Ya you probably didn't. But you did say you were glad that you didn't have kids because the current state of affairs. I have an issue with that statement since under population is a big problem. Also who said anything about being happier? It's about having a meaningful life with meaningful relationships.

Not to often front runners continue to gain momentum the way Poilievre has. I'd be worried if I was a Liberal. It's also not about getting people from other parties voting Conservative. It's about getting people that don't always vote to get out and vote.

As long as you say be worried I will not be worried, but good luck with that getting non voters to vote plan. That is certainly a revolutionary approach that has never been tried before, though non voters kind of tend to not vote, hence why they are called non voters.

All the best.

It may shock you to know that you don't get to decide what life is about for others, lol.

Taking issue to me not having children is maybe the last lol? We didn't choose to not have children due to the state of the world (if that makes you feel better). There were other reasons.

Never said I did. Just what typically happens to people that don't have kids, and that it could be a big reason why you see the world through such a pessimistic lens.

There hasn't been a campaigner as skilled has Poilivre in quite some time and right now he has a ton of ammo along with a population that could be ready for a change.

The things is you also make a valid point as does Montrealcorp.

He sold a ton of new memberships and lets face it there came a point were Canadians wanted a change from Harper. The same could be said for Justin. If they cant move Liberal voters over to Conservative in Quebec and Ontario than he will be in trouble. As well can he bring back the Max voters?

It was a clear mandate with a first ballot victory.

What do you base this on? The "typically".

The pessimistic lens I discuss is one all my friends with children share in our discussions. I'm not on an island with this.

The guy I spoke about who left Ontario for Nashville is a pastor and has children. He's also one of the most optimistic people I know. But he's just seen Ontario go down the drain same as I have. Children have nothing to do with it.

neighbor's grass is always greener.

Let’s see in 3-5 years if he holds the same opinion .

Nashville seems to be a prime choice for folks leaving California as well. Hope he has Health Care included as a pastor.

Though the health care system here is in total disarray

https://www.macleans.ca/economy/cana...bour-shortage/

"Every province is experiencing a shortage of care workers, which means we need a nationwide strategy to deal with it. The care sector makes up a fifth of the Canadian workforce. Every single job should be meeting three criteria: a living wage; health benefits for the employee and their family; and paid leave for things like illness, caregiving and training. This isn’t the case right now. Workers should also be formally classified as employees, not “independent contractors.” They need to be guaranteed full employment protections under the law. This is one way to build the middle class of the 21st century in the care sector—just as manufacturing was the backbone of Canada’s middle class between the 1950s and 1970s."

crazy idea but raises wages and i think lot of problems will be solved.

Yeah he has benefits, but if he ever didn't he could come back to Canada.

The "care" we get here is a joke. I'm mostly out of pocket on everything I get already. Canada's health care is crumbling and we pay a fortune for it.

I'm all for semi-private, because that's been my reality for 20 years anyway.

Why do you think semi private will be better ?
In Quebec they are missing massive amount of nurse exactly because nurse in private sector are better paid and rather stay there , so government is stuck to hire private nurse since they can’t retain enough talent in the public sector .

Always fascinate me people complain about the lack of public sector services and yet don’t want to pay them to actually work in the public sector , for I don’t non what reason we should expect public sector to work for free .

Public or private sector are the same humans , just treat them equally in expectation.

I literally already get the best care by paying for it. People don't realize this is a reality today in a huge chunk of health care.

I would happily pay out of pocket for better care in spots where perhaps I'm waiting 8+ months for a vital bit of imaging or testing. It's crazy out there if you're genuinely in need of testing.

My apologies I did not realize you were located in Ontario, this may be more of a reason than not having children. Alberta is calling!

Honestly though it's tough because we share a border with the greatest country civilization has ever known so we are always comparing Canada to that. If we shared a border with Mexico I doubt you would see the same amount of people relocating.

You still consider the USA the greatest country? Maybe if you have wealth
I use to think Canada was the greatest country and I still love it but it to has fallen dramatically

Though for many around the world they would sell their souls to come to either

when u have money, everything is easier to access.
does not means its better as whole for everyone.

I am a huge booster of the Social Safety net but the delivery of Health Care should be mostly private with the gov't just owning community hospitals, to deliver services to the poor and troubled citizens who need that.


Gov'ts should not be in the business of turning Nurses and Doctors into Staff and certainly should not be buying medical equipment. If the gov't pays to put in 20,000 new MRI machines all across the country and the next day, a brand new, better technology comes out, the gov't cannot just eat that expenditure and the citizens will be stuck with that inferior equipment as it amortizes itself out. A private practice, sees all their patience go next door to the Dr who just bought the newer equipment if they do not upgrade.

What gov't should control, is the Single Payer Insurance, and use that to guarantee care for all. ONe buyer of services means immense negotiating power with the providers of care. The gov't can determine what is 'fair' pricing and minimum service levels, for various services and set it for the masses and if providers do not want to meet it, then no business for them. If there is a niche for services that goes above and beyond and a small percent of people want to pay extra, good for them. That only helps the Dr's make more money to deliver more services to the gov't and non gov't patients alike.

