In an unusual but predictable about-face on its budget proposal, the Couillard government says it will now eliminate all funding to everything and putting the entire $100 billion budget into emergency care at hospitals starting April 1, 2016.
Called the “Life First” policy, it states that “it is unconscionable for the government to take any taxpayer money away from saving lives and put it into luxuries like transportation, culture and education.”
The move was quickly criticized by the Parti Québécois as “insane”, but Premier Philippe Couillard had a strong comeback: “How many people must die to satisfy the PQ’s funding promises?”
Details of how other services will be delivered privately are still to be worked out. Roads will be sold to private companies so they can install tolls. The education system will be completely privatized (but still regulated by the government), and members of the National Assembly will work for free, though encouraged to raise their own money through endorsement contracts.
Happy Apr 1 to you too :)
The government also announced that if this proposal makes anybody sick, they will have full access to the health services and will only leave the hospital after being “re-educated” by government employees.
While this is an April fools joke, down in the states, many of our republican congressmen and senators are trying to do similar things, only for real.
I don’t think Republican congressmen are making drastic budget cuts in order to put all their money into universal healthcare.