to drive healthcare into the ground so that Canadians will beg for American style Healthcare. Danny Williams already greased the pan with his rant against the NL Medical Association and our doctors, who are very hard to get in the first place. Even the Minister of Health called them names, sparking a fight and a demand for Arbitration. Are (and you can judge for yourself) Harper and Williams planning to start in Newfoundland and Labrador with crushing Healthcare? Danny is so high in the Polls that even if he lost a third of his support he would still have a majority. Then the Conservatives would institute Health Maintenance Organization's (HMO) just like the Americans have.
Don't believe it? One word: AIRBUS. Brian Mulroney and Frank Moores made off with a lot of money just by buying aircraft for Air Canada. How much do you think the American HMO's, Weapons Producers, Drug Company's, and Republican Party would pay Stephen Harper and Danny Williams to buy American style healthcare for Canadian's? How much did Diefenbacker get for scraping the Avro Arrow, after which we had to buy American built fighter aircraft?
Healthcare started in one province, Saskatchewan, under the governing NDP. The Conservatives are trying to end it by starting in one province, Newfoundland and Labrador.
Bombs away boys, vote for the party that brought Healthcare to Canada, for your health's sake! But that's just the way I see it.
Ralph Klein was the Premier of Alberta until he finally had enough of not being able to convince Albertans that a Two Tier Healthcare System was the way to go.
Now we see King Ralph doing a TV show similar to the Donald Trump program where he is trying to find the Best Political answers in which they get money for the best answer. Global Warming, re-write the Canadian National Anthem, and other political questions.
How long will the show air before Canada’s Healthcare question is raised?
Stephen Harper is dropping the Gun Registry, I assume in an effort to make all of our “Gun Nuts” happy and get him out of their sites.
Then he becomes friends with archrival Danny Williams and has a big Seal Eating buffet in the Parliament Building while adding 50,000 more seals to the Seal Hunt Cull.
Do you see a pattern?
Stephen Harper and Danny Williams have a long history of not liking each other. Now they like each other. All of this just before Danny was scheduled to depart Canada and our wonderful healthcare system for warmer climates and expensive, difficult to get for the poor, healthcare provided by the Americans. Stephen didn't flinch. The Conservative Government on both sides didn't flinch. No one flinched except the New Democratic Party.
Remember, it was the first NDP Leader, Tommy Douglas, who created Healthcare in Saskatchewan. Since then, it has been an election issue and threatened by the Conservatives and Liberals with being too expensive. It has stayed because Canadian's refuse to do without it!
Now let's look at the world scene as it stands today: The Americans have dragged us into a conflict, which has cost us billions of dollars. Our veterans are being dealt a painful lesson when trying to get enough to live on due to the Conservative and Liberal Governments refusal to provide proper care for them. There are constant rants in the news about the high cost of Healthcare by conservatives.
Barack Obama is trying to get Canadian style healthcare for Americans. The Republican Party (Conservative) is trying to block it as best they can. They even use Danny Williams as a poster boy for how good their current healthcare is compared to ours. The Republicans would rather buy guns and bombs than provide healthcare for their citizens. They want Canada to do the same.
What are Stephen Harper and Danny Williams up to? The way I see it, it seems to be a move afoot to drive healthcare into the ground so that Canadians will beg for American style Healthcare. Danny Williams already greased the pan with his rant against the NL Medical Association and our doctors, who are very hard to get in the first place. Even the Minister of Health called them names, sparking a fight and a demand for Arbitration. Are (and you can judge for yourself) Harper and Williams planning to start in Newfoundland and Labrador with crushing Healthcare? Danny is so high in the Polls that even if he lost a third of his support he would still have a majority. Then the Conservatives would institute Health Maintenance Organization's (HMO) just like the Americans have.
Don't believe it? One word: AIRBUS. Brian Mulroney and Frank Moores made off with a lot of money just by buying aircraft for Air Canada. How much do you think the American HMO's, Weapons Producers, Drug Company's, and Republican Party would pay Stephen Harper and Danny Williams to buy American style healthcare for Canadian's? How much did Diefenbacker get for scraping the Avro Arrow, after which we had to buy American built fighter aircraft?
Healthcare started in one province, Saskatchewan, under the governing NDP. The Conservatives are trying to end it by starting in one province, Newfoundland and Labrador.