Take MRI's and the issue that exploded in Ontario and elsewhere years back. You had people in line for up to 2 years for an MRI and many people suffered very serious real harm waiting. the gov't complained about budgets and not being able to buy more machines, and the Dr's offices had no more time, as they were limited in hours they could work and bill.

A private sector solution tried to emerge, as Dr offices tried to stay open and work over time, billing those who wanted to jump the line by coming in when they were closed. Many veterinary clinics with MRIs were also offered. The gov't fought that and shut them all down, forcing everyone back in the line which hurt everyone in the line.

Had the gov't allowed the private sector to address and Dr's to bill privately, we would have seen a ton of private clinics open, and a ton of new MRI's bought, which would increase care and drive down the price..

But it was the pettiest of petty human emotions that were manipulated to fight that. This idea that it is wrong to allow anyone to pay directly to jump the line, and this goal of wanting to force them back in line with everyone else.

There is nothing that shows how blind and ignorant Canadian (people) can be them buying into that narrative as so many Cdns did.

When you have, for example, 1000 people in the gov't line waiting for an MRI in set hours, and persons 200-300 have the money to go outside the line and pay directly that helps everyone in the line who is after them. They all get faster service. If the private clinics buy more equipment or expand hours and the price drops so more people leave the line that too benefits those after. Also if those people pay privately, and the gov't does not have to pay, it means the gov't has more money (they already took their taxes) to pay higher wages and buy more equipment for those in line.


The only loser, if you want to call it that, is the people who were in line in spots 1-200 who see those who were behind them in line (spots 200-300) get service before them. BUt understand the level of service they are getting did not change. Or it might have got better if the gov't used the saved money to improve service to them. But they are just being petty because someone elses service got better.

It literally does here though. If those who can pay for it go elsewhere, the public system will have more bandwidth for everyone else. You literally can't deny that private imaging clinics for example will only take the load off public ones.

It's also a question of quality of care. If someone pays for better care than the public system can provide, and has a better life as a result, did we really do a bad thing?

The argument you get will be that the poor folks will be left with sub standard health care. I disagree 100 % as most people get into medicine to help. I know a few houses I have recently sold went to an American Doctors that left Canada for the big bucks only to return as they could not handle the US health care insurance system. So they returned for less money

I would argue you should also be funding Vacation Healthcare as that takes a strain off the system as well. So if I have the cash and vacation to the carribean to get a new hip I should get a tax credit for what it would cost here

Fundamentally I agree with everything you said.

Were did Uke go? Did he leave over the closure of the Trans thread

the problem is like any central bank trying to print oil...
where do u think those labor for the private sector will come from if not from the pool of the public sector ?
worsening even more the public sector ?
it is exactly was it happening for over a decade thx to charest and any provincial government in Quebec for the past 20 years....

they ignore for so long the public sector by passing law to prevent better wages to not raise taxes they all quit to go to the private sector (where government pays much higher by hiring private nurses) or have difficulty to recruit students to go study in that field.

its always astonishing to me those that favor the private sector always claim just follow the law of market but when it comes to public sector seem those economic laws shouldnt be apply.
pays them what they are deserving as wages and better work conditions (ie: banish obligatory overtime for years ! )
and i guarantee you u will find the services to be more accessible...

just look in the US are great they are doing with the private system...

ps: i personally got a surgery couple years ago and its was a+.
we have a wonderful qualified healthcare system, it just its accessiblity due to poor management for years we have trouble.
u have lot of cash ? great just go south or in europe to get the care u need.

There is no reason to believe that if you have a capable gov't controlling the Single Payer system. Money talks and since the masses will be in the Single Payer pool, they will always be able to attract good care.

Again if the gov't is not providing the service, it is all provided privately. IT would only be a tiny percent of exclusive clinics that might say 'no' to the gov't Single Payer money, cutting them out from Billions. And any one who says yes, then has to be willing to submit to the gov't outlines re service levels and payments.

And again, if a person pays their taxes and can now get paid for health care, but instead says, 'nope, I will go pay separately again out of my disposable income' that is a win for both gov't and the citizens. It is like owning a grocery store, and getting to charge the guy in advance for groceries and him saying 'no thx, I am buying from elsewhere'. The grocery store just made free money which they can use to lower costs or improve service for those that do use them.

Uke is back to school. He is a prof and school is back in.

Fwiw , a despicable trend is happening here in Quebec in healthcare .
With the medical private clinic , mercantilism doctor are imposing on their patient only one problem per appointment which to me is insane.

Like with already having to skip work since lot of doctors do not want to open on the week ends , u logically wait to have more then 1 minor problems to make it quick in one visit .
But now they tell the patient to choose what they prioritize and take another appointment for each little problem u have since they are payed by each « medical act » .

That is the private sector , to make money before healing their patient now ….
Worst is , something u might consider minor compare to another little problem might actually be the wrong choice since u aren’t a doctor to begin with ….

That is what happens with the private sector , u can’t impose bad schedule (night or weekend) to help alleviate the « rush hour » of day care in hospital , emergency room and private clinic .
Having public sector employees help to avoid this situation in may other area of public services .

All I’m saying maybe we should manage correctly the public sector before having recourse to the private sector .
Some simple and efficient step could be applied which presently ain’t happening for political reasons or purely bad incompetent management .

ding ding ding. I'm quite happy to explain why you are all idiots.....uh....later