Green Party Leader David Coon (right) and Liberal Party Leader Kevin Vickers (left).
Green Party leader David Coon says he thinks the Premier has done the right thing in reversing controversial healthcare reforms.
Instead of closing emergency rooms in March, Higgs will visit rural communities for consultations and feedback. A healthcare summit will also be held in June.
Coon says had the plan been implemented, it would have been a “calamity” for the rural towns affected.
Coon says he doesn’t believe the government’s original decision was well-informed, and is glad Higgs is re-examining the issue.
“The plans that were announced really were based on theoretical ideas on paper that were developed by regional health authorities far from the ground in these communities and towns,” he said.
“It was completely appropriate and necessary for him to re-engage.”
The Premier has done the right thing in cancelling the drastic changes planned for the six hospitals. My caucus colleagues and I look forward to contributing our ideas for much needed health care reforms that work for all New Brunswickers. https://t.co/FpDCF3oluj
— David Coon (@DavidCCoon) February 17, 2020
Coon says he hopes the government now understands that healthcare decisions need to be made by consulting those in the field.
“We’ve just seen what happens when decisions are made at a distance by a level of administration and management that is not well in touch with the realities of health care on the ground,” he said in an interview Monday.
“This underlines the problem with the over-centralization of the administration and management of our healthcare system. We need to de-centralize decision making so that it really reflects the realities on the ground.”
Coon also hopes the government will use the consultations to re-examine the province’s medical staff shortage.
“A decision has to be made to ensure the working conditions for the nurses and the employment contracts are such that we can compete effectively with P.E.I and Nova Scotia, which we’re not right now,” he said.
As for the political future of the Higgs government, Coon says the decision to step back means he would not support a non-confidence motion if one was presented.
“Well, it’s a minority government, so there’s always the risk of government losing confidence, and certainly its stepped back from that precipice today,” he said.
Meanwhile, Liberal Leader Kevin Vickers says he’s lost even more confidence in the Higgs government over the reform cancellations.
He says just on Friday, the premier was not swaying on the decision to close six ERs. Now, he’s gone back on his word.
“This was just the beginning of the cuts, so if he’s going to come out and consult with New Brunswickers, I implore Premier Higgs to put all the cuts that he has planned on the table so that people can see them and not find out after the fact, as was the case with these emergency room closures,” he said.
Vickers says Higgs’ decision doesn’t make sense to him.
“He was committed to these things, his caucus was committed to implemented his plan…and days later now it’s gone and we’re talking about consultations,” he said.
Vickers says he doesn’t understand how such a big decision could have been made without basic questions answered first.
“The other big issue that I have is just confidence. I couldn’t believe what I heard during his press conference in that this issue, which would have eben brought to cabinet on several occasions to get green-lighted, there seemed to be very basic, fundamental questions that were not asked,” he said.
Vickers says it raises concerns around Higgs’ competence as a leader.
“Several of the Mayors of the towns that were being affected asked questions, and he wasn’t able to answer them,” he said.
“I believe there’s been a lack of confidence here now, and people have to ask themselves ‘can you trust this man?'”
