The Harper Conservatives have announced a National Cancer Strategy which would see the development of a national health care strategy for cancer. The plan would have three aims " preventing cancer, finding new treatments and improving care for patients regardless of where they live in Canada." The Harper Conservatives deserve a healthy round of applause for its commitment to a national strategy to fight cancer. They also deserve a hearty round of criticism for their double standard in denying the autism community a long sought national autism strategy.
With the Andy Scott-Peter Stoffer motion for a national autism strategy still making its way through the House of Commons the Conservative Health Minister Tony Clement called for a research center and a ... national web site (big deal). In indicating his government's opposition to a national autism strategy the Health Minister indicated that his government would not intrude on provincial jurisdiction over health care yet endorses a similar national health strategy for fighting cancer.
This is clearly a double standard. The same arguments over constitutional jurisdiction over health care apply to cancer as apply to autism. Yet the Harper crowd uses those arguments in one case (autism) and not in another (cancer).
Thank you to the Conservatives for the national cancer strategy. Boo and hiss to them for rejecting a national autism strategy.
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