Toronto: The Canadian Taxpayers Federation today condemned the early passage of sections of Bill 8, preventing private provision of services covered by OHIP. Parts of the legislation were rushed into law ahead of schedule, preventing hundreds of ill Ontarians from getting much-needed access to diagnostic testing in the areas of Hamilton, Windsor and Niagara.

"This government is using backhanded procedures to put ideology before the health of Ontarians," said CTF Ontario director Tasha Kheiriddin. "Patients are waiting for these services - Premier McGuinty is denying their right to good, timely health care and peace of mind."

At the same time that it legislates health care providers out of the province, the government has announced that it will set up nine new public MRI clinics, in conjunction with a plan to buy out existing private MRI clinics.

"This will cost taxpayers millions of dollars. So much for the new McGuinty health tax paying for improvements in Ontario's health: instead, it will be wasted buying out clinics and building new ones, while the private sector is already there doing the job. Taxpayers' money ought to go toward other badly-needed health services," said Kheiriddin. "It is totally irresponsible for a government with a deficit of $5.6 billion to waste precious health care dollars in pursuit of some ill-advised ideological agenda."

The government's announcements come two days after the Toronto Star made public the findings of the Hay Report, on inefficiencies within the hospital system. According to the report, $200 million could be saved by emulating the best practices of the province's most efficient hospitals, which would involve contracting out union jobs in support and administrative services to the private sector. A spokesperson for the health minister has already stated that the government will not pursue that route.

"Tax dollars would be better used for direct patient care rather than paying for expensive public sector cleaning services. But the McGuinty government won't take on public sector unions whose contracts prevent the outsourcing of support and administrative services," said Kheiriddin. "When will the premier stand up for taxpayers so they can get the health care they deserve "