I this still the biggest issue in any election?  I think the reason every poll says “healthcare is the number one issue…” is because respondents don’t know what else to say; it’s reflex by now.

If there’s one thing I’ve learned in my 30-year career as a Canadian it’s that there are two things money can’t buy: Happiness and improved healthcare.  If this weren’t true, we’d have better healthcare in Canada.  How much more money should we throw at the issue before we decide that we have to start doing something radically different.

The biggest problem in Canada is that people don’t know how to use hospitals properly.  Sounds dumb, but everybody knows it.

Here’s a very elementary analogy.  Hospitals are like restaurants.  People wait in line to have a nice big meal.  There is no reason they should have to wait behind a guy who just needs a quick fix like some bread and butter or a muffin.  That muffin-eating schmuck is going to take up a whole table… you see where I’m going here?

That guy needs a snack-bar or a convenience store.  We need more of those.

If death isn’t imminent, don’t go to the hospital.  Bloody noses, sprained joints, and upset stomachs belong in clinics, not ERs.  We don’t need more spending.  We need a clue.