Jack Layton on Conservatism and Canadian Identity

[VonSwaggernaut]

we are fiscally conservative socially liberal done

[andrez350]

0:31 A beard and he looks like LENIN

[JonyMcAwesome]

In my dreams are we a more conservative country, maybe compared to like suchafool990 said to Stalin Russia lol It would be to smart to be conservative I guess

[ulty777]

Canada was built on social policies, health care EI education cpp and many others. even now we vote more for social parties then not. the only non social party we have wants complete control with about 35% off the popular vote.. how are we a conservative country again?

[yukoncornileus4]

@ulty777 Canadian history goes back farther than 1967

[suchafool990]

we're more conservative than people think? sure if you compare us to Stalinist russia

[Hadogei123456789]

Yeee, Layton!

[MrTrueCanuck]

Canada was globally voted the best country for almost a decade straight. The best liked people on the Earth, we still have 3 out of 5 of the entire world's best cities.A beacon of Liberal Democracy, a champion opf human rights. No country had such a perfect balance of affluence and stability, to Liberal ideals. And none had anything to do with the economic crisis - right wing banking deregulation did. Canada's Liberal regulation spared us - Cons opposed those regulations. Liberal wins.

[delia1985]

The way that the electoral system works in Canada and how many seats each party receives isn't really representation of the percentage of Canadians who actually voted for those parties. It's a little confusing if i say so myself. If anything needs reform, it's that.

There is only one party that represents conservatism. There are 4 parties that represent more socialist values. I wonder why the Conservatives keep on getting a minority.

[kuryamtl]

I have to say, that if you look at the vote share, and see how much the conservatives actually get, you will see that Canada is not a right wing country, it is because of our parliamentary system that we have a conservative minority gov't.

[HIMYNAMEISEVAN]

I think more and more Canadians are becoming Progressive Conservatives.

[pachanga701]

George has a really good style.

[leaf16nut]

Our health care system isn't that bad. Sure we bitch about it, but what else are we going to bitch about?

I enjoy a waiting room [or tim hortons, haha] over waiting to see if my credit card transaction goes through.

Seriously, there are far to many whiners in Emerge, seeking attention and wasting time for those who actually need it.

[BrotherAlpha]

@leaf16nut Last time I needed to go to the emergency room, it took less than 30 minutes to see a doctor, get diagnosed, and leave. A short trip to the in hospital pharmacy and I was back home in less than an hour.

And it didn't cost me a dime.

[leaf16nut]

@BrotherAlpha

Yeah its fairly quick where I'm from as well... bigger cities are overcrowded and a pain, but I'd take Canadian health care over the rest of the world.

[MomSaysImCool]

@BrotherAlpha I got an MRI within a few weeks of it being scheduled.

[hanksnow82]

@MomSaysImCool When my dog needed am MRI i was able to get it for him the next day .

[MomSaysImCool]

@hanksnow82 Damn! Your dog must have connections!

[hanksnow82]

@MomSaysImCool No my dogs health care is free market not government run and as such much better run . My Vets waiting room is also much nicer then my Doctors waiting room .

[MomSaysImCool]

@hanksnow82 Fine. I guess private vet care is superior.

[hanksnow82]

@MomSaysImCool Private sector is always much better then what the government can offer . Why do you think people of means and all Canadian politicians go to America when they need health care ?

[BrotherAlpha]

@hanksnow82 And why to Americans come to Canada for prescriptions. And it's not better in the United States, it's faster, because so many people don't even bother going to their doctors because they can't afford it.

Of course, this leads to more emergency room visits, which are more expensive and put people's lives in danger.

Maybe that's why Canada gets better overall results while spending less money per person than the United States does.

[hanksnow82]

@BrotherAlpha Unlike you i have lived and delt with both systems and just like Jack Layton , Belinda Stronach , Danny Williams , Jean Chretien , Michael Ignatiff , Brian Mulroney etc etc etc i find the American system far superior . While you may look for price bargains on your health care , i look for the best just like all the above mentioned politicians .

[BrotherAlpha]

@hanksnow82 "i find the American system far superior ."

And you are in a tiny minority of stupid people.

The United States spends more money per person than we do in Canada. And it's only better for the rich, because the majority of people can't afford health care, so the system doesn't have to deal with them.

If you think that's better, go back to the States.

[hanksnow82]

@BrotherAlpha Canadians with a bit of money all go to America for their important health care because it's much better and thats where all the best doctors are . I am a dual citizen and i travel back and forth all the time but i try not to use the Canadian system because it sucks in every aspect .

[hanksnow82]

@MomSaysImCool Even Jack Layton went to a private hospital when he needed his hernia fix . Even an old socialist like him isn't going to some crummy government hospital when it's his health on the line .

[hanksnow82]

@BrotherAlpha The reason it didn't cost you a dime is because i paid them over 50 K last year .

[kuryamtl]

@leaf16nut I totally agree with you. Considering how my mother was diagnosed with cancer last september and went through the whole chemo and radio, had the tumour removed, that it didn't cost us much.  We paid private for MRI screenings that was faster, and wasn't cheap, but I am so thankful we didn't have to worry about the cost of the whole thing. Cancer is traumatic enough as it is on the patient and family without adding mounting hospital bills to the experience.

[leaf16nut]

@kuryamtl

Agreed, I have to say there are some flaws though... Like having to pay for your ambulance ride, albeit only a couple hundred dollars, it makes no sense.

Overall Canada has great health care, and if compared to the rest of the world we'd see how lucky we really are. We deffinatly need some more doctors, preferable to keep Canadian trained doctors in Canada would be ideal.

[BloggerMusicMan]

@leaf16nut

If your concern is that we don't have enough doctors (and with 4.2 million Canadians without a family doctor, it's hard to argue the opposite), what should we do?

Do you want to get rid of the doctor quotas?

[leaf16nut]

@BloggerMusicMan

Encourage Canadian trained students to become a doctor in Canada would be a nice start... My sister was going to become a doctor [changed her mind in the end] but she had to look towards the US because of the pay Canadian doctors get, and lack of hiring.

Not to mention schooling is expensive as hell [and rising] which deffinatly deters would be doctors. Plenty we can do to fix the doctor shortage, it just takes somebody to actually DO IT.

[hanksnow82]

@leaf16nut The reason you think the health care system isn't that bad is because you have nothing to compare it to .

[leaf16nut]

@hanksnow82

Because you clearly know my life better than I...

[hanksnow82]

@leaf16nut Because you're a snot nosed teenager who still lives with his mom

[leaf16nut]

@hanksnow82

Again, you clearly know my own life better than I... I'll be the mature one and not respond with vulgarity and senseless acqusations that are based off personal opinion. Good day.

[hanksnow82]

@leaf16nut No need for you to say a word ive got you down to a tee .

[leaf16nut]

@hanksnow82

Obviously, besides your not worth my time.

[chad071981]

health care doesn't need some improvement, it needs to be completely overhauled!!!!

[SakuraAvalonBleac25]

@chad071981

couldnt agree with you there! but at least, we dont have go in and pay to see the doctor thats probably the only good thing!