Paul Martin is profoundly disturbed by the prospect of Premier Klein's government coming forward with new health care policies later this month. Without knowing the content of Alberta's reforms, Mr. Martin has declared his determination to say "no" to Mr. Klein. In Canada it's not surprising when a Liberal automatically opposes whatever a Conservative supports - and vice versa. However, what is startling is Mr. Martin's assumption - also shared by others - that provinces have no business running health care.

In fact, health care is a provincial concern, according to Canada's Constitution Act, 1867 - formerly known as the British North America Act. Section 92 states that provincial legislatures may exclusively make laws regarding "the establishment, maintenance, and management of hospitals in and for the province," while federal authority is limited to marine hospitals. At no time in the past 137 years has our Constitution been amended to make health care the exclusive concern of the federal government.

Nevertheless, Ottawa has gained significant influence over our hospitals, doctors and nurses. This deprives taxpayers of two significant benefits which a flexible federalism can bring.

First, federalism gives authority to the level of government which is closest to the task which needs to be performed. By nature, a provincial government is closer to its people - and more sensitive to local needs and conditions - than Ottawa. Canada is a diverse country, in which different social, cultural and economic conditions prevail in each province. That's why our Constitution grants the provinces exclusive jurisdiction over education, property and civil rights, hospitals and "generally all matters of a merely local or private nature in the province." In contrast, the Constitution gives the federal Parliament authority over national concerns like currency, defence, postal service, and inter-provincial trade.

Second, federalism creates a laboratory in which each province can innovate with new policies and better programs. If a new health care policy fails in one province, nine others can be spared the fate of making the same mistake. If it turns out well, this success can be copied by other provinces.

Can anyone honestly argue that a one-size-fits-all health care policy, designed in Ottawa and run from there, will work well When Ottawa will have spent $2 billion by 2012 on a gun registry that would - we were promised - cost only $2 million, why would Ottawa do a good job of running health care Increasingly, Canadians are beginning to doubt that throwing ever more tax dollars at a public sector monopoly - as is now being promised by all major party leaders - will produce better results.

When the federal government tries to assert exclusive authority over health care, patients are denied the benefit of policies designed by, and run by, the level of government which is most attuned to local realities, needs and concerns. Citizens also lose the benefits of innovation and experimentation that a federal state allows.

Whether Premier Klein's new health care policies are good or bad is something which Albertans - and other Canadians - will find out later this month. But one thing is certain: Alberta and the other nine provinces have every right to chart their own course in health care. Doing so will benefit all Canadians.