The Ontario government is aggressively privatizing surgeries and medical imaging—core hospital services
My new @policyalternatives.ca research study evaluates whether this policy direction reduces wait times and serves the public interest
www.policyalternatives.ca/news-researc...#onpoli
A new cancer drug costs as much as a home down payment each month. Doctors say that's greed, not health care.
By Nick Logan and Christine Birak. This article and more at canadahealthwatch.ca#CdnHealth#CancerCare
New from me: a post-election look at what to expect from the new Conservative government in BC, and the policy echoes of Gordon Campbell's victory a generation ago
www.policyalternatives.ca/news-researc...
Under the CPBC, I expect BC will follow AB, QC, ON by aggressively privatizing surgeries, diagnostics, long-term care
CPBC platform calls for publicly funded vouchers for surgeries and long-term care. This will expand the private for-profit health care industry
#bcpoli
David #Eby rolled the dice and lost. Now #LorneDoerkson is B.C.'s next premier. What does that mean for the province, and can Doerkson connect with voters beyond his base? We chat with @macleodandrew.bsky.social who breaks it down. Listen here: tinyurl.com/3jkmxwx6
The morning after the provincial election, a white supremacist group stood in front of the BC legislature. Premier-designate Lorne Doerkson condemned their actions and pledged to fight hate. @jenstden.bsky.social reports. #BCPolithetyee.ca/News/2026/10...
The Conservatives’ proposal to pay for private procedures.
“This risks really undermining the public hospital system. It risks reducing equitable access to surgical care, and it’s going to be very costly,” said @alonghurst.bsky.social#bcpolivancouver.citynews.ca/2026/10/24/h...
Wealth tax results in Norway:
- Less than 100 rich people left Norway
- No evidence of significant outbound migration or reduced inflows of startup founders or inventors
- Tax revenue up 71.5%
The "controversy" is artificial marketing... the results are real
www.nber.org/system/files...
Corporate penetration of the NHS’: Revolving door raises concerns over ADHD review.
Instead of expanding NHS capacity, govts hand contacts to private providers making vast profits.
The same providers meet ministers to influence terms of reviews.
More privatisations follow. Public money buys less.
It's an important moment for the province. The BC Conservatives have won a majority with 64 seats in the legislature. There are now 27 seats for the BC NDP and two for the BC Greens. What happens next? @pwillcocks.bsky.social writes. #BCPolithetyee.ca/Opinion/2026...
A study by @policyalternatives.ca found that wait times for most publicly funded priority surgeries and procedures have increased since 2017. The Ford government has expanded private clinics in an attempt to reduce wait times for surgical procedures..." #onpoliwww.napaneeguide.com/opinion/comm...
looks like this BC election had the most dismal turnout in provincial history — preliminary results are around 48%, compared to the last low of 54% in 2020. elections.bc.ca/resources/re...
The perennial game of pin the ideology on the BC party
BC has been governed by centre-right and right coalitions for most of its colonial past and present
In last 10 yrs, political spectrum has shifted right. The BCNDP shifted right. Greens moved left. Fringe parties went hard right
Only 48% of BC voters supported the BC Conservatives, yet the voting system has handed Lorne Doerkson's Conservatives 69% of the seats and 100% of the power.
READ MORE:
www.fairvote.ca/25/10/2026/b...
JOIN THE CAMPAIGN FOR PROPORTIONAL REPRESENTATION:
secure.fairvote.ca/en/action/de...
It’s very inaccurate that some media have been saying BC hasn’t had a conservative government for 100 years
Sure, in name only. But the BC Liberals were a coalition of federal Tories and Liberals
ICYMI: “...the provincial govt [in #Ontario] over the last 8 years has moved quite aggressively in the direction of privatizing surgeries and medical imaging, [spending] $4.1B which are dollars that are not going into public hospitals," said @alonghurst.bsky.social.
www.tvo.org/video/can-pr...
Lorne Doerkson is the new premier of British Columbia. David Eby announced his resignation as BC NDP leader. And BC Greens leader Emily Lowan won her seat on Vancouver Island. #BCPolithetyee.ca/News/2026/10...
The Conservatives will end the night fairly close to the 900,000 or so votes they got in 2024.
The NDP will go from just under 950,000 votes in 2024 to less than 700,000 this time.
Turnout was down — but how much of it was demotivated 2017-2024 NDP voters who stayed home is a massive question.
I suspect the first lesson the incoming BC premier and cabinet will get from the public service is one of basic arithmetic—considering that they plan to hollow out BC’s fiscal capacity via tax cuts while also promising major spending increases
Much to be revealed about the fiscal direction of BC…
CBC BC wrapped up the election programming at 10:30. Maybe I’m in the minority but I think there would have been appetite for more analysis!
It’s not even 11!
Interesting thoughts from the CTV panel
I've reported a lot on OneBC and Dallas Brodie, the party that did its best to promote residential school denialism and attack Indigenous rights in this province.
Tonight she lost her riding of Vancouver-Quilchena about as hard as you can lose.
This is an election for the history books—not unlike the BC Libs 2001 sweep that led to major policy shifts including widespread privatization
You can count on @policyalternatives.ca for hard-hitting research & analysis of what this new government means for BC and Canada
#bcpoli#cdnpoli
Under the CPBC, I expect BC will follow AB, QC, ON by aggressively privatizing surgeries, diagnostics, long-term care
CPBC platform calls for publicly funded vouchers for surgeries and long-term care. This will expand the private for-profit health care industry
#bcpoli
Under the CPBC, I expect BC will follow AB, QC, ON by aggressively privatizing surgeries, diagnostics, long-term care
CPBC platform calls for publicly funded vouchers for surgeries and long-term care. This will expand the private for-profit health care industry
#bcpoli
2,671 PSAC members at Parks Canada received notice this week that their positions may be cut. These cuts put our environment, natural and cultural heritage, parks, and national historic sites at risk.
psacunion.ca/psac-raises-...
"We’ve heard politicians focus debate on emergency rooms, hospital capacity and access to doctors. But an equally important part of our healthcare system receives far less attention: the community-based services that keep vulnerable people healthy, housed and out of hospital."
#bcpoli
👏👏👏
There’s arguably nothing more important than our health and the health of our loved ones. As British Columbians prepare to elect their next provincial government, healthcare is one of the most pressing…
Canadians tend to vote against parties, not for them. But what happens in a snap election where some candidates are only weeks old and others skip media interviews entirely?
Contributing writer Michelle Cyca investigates: thewalrus.ca/bc-snap-election/
As general election day arrives Saturday Oct. 24, we’ve collected all our Tyee election coverage in one spot, to help readers make final decisions and process what comes next.
thetyee.ca/News/2026/10...
The reality is that we need both
BC has the fewest staffed hospital beds p.p. in Canada. People will still need inpatient care
ER and hospital wait times are influenced by inpatient capacity—a fallacy to suggest otherwise
We also need to boost long-term care and home care to free acute beds
There is no data that we are recovering and the article isn’t about that at all. Treatments and access to care are continually being scaled back across the country. It is an episodic disability that requires ongoing management and rehabilitative care. My research (in the article) supports this recc.
Long Covid clinic runs virtual sessions of up to 50 patients. Many of them feature support from allied health professionals (AHPs) like occupational therapists, physios and psychologists
MSP fee changes mean AHPs will no longer be available in virtual group settings
www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
Halloween may be around the corner, but the real horror is what billionaires are out here saying while we’re just trying to exist😒
#billionaires#makerichpolluterspay#climateaction#climatecrisis#halloween