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4TuesdayMay272014TheNorthernJournalisanindependentnewspapercoveringnewsandeventsinthewesternArcticandnorthernAlberta.VisittheJournalonlineatwww.norj.caAnzacAtikamegBrownvaleCadotteLakeChardChatehColdLakeConklinDriftpileDufeldEdmontonEnildaEnochFortChipewyanFortMacKayFortMcMurrayFortVermilionFrogLakeGlenevisGoodshLakeGrandePrairieGrouardHighLevelHighPrairieHytheJohndOrPrairieAvailableinAlbertaatAklavikBehchokoColvilleLakeDelineEaglePlainsEkatiDiamondMinesEnterpriseFortGoodHopeFortLiardFortMcPhersonFortProvidenceFortResolutionFortSimpsonFortSmithGametiHayRiverInuvikJeanMarieRiverKakisaLutselKeNahanniButteNormanWellsTheNorthernJournalisavailableinthefollowingNWTcommunitiesPaulatukSachsHarbourTroutLakeTsiigehtchicTuktoyaktukTulitaUlukhaktokWekweetiWhatiWrigleyYellowknifeKehewinKinusoLacLaBicheManningMorinvillePeaceRiverRainbowLakeRedEarthCreekSaddleLakeSlaveLakeSt.PaulValleyviewWabasca2013CCNABLUERIBBONCANADIANCOMMUNITYNEWSPAPERAWARD2013CMCAAUDITEDAdvertisingDeadlinesDisplayaddeadlineisThursdayat400p.m.ClassiedaddeadlineisThursdayat500p.m.Emailadsnorj.caSubscriptionRates867872-3000PricesincludeGST.47.25inFortSmith52.50elsewhereinCanada105intheUSAoverseas164.30.LetterstotheEditorPolicyTheNorthernJournalwelcomesletterstotheeditor.Lettersmustbesignedandincludeaphonenumbersotheauthorcanbeveried.Nameswillbewithheldonrequestinspecialcircumstanceswherethereasonsaredeterminedtobevalid.TheJournalreservestherighttoeditlettersforlengthlibelclarityandtaste.Opinionsexpressedinlettersandcolumnsarenotnecessarilythoseofthepublisheroreditor.PublishedweeklybyCascadePublishingLtd.PrintedonrecyclednewsprintwithvegetableinkatWainwrightStarChronicle.PublisherManagingEditorDonJaque867-872-3000ext.21donnorj.caEditor...........................MeaganWohlberg867-872-3000ext.24newsnorj.caReporter..............................MariaChurch867-872-3000ext.25reporternorj.caComptroller...........................DixiePenner867-872-3000ext.23dixnorj.caAdvertising.................867-872-3000ext.26salesnorj.caAdministration................JeremyTurcotte867-872-3000ext.26adminnorj.caProductionGraphics.......SandraJaque867-872-3000ext.22sandranorj.caPaulBannister867-872-3000ext.27graphicsnorj.caAnnaSierra867-872-3000ext.20designnorj.caFortSmithHayRiverWEATHERYellowknifeInuvikWeeklyNormsHigh15CLow4CWeeklyNormsHigh14CLow5CWeeklyNormsHigh11CLow1CWeeklyNormsHigh18CLow5CEDITORIALTheCanadianhealthcaresystemisbrokenanddesperatelyneedstobefixed.Waittimesarefartoolongtothepointwherepatientsaredyingandthesystemcostsarefartoogreat.FreepublichealthdefinesCanadaasmuchasmountiesandbeavers.ForoveradecadeconservativesinCan-adahavetriedtochangethatmak-ingthecaseforprofit-basedmedicalservices.Afreeenterprisecompo-nenttohealthcarewouldmakethesystemmoreefficientandeffectiveistheclaimandifyouhavethemoneywhyshouldntyoubeabletobuythebestavailableservicesLeftwingadvocatesandlabourunionshavebeenardentdefendersofleavingthesystemasisadamantthatallow-inganyfor-profitcomponentstohealthcareisaslipperyslopethatwouldleadtoinequitiesinthesystemandseetherichenjoyhigherqualitymedicalser-vices.HowmuchmoneypeoplehaveordonthaveshouldnotdetermineaccesstotheverybestmedicalcaretheysayandseparateclassesofCa-nadianswouldresult.Theargumentsforafreeenterpriselayeraddedtoouruniversalhealthcaresystemwherecertainservicesorareasofexpertiseareofferedonafee-for-servicebasisseemcompel-ling.ShorterwaittimeswouldresultforthosewhocanafforditandthatwouldtakepressureoffthesystemFixCanadashealthcareoritwillbelostfortheremainderofCanadianusingpublichealthservices.Thetransitionwouldbeeasyandseamlessafterallitisdonenowwithdentistsandplasticsurgeryclinics.Ofcourseifthatchangeweretotakeplacetheproblemwithatoo-expensiveinefficientandponderouslyslowpublichealthsystemwouldstillremainbutthatconsiderationisrou-tinelyoverlooked.Thedebatehasragedforoverade-cade.ThroughoutthattimetheCana-dianmedicalsystemhasgrownmoreandmoreexpensivemakingthefor-profitsolutionmoreandmoreattractive.Inspiteofthehighcostinefficiencieshaveaccumulatedsuchthatwaittimescontinuetolengthen.Thesituationhasgottensobadthatlivesaretoooftenatriskbecausetreatmentisdelayed.Waittimesforprimarycarespecialistselectivesurgeryandevenemergencyservicesaresomeofthelongestinthedevelopedworld.TheCanadianpublicisfrustratedoftenangry.Governmentsmeanwhilearestrug-glingwiththehighcostofmedicarewhichcanchewupasmuchasathirdoftheirbudgetsandtheyfacetheexpectationsofapublicdemandingmoreprogramminginotherareas.Asolutionisuniversallysoughtandtheonlyonethatisofferedistoallowabroaderprivatesectorelementwithinthehealthcaresystem.Thestageissetconservativeplanswillalmostcer-tainlywintheday.Itisaclassicsituationofleftversusright.Thegovernment-runsolutioncreepshigherandhigherincostsandslowsevermoreencumberedduetoinefficiencieswithinthebureaucracy.Thepublicmeanwhilehappilytakesadvantageofsomethingthatisfreeasmuchasitcan.Thealternativeof-fersefficiencyandalowercostsolu-tionbutattheexpenseofprinciplesparticularlyuniversality.Atsomepointthehighcostandinefficiencybecomeunbearableandtheresultisasacri-ficeofprinciples.Beassuredthatthecurrentfederalgovernmenthasitssightssetonpriva-tizingtheCanadianhealthcaresys-tem.PrimeMinisterStephenHarperhasmadeitclearhewantstomakeCanadaamoreconservativecountry.Itisjustamatteroftimebeforehetakesonsuchsacredcowsasabortionandmedicareandtheywillgothewayofenvironmentalprotectiontobepur-suedwhenthetimeisright.ThosewhowanttomaintainapureuniversalhealthcaresystemmustrealizethatCanadianmedicareasitnowexistsisbrokenandneedstobefixed.Aseriouscriticalanalysisisre-quiredandsubstantivechangesmustbemade.IfthisdoesnothappensoonuniversalmedicareinCanadaasweknowitwillperish.Around50fearlessYellowknifersbravedbracingwateratLongLakeonthelongweekendtotesttheirhypothermicresistanceandraisemoneyforSpecialOlympics.ThisyearslatespringmeanticewasstilltighttotheshoresoanRTLEnterprisesbackhoewasbroughtintochompoutasmallswimminghole.ThePolarPlungestartedin2006andisoneofthreeannualfundraisersstagedinYellowknifealongwiththeFirstAirHercPullandConvoyforaCause.SpecialOlympicstrainsandcoachesmentallyandphysicallychallengedathletesaroundtheworld.PhotosBillBraden