Canadian Politics Today

O'Toole doesn't get to decide any of this anyways so its irrelevant.

This whole topic is a bit of a Liberal boogeyman because Otoole doesn't set provincial healthcare policy.

there are an assortment of past practices, (like blatant extra-billing by doctors), that ultimately brought forward federal legislation in the form of the Canada Health Act. That federal CHA law forced provinces to enact their own legislation to ensure compliance with the CHA; legislation like:

=> restrictions that stop a doctor who bills public medicare from charging a patient an additional amount (extra-billing);

=> restrictions that prevent physicians from billing both the public and private systems simultaneously, at least for “medically necessary” care (dual practice);

=> restrictions on physicians in the private sector charging prices for medically necessary care that are higher than those permitted in the public plan; and

=> restrictions on private health insurance for services that are covered by medicare.

when CPC/O'Toole explicitly states he, "trusts the premiers to take the lead on what more choice and more innovation means... trusts the premiers to do what is best for patients in their provinces", that is not someone, a leader, working to protect the enforcement of the CHA and the protection of universal access without the encroachment and detrimental impacts of private-for-profit health care. Imagine if a competent media wag actually asked CPC/O'Toole how he would ensure the "private-for-profit innovation & efficiencies" he continually natters on about, won't compromise the integrity of the CHA... won't result in {Conservative} premiers eliminating those provincial laws that currently enforce adherence to the CHA.