REALITY CHECK: Pay or wait health care: Wall promises to do what he always said he never would

Brad Wall has a lot to say about many things. Unfortunately, he doesn’t seem to mean much of it.

When he was first elected Premier, Wall spoke out against the very privatization that he announced today – without a hint of shame, regret or irony.

In February 2008, the Regina Leader-Post reported: "The premier said offering medical services such as an MRI for a fee ‘seems to be outside the Canada Health Act,’ and is (an) area where the government doesn’t want to tread."

- The Leader-Post (Regina), Feb 15 2008

And in October 2009, “For years the health system has ‘been unduly handcuffed by dogma and ideology and philosophy,’ Wall told reporters Wednesday, adding that — importantly — no one will be able to use a bulging wallet to jump the queue.”

- The Leader-Post (Regina), Oct 23 2009

But then, in September 2014, Wall opened up MRI scans to be contracted to private interests in Alberta. And, as of only a couple weeks ago, an Alberta company can now operate private MRI centres where “a bulging wallet” jumps you all the way to the front of the line.

And now, Wall has announced that he will open up the same two-tier — rich come first, the rest come later — private centres for CT Scans too.

Brad Wall is allowed to change his mind. But selling-out our public health care after promising to protect it is as clear a proof as any that Saskatchewan families simply can’t trust Brad Wall to protect the services we need.

And now that times are tight, only Cam Broten can be trusted to ensure that everyday families will have the same access to hospitals, care and services, as everyone else.

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