Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - December 8, 2000, Winnipeg, Manitoba A14 Winniw 2000 editorials Freedom of Trade Liberty of religion Equality of civil rights publish the data Britain National health system is improving the care it this has come from an injection of but also from a commitment by the labour government to find out what was wrong and fix the problems were identified by collecting and analysing data on a variety of surgical and other treatment programs at the britons can in their daily new spa the performance of hospitals and the non profit corporations that dispense health health care in Canada could Benefit from such research into the out comes of surgical and treatment it is not being done in this coun and so while Canadian politicians and healthcare users continue to talk about the need for it is already happening in Britain the Lincoln health authority now prescribes More of the cheaper generic drugs the Sheffield health authority has improved its High cancer mortality rates the Barnsley health authority has taken Steps to reduce the number of tranquillisers prescribed by its general Pra coition these changes were based on but the message implicit in publishing the data was that an informed is an agent of change that concept is highlighted in judge Murray sin Clairs report on the inquest into the deaths of 12 children whose hearts were operated on in 1994 at the health sciences families gave doctors and the Hospital consent to operate on their children without being told what the risks risks that were heightened by the surgeons incompetence and the surgical teams Lack of that offended the principle of informed the Hsc tragedy was an extreme example of what can go wrong under a doctors but the inquest findings Are instructive for All hospitals and All Canadas healthcare providers Are ignoring the opportunities an information age can offer to an ail ing medicare the country must come out of the dark Ages of relying upon the review of patient charts to discover in the information Given the ability to Analyse data quickly and change medical hospitals should be reducing the Manitoba Centre for health policy and evaluation and the College of physicians and surgeons conducted a Pilot project that Analysed data on Tonsillectomy is in the this can be used As a Model for wider review Here and across Premier Gary doer and his government should direct the publicly funded Manitoba Centre for health policy and evaluation to begin the Job of analysing surgical and other treatment programs in the publishing this information would make healthcare users Active players in reforming the health minister David Chomiak can then take this example to the National retooling Europe the nations of the european Union began a meet ing in the French City of Nice this week that will have a profound effect on the future of there Are a number of issues on the such As whether and to what degree a new eur military Force should coordinate with nato How quickly candidate members from other parts of ranging from the nations that emerged from the former soviet Empire a decade ago to longtime aspirants such As can be admitted and How Long such candidacies can be delayed without Dri ving those nations into other alliances Turkey is already flirting with the islamic East or into the kind of xenophobic isolationism to which Eastern Europe is these issues cannot be unless the members of the european Union can come to some agreement on what direction the Union will take in the As they arrived in the mood seemed to recall an older Europe rather than Herald a new governments arrived with agendas that opposed each the two driving forces of the eur France and Germany were at Odds Over the weighting of the vote that each member state wields Germany argues that its increased Popula Tion since unification should give it More clout the French insist that Equality is written in Britain wants to retain its veto Power in some while at the same time pushing for a rapid expansion of eur which makes the required consensus far More difficult to there Are two visions of Europe at play in one sees an Ever More integrated continent in which a european parliament would have Legisla Tive authority Over National governments the other sees a looser federation in which policies might be coordinated but where Brussels would have less the meeting will not answer All of these questions but it May set a direction for from a Cana Dian it does not matter so much which path is taken As that the direction be Canadas concern with Europe is primarily particularly the eur subsidies that so badly Hurt Canadian a Europe that can decide where it wants to go and whom it will include will be easier to Deal with than a Europe that is still thrashing around in search of a definition of the fat lady Knock Toff float a ruse and kill a project residents of the Ashdown warehouse Condo Complex this week eagerly embraced their nextdoor Neighbours Condo development pro the project May cause some inconvenience to the folks now living in the renovated Bannatyne Avenue but the prevail ing View was that Condo owners Are about the Best Neighbours Possi residents of heading were turning Down a Casino development proposed for their they were threatened with a trailer Park if they did not agree to the though the trailer Park was Only a vague the ballot they were asked to Mark required them to choose Between the two in order to reject the possible they had to embrace the hypothetical trailer As a the people of heading Ley Are now on record As approving a trailer Park where they do not actually want the two cases offered some striking Paral Ashdown warehouse residents have been hoping for years to see More people living on their the restaurants and theatres in the area create a Lively atmosphere in the streets but the atmosphere is a Little too dense for some of the residents when the Cook is Lay ing on the garlic in the restaurant and the Street is sometimes a Little too Lively when the bars close and every motorcyclist among the departing bar patrons feels a need to let the whole City know How loud a Roar he can when heritage buildings near the Ashdown Are being renovated for new the Ashdown ians Pray for More not More the Developer of the nextdoor building had to speak to the Ashdown Condo owners because he has a parking he wants to Appeal