Bombs away boys, vote for the party that brought Healthcare to Canada, for your health's sake! But that's just the way I see it.
The Truth About Outports
...
When the fisheries and cod stocks were put under a moratorium, the Newfoundland and Labrador economy took a hard hit. Small fishing communities were devastated. Many lost everything and were forced to move to large centers to try to make a living. To alleviate the stress on these communities, the government tried to build a tourism industry by showcasing the beautiful coastal communities and rich history of Newfoundland and Labrador, in an attempt to save those who had refused to leave their homes in Rural Newfoundland.
In 2001, with tourism making great gains in Newfoundland, the tragedy of 9/11 would give thousands of stranded foreigners a look at "God's Country". Many would return each year to see the beautiful island paradise and splendid views in the coastal towns. Many wanted a piece of the beauty and bought property for summer homes.
As the populations in most small coastal villages in Rural Newfoundland continued to age and decrease, Town Councils found it very difficult to keep up with infrastructure expenses and were forced to increase property taxes. To add to this, the Newfoundland and Labrador Government cut Infrastructure Grants from $300,000 per year down to just over $90,000. This made providing clean drinking water and essential services to residents impossible.
To add insult to injury, medical services in most communities were slashed to the point where residents were forced to travel to major centers in order to see a doctor. The towns that had retained their medical clinics were hurt as well. Doctors faced larger clientele due to the aging population and had to resort to seeing patients on an "Appointment Only" basis. This had put a great strain on residents, who had found they were being forced to drive long distances to Emergency Rooms of major center hospitals. Some were forced to drive even during snowstorms or when they should not have been driving in the first place due to their symptoms.
At this juncture, the Newfoundland and Labrador Government became aware of the problems but refused to address the concerns of residents.
By now, many Seniors and Low-Income residents found that their incomes and cost of living were growing further and further apart. Most found themselves in dire straits, financial ruin, or living in homes that required costly maintenance and they could not afford to make the necessary repairs or pay the growing tax bills from the town. Still many had worked for the Newfoundland and Labrador Government but due to their pensions not being indexed, could no longer afford the costs of being a homeowner and were forced to move to more meager accommodations.
A few Senior's found safety in selling their homes and moving into apartments specifically built to house Senior's. Some of those who would require the aid of medical services found shelter in Senior Long Term Care Homes built by either private entrepreneurs or the Newfoundland and Labrador Government. Others wanted to stay in their own home as they could still afford the high cost of living but required a Home Care Worker to assist them with their daily living.
The Newfoundland and Labrador Government is planning to spend $19.2 million for a 236-bed facility in Corner Brook and $9.3 million for a 50-bed Long-Term Care Home in Happy Valley-Goose Bay. Site selection for a 460-bed Long-Term Care Home in St. John's and $500 thousand for a site selection of a Long-Term Care Home in Carbonear is also in the plans. Approximately $30 million has been set aside for the construction of a new Long-Term Care Home in Lewisporte, and 14 Long-Term Care beds in the new Labrador West Health Centre.
What about Home Care Workers? Why spend all of that money on Long Term Care Homes when Home Care would provide work in the local communities and people can stay in their own homes?
Whether by coincidence or through some major blunder by our government, the small towns and villages of Rural Newfoundland are being sold out from under us. We are being driven into major centers or forced into Senior's Homes while many Home Care Workers are going outside the Province where they are provided good salaries and benefits. Why has the Newfoundland and Labrador Government not done more to prevent this?
A conversation with some workers building a new wharf in Happy Adventure lead me to suspect that something was wrong. They had already built several wharves in other fishing villages but the wharves would never be of any use to fishermen. All three men stated that they seemed to be designed to accommodate yachts and personal watercraft. Add to this the talk of closing down Fish Processing Plants in various areas of the Province and those wharves (marina's) could only be of use to the "well to do" in the town or people who are being lured to town to purchase property.
The Newfoundland and Labrador Government could stop what is happening but they don't. The Danny Williams government even made a Member of the House of Assembly (MHA) the Minister of Health, even though he actually owned two Senior Long Term Care Homes, a Land Development Company, a Home Hardware Store and a Funeral Home. He would be the last person concerned with keeping people in their homes and that stinks of "Conflict of Interest".
