Fellow traveller on health tour tough for minister to explain

By Vaughn Palmer
http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/columnists/story.html?id=b4bd7f6e-af9c-4b93-aef9-246ef2931348

Victoria - Reporters were still digesting the provincial budget when the premier's office released the lineup for the European health care tour.

Among other details, the late Tuesday afternoon press release announced that Premier Gordon Campbell and Health Minister George Abbott would be accompanied by staffers, ministry officials and "Dr. Les Vertesi."

Saaay . . . that's a familiar name. The New Democratic Party found it so as well.

As Opposition health critic David Cubberley framed the matter in the legislature Wednesday afternoon: "I wonder if the minister of health would confirm that the premier's entourage includes the premier's brother-in-law."

Yes. Vertesi is married to Campbell's sister Catherine. But Abbott skipped that part of the question and proceeded to list his other, indisputable qualifications.

"Widely respected physician." Check. "Emergency room physician for 30 years." Check. "Provincial representative on the Canada health council." Check. "A number of publications which may be of interest to the member.

The New Democrat was interested in the publications, all right. That was precisely what he targeted with his next question.

"It is often said that less is more," Cubberley said, venturing a cheesy laugh line of the sort Abbott has been known to attempt, "but in this case, there is more about 'Les' " -- get it? -- "than the minister has acknowledged."

Dr. Vertesi has indeed published his views, most notably in his 2003 book Broken Promises. Within its pages, Cubberley went on to say, "he advocates a private, parallel health care system."

The New Democrat cited evidence that the premier's and the minister's European travelling companion had called for queue-jumping and extra-billing.

So here's the question: "The only expert adviser the premier takes on his tour is an overt advocate of two-tier medicine. Perhaps the minister, who is a man of nuanced opinion, could explain to us: What is up with that?"

Abbott prides himself on his ability to defend the ministry with wit and a strong command of the facts.

But on this one he dredged up a beside-the-point line from the week before, about how the New Democrats were maybe upset that the tour didn't include a stop in Cuba.

Come on, George. You can do better than that. You said this fact-finding tour was a prelude to "real dialogue" and "open conversation."

Abbott did little better defending Vertesi's inclusion in a scrum with reporters after question period. "It's not like we picked someone off the street," he said at one point. No, it is certainly not like that.

"I didn't invite him," Abbott continued, sounding like he was trying to distance himself from the decision.

Who did invite him? Talk to the premier's office, came the answer. (Vertesi invited himself, according to the premier's staff, and he is paying his own way.)

"I'm not an expert in Dr. Vertesi and his work," Abbott further maintained. "I have not read his book. I have no plans to read his book."

Still, Abbott scoffed at the NDP claim that Vertesi compared the Canadian health care system to communism.

But not having read his book or familiarized himself with his work, how would he know?

Even a cursory glance at Vertesi's website -- www.brokenpromises.ca -- finds some evidence to the NDP accusation.

"It was a cold day in Moscow," begins the first chapter ("We Will Bury You"), which got my attention.

Reading on, one comes to this passage: "Canada is approaching its own Berlin Wall in the impending collapse of its public-only health care system."

At this point, the author realizes he may have gone too far: "Not everyone will accept my analogy between the Berlin Wall and our cherished Canadian health care system."

But it is such a persuasive analogy for him, that he just can't give it up.

"Communism for many North Americans was just another brutal regime waiting to be overthrown," he writes. "By contrast Canadian health care looks like goodness incarnate. But we remember the brutality of communism only because most of us are too young to recall its idealistic beginnings.

"Much like Canadian medicare, they racked up some impressive successes before the damage they caused managed to catch up with them."

Enough doc, you've lost us.

In fairness to Vertesi, Broken Promises concludes by arguing that a second, private system could check the excesses of what would still be a large, accessible and (he hopes) well-run public system.

Still, the harsh words and strong views put him well into the camp of those advocating more privately delivered health care.

Abbott, again distancing himself, told reporters: "I don't consider Dr. Vertesi necessarily an adviser to me."

That leaves the premier, who ought to be embarking on his tour with less baggage and more evidence of an open mind.

vpalmer@direct.ca