OP-ED: Freedom to flourish requires Canadian health care reform
Dr. Arney H. Lange writes, "True Canadian health care reform requires liberty."
By: Dr. Arney H. Lange
Dr. Arney H. Lange has worked as a biology and science teacher, research scientist, and physician.
“Make a habit of two things. To help or at least to do no harm.” Hippocrates
As I prepare for another day of work at my clinic, another patient describes to me waiting over ten hours in the emergency department – this time for severe right lower quadrant pain that could have required urgent surgery. Yet, suffering and dying on Canadian wait lists for care has become commonplace – not so unusual.
Diagnosis of the Canadian Health Care Debacle:
An estimated 5.9 million Canadians do not have a regular family doctor. An estimated 28,000 Canadians died on wait lists last year for surgeries and diagnostic scans. Canada ranks last or near last amongst its peers for wait times. Out of thirty, Canada ranks 27th for per capita doctors, 25th for hospital beds and 28th or lower for availability of CTs or MRIs. So why does Canada suffer from socialized medicine instead of being free to flourish?
It was not always like this. In fact, Canadian history did not begin in 1965 with the imposition of medicare and later the Canada Health Act. For certain, Canada did not begin with either Tommy Douglas or Pierre Trudeau. But even then, WAC Bennett, the legendary Premier of British Columbia, attacked Ottawa’s shared-cost programs – such as the initial set up of medicare. Accepting federal cash with strings attached has been the “thin edge of the wedge” – because it allowed Ottawa bureaucrats to dictate how B.C. – or any province – could spend its own taxpayer’s money.
Bureaucrats controlling what patients can do with their own freedom to access essential medical treatment is not care. In fact, dying or suffering on medical wait lists is a fundamental violation of the Canadian cultural compact: You work hard, contribute as a citizen, pay your taxes – and still can’t get health care when you need it.
Even now, we are witness to federal Liberals and NDP pushing for more state control of citizen’s lives. In the last federal by-election, Dr. Danielle Martin was elected to the Carney government – with long-standing advocacy for expanded federal state intervention for dental plans, drug plans and essential medical care itself. Avi Lewis, the new federal NDP leader, is pushing for government-run grocery stores.
Karl Marx viewed socialism as a necessary stage to communism. But communism is neither caring nor Canadian. Ask someone from a former eastern bloc communist country how central planning worked out. Lining up in hopes of some morsel of food is no utopia. But the same betrayal is to be found with patients in Canadian health care. Universal health care has become universal wait lists – unless, of course, you are asking for MAID. Average wait times for essential care are about 6.6 months. But if you want MAID? The average wait is 11 days.
The Underlying Pathology: Federal Intrusion as the Thin Edge of the Wedge.
Thus, Canadian health care is broken and needs to be fixed. Let us dismantle the logic behind government-controlled health care.
To begin with, greater involvement of the federal government in medicine might at first have appeared to serve the interests of Canadians – as this could have provided an additional source of finance. But the inducement has backfired.
Socialism starts with a culture that believes in replacing voluntary free market arrangements with government control and regulation. When the government takes over any activity, there is originally more money available. In the 1960s and 1970s, the federal government honoured paying a 50/50 cost-sharing with the provinces for medicare. But once the government took it over, the situation changed. Suddenly, there was no more votes to be had because it could not take it over some more. As of 2026, the federal government’s share of health care spending is down to about 22%.
So the Carney federal government looks to centrally plan some new field – and take over a new area to get new votes. The result is that areas already taken over – such as health care – get starved and instead of there being more resources available, there are less. You invariably get lower quantity and quality medical care. Once this central control has been reached, it creates even more long-term dependence on inefficient government – rather than actually treating and solving underlying issues.
And the exceptions are telling. For most Canadians, only a single government health plan is available. But the federal civil service, Parliamentarians and federal judges have health plans with much better coverage. Besides, if you can afford it, many try to escape and get their health care outside of Canada.
It’s not like any of the other great central plans of the Carney government have met their objectives. The federal government involves itself in housing to try to restore affordability to Canadians. But it cannot even mind our borders and immigration. How can it claim competence at health care when it cannot even reduce the cost of homes?
And none of it is really free. I witness my patients suffering or dying. But politicians always seem to speak of supposed benefits that are never received. Besides, they say nothing of who is going to pay for it all. In fact, there is only one source from which the cost is paid – and that is the Canadian people.
The Remedy: Get Ottawa out of the Way.
In fact, the federal government has to get out of the way of the provincial and local duties. Classical confederation shows that under the Constitution of 1867, health care was meant to be a provincial responsibility. WAC Bennett was right. Federal intrusion into health care has been another thin edge of the wedge – subverting Canada’s founding legal structure and violating the principles of federalism.
I believe that Judge Lord Atkin had it right in 1937 on how Canada was supposed to be:
“While the Ship of State now sails on larger ventures and into foreign waters, she still retains the water-tight compartments which are an essential part of her original structure.”
That is, federal intrusion threatens to be the thin edge of the wedge that ruptures the integrity of Canada. And returning health care to the local – to free choice and autonomy of patients – restores the rightful and historical authority of individual citizens.
I see two parts to remedying the Canadian health care debacle for my patients. First, get Ottawa out of the way. The Canada Health Act has been exposed as a fraud where central banker Carney has become a central planner. Leave provinces and people alone. The Canada Health Act is neither acting for Canadians nor Canadians’ health. It acts as a strict monopoly on patient choice. It is one size fits none. Transfer the federal power for health care taxing and spending back to the provinces to free up more local solutions.
Second, the provinces must assert these exclusive powers. Sections 92(7), (13) and (16) of the Constitution of Confederation grant provinces authority over hospitals … and local matters. Health care ought to be a “water tight” provincial jurisdiction – and cannot be weakened by federal conditions or demands. In that way, most provinces can go with some sort of blended health care between private and public options. In fact, a look at other countries around Asia and Europe shows that multi-payer, decentralized health care has the best accessibility, shortest wait lists and best outcomes.
Canadian Health Care Reform Requires Freedom:
True Canadian health care reform requires liberty. Freedom from socialist ideology means that every person can decide how, when and where their own personal health care needs can be met. Let local governments manage health care issues without the heavy hand of Ottawa. As Adam Smith might say – less heavy hand and more invisible hand.
Promises of free things would explain why many leftist authoritarian politicians – but not many doctors – get elected. Physicians are not common in Canadian political discourse because they tend to offer medicine instead of candy. But the sacred, noble duty of medicine – the pure relationship between a doctor and patient – has been degraded and corrupted by federal politics, targets and red tape. And the people of Canada must wake up if Canada is to remain a truly free country and turn back the socialist takeover of our basic needs. After all, true medicine is the art and science of treating unique individual human beings – not the classes and masses.