And this is something to be proud of?

Liberal MLA Kevin Krueger

In a news story Sunday (February 12) with CFJC TV7 News in Kamloops, Kamloops South Thompson  MLA Kevin Krueger was quoted as saying that he is "...proud of the government’s record on providing health care and education."

That anyone could be proud of the government’s record in these two areas seems a little strange to me.

We have had multiple stories in Kamloops media in recent weeks about overly long waits by patients for surgeries ... along with ongoing issues with Emergency Room services.  But that almost seems common place now – the following isn’t however.

Most people take for granted they’ll be able to have a shower or a bath each day – don’t expect that if you’re in a care home facility.  Here in Kamloops, the resident of one care home facility ended up being shipped from one side of town to other to find facilities they could use. 

The Kamloops Daily News outlined the reason in a story on January 13^th headlined “IHA too cheap to fix donated tub”.  The story began by saying:

It seems inhumane that if Al McQuarrie wants a bath, he has to wheel himself onto a bus.  The resident of Greenfield Place says the twice-weekly baths he used to receive in a tub in his apartment complex were the only times he felt relief from the non-stop pressure created from sitting in a wheelchair all day.

But that ended in November when the tub was deemed as worn out by the Interior Health Authority, which runs the community bathing program.  The IHA said it's not worth fixing the broken Century tub lift system in Greenfield and to replace it would cost $25,000, an expense that cannot be supported with other facilities touting tubs down the road.

The authority has suggested McQuarrie can catch a HandiDart Bus to have a bath at another location in the city. According to Google Maps, it's a 14-16 minute drive from his Brocklehurst building to Ponderosa, located across the bridge and near the hospital downtown

IHA ended up agreeing to make the necessary repairs – but they were shamed in to it. 

And this is something to be proud of?

Then less than a week ago came news from the CBC that indicates the Interior Health Authority will not be receiving a bonus of $3.4 MILLION dollars. 

That’s because management at Interior Health has been unable to ensure hospitals, in its jurisdiction, provide needed patient service, within a reasonable amount of time, for hip, knee and cataract surgeries.

And this is something to be proud of?

On education we have a system that has been in chaos for 12 months during the teachers’ contract dispute --- a dispute that is causing problems for students every single day.  This same teacher’s dispute means that a planned international baccalaureate program for NorKam Secondary in Kamloops is likely now dead in the water.

And this is something to be proud of?

These may be the kinds of things that Kevin Krueger and the BC Liberals are proud of … but it appears they are not the kinds of things a growing number of British Columbians are proud of. 

That number presently stands at 70% … and it’s a number that has been steadily growing during the past 18 months.   With the attitude of the BC Liberal government, it seems that is a number that is likely to continue growing.

Kevin Krueger said, “… it's easy for the conservatives to be critical but they don't have the right stuff to govern.” 

If these things are the so-called “right stuff to govern” then I for one am glad that’s NOT the stuff we have in our resource book for providing good common sense government.

They ARE NOT the kinds of things I would be proud of!

I’m Alan Forseth in Kamloops … with the thoughts of one conservative.