to High end Condo dwellers who will expect to Park in the basement of their own not put on their boots and walk outside to their but his nextdoor Neighbour is using the Back Lane to Back trucks up to a loading Dock in a Way that prevents use of the Back Lane for Access to the the Developer wants to punch a Hole in the Ashdown foundation Wall and invite his customers to drive their cars Down the Ash owns ramp and into the next door to make his project he had to win the support of the some were nervous at first about the effects of cutting out a Section of foundation oth ers were concerned about the Riffraff that would be wandering through the Ashdown basement to get to this Neighbour on the Ashdown owners concluded that any residential project next door was better than another they told their executive to go ahead and make a heading Ley people were confronted with similar Many had reservations about a Casino development that would draw heavy traffic through their quiet exurban some had doubts about the effects that a Large gambling establishment would have on the social and moral tone of their the Developer threatened them with a trailer Park in pretty much the same Way As the downtown Developer threatened Ashdown residents with a the was dramatically heading Ley people decided to bar the Casino and take their chances with the trailer the difference probably arose from the plausibility of the threatened experience shows that another bar is a genuine possibility on Bannatyne Avenue and that it would probably be a nuisance As the existing bars sometimes its an Odd but the Canadian wheat Board is about the biggest employer in the Ash owns neck of the Woods and the adjoining streets have Winnipeg most dense concentration of loud music and Over priced after a Long Day Selling wheat to the hungry people of those civil ser vants need to the cabaret owners know demand when they see it and theres no telling when another cabaret will open within a few Steps of the wheat Board the threatened heading Ley trailer by was pretty obviously a ruse and not a genuine development and it was a ruse that would require plenty of other approvals and could easily be stopped by other tories must learn to choose everyone who has Ever been a Parent knows the child stands in front of Candy pointing at you have to you cant have it you have to freshly anointed Manitoba tory Leader Stu Art Murray was Quick off the Mark attacking the government for not committing to new tax i think they missed the boat he responding to the throne less than two hours Murray had been equally vociferous in accusing the nip government of breaking its election promises to improve health provide financial Assis Tance to Farmers and invest in Public Educa and in a theme he carried into his first question period he ripped into it for failing to fulfil its Campaign pledge to end hallway Medicine within six this brings to mind the child at the Candy it also brings to mind the tories 11 year the accumulated problems of particularly in health Murray expects the new democrats to solve in 12 although the new democrats begged for trouble when they boasted they could easily and quickly halt the practice of treating patients in Hospital Murray was disingenuous in pretending this or any other government could fulfil its entire platform in its first opposition parties Are meant to oppose but their credibility suffers if their criticism lacks internal the tories cannot Logi Cally demand lower higher a ban on stealing Crown corporation surplus balanced budgets and debt repayment All at the same Murray first foray into legislative com Bat not Only demonstrates his but also perpetuates the Manitoba tories Aura of arrogance and contempt verging on incredulity towards anyone except themselves in Murray Calls for tax cuts were echoed by Manitoba business All of whom expressed concern that this province would lose out in the competitiveness race with Alberta and even by the Manitoba legislature opened the same Day the water taps in walk were turned on for the first time in six last seven people died and another were made seriously ill when Walker tons water was contaminated with a virulent Strain of Coli since the town and its tragedy have become a metaphor for the ongoing struggle in Canada and elsewhere Between the demands of the elite and business for Ever greater tax cuts and eve smaller government and the desire of most people for Strong social Sta ble communities and a healthy envy unlike canadians Are coming to realize that they cant have it Walkerton is testimony to the fact there is precious Little genuine fat left to Cut out of further tax reductions Are Boring into Bone and vital tissue and leading to dire consequences for the Manitoba government is being told it must compete tax Wise with in one year after pre Mier Mike Harriss conservatives were staff and pro Gram cuts to fulfil the common sense revolutions Promise to slash income and Busi Ness taxes hit the environment its three regional water testing labs were closed and All Munici Winnipeg free press Winnipeg free press est 1872 Winnipeg Tribune est 1890 vol 129 no 7 2000 Winnipeg free a division of newspapers division of Thomson Canada limited published seven Days a week at 1355 Mountain Manitoba r2x pm 6977000 a Meniw of the Manitoba Council parities were instructed to find private laboratories to test their the drinking water surveillance program decreased the number of tests per Plant and ceased entirely testing for Coli or other microbiological co Tami Over half the ministry positions were with 279 of them coming from the frontline operations departmental employees responsible for keeping drinking water Safe dropped from 161 to the environment ministry ended Grants to municipalities for upgrades and repairs to water and sewage treat As a followup to her leaders line of question ing in the Manitoba legislature tory health critic Myrna Driedger Charles Wood demanded the govern ment appoint a Public inquiry into the death of an elderly Man after he waited several hours in the health sciences centres emergency Ward earlier this she said nurses were warning the same tragedy could happen again at any does this mean the tories will Stop demand ing tax Cut competitiveness or Are they still determined to As they tried to in govern that they can have it All Rudy email Nicholas Patrick editor ;