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One health authority should serve English and French

I found it particularly disturbing that it appears that linguistic rights have become more important than saving lives.

The Liberal government's decision to replace the eight regional medical boards with two health authorities using linguistic lines will be felt for years to come.

Why does health care need to be in separate distinct linguistic authorities?

Health Minister Mike Murphy is quoted as saying otherwise it "would infringe on the language rights of Acadians."

How so? They can do it for Service New Brunswick, can't they? Do we need two hydro companies to provide electricity to the French and the English?

It is a fact that language rights for English and French in New Brunswick are constitutional. There is no debating that, nor should we.

I get concerned when health care is something that all Canadians and New Brunswickers will need at some point, but the system won't be there for us to use.

Some say it's already not there and needs change to survive, and this is a mistake. If we are going to be self-sufficient, like the Liberal government has been flouting, maybe we could start with one efficient health authority serving both official languages, right across this province.

This in turn would save money, avoid duplication and ensure that health care was uniform across the province.

Let's try and do this one right for the sake of our province.

Greg Merritt

Fredericton

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Mr Merritt have you ever been to a foreign country and fallen sick? Did you ever have to try and communicate a medical problem to someone who does not speak your language? You say you are disturbed that linguistic rights have come before saving lives, well Mr Merritt if you can not communicate with your health care provider then in my opinion that is a “saving lives” issue. Expand your mind beyond the English world you live in and try to understand that 35% of the citizens in this province are Francophone. These people pay taxes and are citizens of NB just like you. Why do you believe that only 65% of NBer’s deserve quality healthcare? Oh and the self sufficiently thing is a fantasy...the population of NB would have to grow by 300% each year to achieve that goal. That is just another Graham smoke screen to distract us from the fact that we are on a ship of fools that will surely sink in 2010!!

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Anonymous Reader on 08/05/08, 12:05:34 PM ADT

If you had read the editoral more carefully, the point was that both health care authorities should be bilingual.

Even you can't answer the question why a bilingual health authority infringes upon Acadian language rights ? It serves both official languages.

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Greg Merritt, Fredericton on 08/05/08, 4:30:37 PM ADT

Acadians were against bilingualism in the 70s, this is documented in scholarly research. They saw it as a threat to their culture. The 70's have returned only the year now is 2008. Bilingualism served its purpose to raise incomes for Francophones, get the public sector jobs, and use the issue of bilingualism to get billions from the federal government to promote French language and culture. The federal and provincial governments have not said NO to Francophones since Trudeau so why say No now. They must be equal to Anglophones in every way under the law, except when a Francophone lives in Quebec. As reported in the Globe and Mail, long ago Anglophones have given up their desire to be served in their own language in the private sector in Quebec. Pretty soon New Brunswick will be part of Quebec, and we know what the outcome to Anglophones was there. It was callled the 401 to Toronto. For New Brunswickers the highway will be route 1 to the United States.

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