‘Politics as usual’: Green Party candidate weighs in on Lake, McLeod spat

Aug 8, 2019 | 4:59 PM

KAMLOOPS — The Kamloops-Thompson-Cariboo Green Party candidate says politics as usual won’t solve healthcare issues in the country.

Iain Currie is criticizing the back-and-forth between Conservative MP Cathy McLeod and Liberal candidate Terry Lake, over their respective views and promises regarding health and social transfers. Lake was critical of Conservative leader Andrew Scheer’s plan to increase the Canada Health Transfer (CHT) and Canada Social Transfer (CST) by three per cent each year.

Lake said when the transfers are put together with special funding that goes toward home care for seniors, and mental health and substance treatment services, it would actually represent a decrease. McLeod said that wasn’t true, and said Lake didn’t have all the facts when it came to the plan.

Currie says at the end of the day, constituents care more about solutions than political rhetoric.

“It just struck me as not particularly helpful and not what Canadians want to see,” Currie says. “They don’t want to see accusations between the two major parties, and back and forth between them, what they want to see is real solutions, they want to see politics aimed at actually achieving a better result.”

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Instead, Currie says, he wants to focus on what can change to make our healthcare system better.

“We believe that health is something that involves the whole person — physically, mentally and socially,” Currie says. “This means not only basic dental care and better mental health and addiction rehabilitation programs, but we need to look at the social determinants of health, too. That means working to eliminate poverty, ensuring that every child is getting adequate nutrition, and finally guaranteeing that every Canadian community — especially the First Nations communities that have waited and suffered long enough — has access to clean drinking water.”

He adds the Greens are committed to a holistic approach to healthcare, which would include investing in preventative measures rather than just reactive measures.

by Ashley Legassic

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‘Politics as usual’: Green Party candidate weighs in on Lake, McLeod spat

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