But first, consider Dosanjh's November pledge to prevent doctors from "double-dipping" (which I expect to be recycled in January once the campaign gets nasty). It's an absurd accusation. For any government-insured service, doctors receive money from the public treasury.
For any non-insured service, doctors bill the patient. There is no double-dipping; no one pays for the same service twice. Dosanjh's assertion is akin to a claim that because a lawyer performs contract work for government and also has private clients, that a bill to each is "double-dipping." Dosanjh, a lawyer, knows better and engaged in rhetoric for voters who don't think.
Similarly, in an election-style speech in October 2000 to the Hospital Employees' Union, Dosanjh went on the rhetorical offence against private medical clinics. Such facilities include private doctors' offices, long part of the Canadian health-care system. But such technicalities never bother Dosanjh when he plays the role of a demagogue.
In his speech, the then premier charged ahead with a 1970s-style NDP approach to the private sector: Nationalize where possible.
"I want to tell you," roared Dosanjh to the cheering crowd, "as soon as we can outlaw private clinics, we will do so!" Deep down in Dosanjh, some youthful reflexes yet twitch.
Read the whole thing.
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