I fear we are being lead along the path that I originally suspected: Demolition of the outport towns in order to provide Ocean Front Property to the highest bidder.
When the fisheries and cod stocks were put under a moratorium, the Newfoundland and Labrador economy took a hard hit. Small fishing communities were devastated. Many lost everything and were forced to move to large centers to try to make a living. To alleviate the stress on these communities, the government tried to build a tourism industry by showcasing the beautiful coastal communities and rich history of Newfoundland and Labrador, in an attempt to save those who had refused to leave their homes in Rural Newfoundland.
In 2001, with tourism making great gains in Newfoundland, the tragedy of 9/11 would give thousands of stranded foreigners a look at "God's Country". Many would return each year to see the beautiful island paradise and splendid views in the coastal towns. Many wanted a piece of the beauty and bought property for summer homes.
As the populations in most small coastal villages in Rural Newfoundland continued to age and decrease, Town Councils found it very difficult to keep up with infrastructure expenses and were forced to increase property taxes. To add to this, the Newfoundland and Labrador Government cut Infrastructure Grants from $300,000 per year down to just over $90,000. This made providing clean drinking water and essential services to residents impossible.
To add insult to injury, medical services in most communities were slashed to the point where residents were forced to travel to major centers in order to see a doctor. The towns that had retained their medical clinics were hurt as well. Doctors faced larger clientele due to the aging population and had to resort to seeing patients on an "Appointment Only" basis. This had put a great strain on residents, who had found they were being forced to drive long distances to Emergency Rooms of major center hospitals. Some were forced to drive even during snowstorms or when they should not have been driving in the first place due to their symptoms.
At this juncture, the Newfoundland and Labrador Government became aware of the problems but refused to address the concerns of residents.
By now, many Seniors and Low-Income residents found that their incomes and cost of living were growing further and further apart. Most found themselves in dire straits, financial ruin, or living in homes that required costly maintenance and they could not afford to make the necessary repairs or pay the growing tax bills from the town. Still many had worked for the Newfoundland and Labrador Government but due to their pensions not being indexed, could no longer afford the costs of being a homeowner and were forced to move to more meager accommodations.
A few Senior's found safety in selling their homes and moving into apartments specifically built to house Senior's. Some of those who would require the aid of medical services found shelter in Senior Long Term Care Homes built by either private entrepreneurs or the Newfoundland and Labrador Government. Others wanted to stay in their own home as they could still afford the high cost of living but required a Home Care Worker to assist them with their daily living.
The Newfoundland and Labrador Government is planning to spend $19.2 million for a 236-bed facility in Corner Brook and $9.3 million for a 50-bed Long-Term Care Home in Happy Valley-Goose Bay. Site selection for a 460-bed Long-Term Care Home in St. John's and $500 thousand for a site selection of a Long-Term Care Home in Carbonear is also in the plans. Approximately $30 million has been set aside for the construction of a new Long-Term Care Home in Lewisporte, and 14 Long-Term Care beds in the new Labrador West Health Centre.
What about Home Care Workers? Why spend all of that money on Long Term Care Homes when Home Care would provide work in the local communities and people can stay in their own homes?
Whether by coincidence or through some major blunder by our government, the small towns and villages of Rural Newfoundland are being sold out from under us. We are being driven into major centers or forced into Senior's Homes while many Home Care Workers are going outside the Province where they are provided good salaries and benefits. Why has the Newfoundland and Labrador Government not done more to prevent this?
A conversation with some workers building a new wharf in Happy Adventure lead me to suspect that something was wrong. They had already built several wharves in other fishing villages but the wharves would never be of any use to fishermen. All three men stated that they seemed to be designed to accommodate yachts and personal watercraft. Add to this the talk of closing down Fish Processing Plants in various areas of the Province and those wharves (marina's) could only be of use to the "well to do" in the town or people who are being lured to town to purchase property.
The Newfoundland and Labrador Government could stop what is happening but they don't. The Danny Williams government even made a Member of the House of Assembly (MHA) the Minister of Health, even though he actually owned two Senior Long Term Care Homes, a Land Development Company, a Home Hardware Store and a Funeral Home. He would be the last person concerned with keeping people in their homes and that stinks of "Conflict of Interest".
I fear we are being lead along the path that I originally suspected: Demolition of the outport towns in order to provide Ocean Front Property to the highest bidder.
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