The petition to repeal Bill 36 officially landed in the BC Legislature after a delivery announcement in front of the legislature in Victoria on Thursday by John Rustad the leader of the Conservative Party of B.C.
The target of the petition is Bill 36 titled “Health Professions and Occupations Act” which will radically change how the regulatory colleges operate and how patients receive care.
The Nechako Lakes MLA John Rustad held a press conference announcing the petition stating healthcare workers allege Bill 36 is “politicizing professional and health boards by replacing positions which are currently elected by healthcare workers with government appointments.”
The Conservative Party of B.C. and Nechako Lakes MLA John Rustad said “This same NDP government hailed healthcare workers as heroes during the COVID-19 pandemic – now government is saying healthcare workers can’t be trusted to govern their own professions.”
Over 15,000 people have signed the petition and Rustad says it is shameful that “healthcare workers can’t be trusted to govern their own professions” and calls for the BC NDP to stand down.
During Question Period Rustad spoke about the petition and the thousands of healthcare workers that signed it saying there was no consultation. The minister of Health Adrian Dix said there was “engagement” of a few thousand people.
Triple the amount of people signed the petition opposing bill 36 than the number of participants in “consultation” Adrian Dix commissioned. There’s about 133,000 healthcare workers in the province Bill 36 will effect.
Rustad asserted the “engagement” didn’t include the topics that are cover within the petition and told the legislature the people outside supporting the petition took time out of their lives and professions helping their patients to express their concerns over bill 36 and to be heard.
“They want answers. They are angry and I can tell you the health professionals here they want to be part of the answer they want to be part of being able to provide better Services they don’t want this government to be making them an enemy.” Rustad said in Question period
Rustad asked the Minister of Health Adrian Dix and Premier David Eby if the will speak with the healthcare providers in the legislature gallery and the ones outside about bill 36 and give them answers to questions that have not been answered. They refused to speak to the healthcare professionals.
One of the biggest critics of the bill is the regulatory boards shift from being elected members by the peers in the medical profession moves to government appointed bureaucrats whom will dictate regulations and medical bylaws to medical professionals. Read the report by BC Rise here.
