One central election issue, but many other problems

It has been rightly observed that the federal vote Canadians are facing in less than two weeks’ time has been reduced to a one-issue election.

One might even argue the focus has been largely limited to a single word: Trump.

The threats posed to this country (and most others around the globe) by the mercurial U.S. president’s on-again-off-again tariff impositions and the careening financial disruptions that have resulted, as well as Donald Trump’s absurdist-theatre ruminations on absorbing Canada as the 51st U.S. state, have made how our next prime minister will deal with all this POTUS-propelled cross-border chaos the singular front-and-centre concern for party leaders and local candidates on the campaign trail.

And, it’s sad to say, this tunnel-vision approach to electioneering has resulted in numerous other subjects of significant import receiving virtually no attention in the run-up to the April 28 vote.

Take, for instance, the question of health care’s current woeful condition — a topic of abiding interest and urgent concern for all Canadians, and in fact the issue that directly determined the outcome of Manitoba’s last provincial election. Winnipeg physician Dr. Joss Reimer, who currently serves as president of the Canadian Medical Association, said this week it would be wise for Canada’s federal parties to make health care a prominent part of their final push for voters’ support.

“The economy and health are so deeply interlinked, and while I completely agree that the economy is a really important election topic, it can’t be separated from health care,” Reimer explained. “So as we are seeing tariffs, as we are seeing a potential recession, we’re seeing uncertainty in the markets. This all has an effect on the health of Canadians.

“As our income as a country is being threatened, so is our health. Health care needs to be at the forefront of this federal election, across party lines.”

Winnipeg Free Press | Newsletter

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The doctor’s point is well taken. The economic impact of Trump’s tariff tinkering is obvious and of immediate concern. But the manner in which financial strain can affect the health of individuals — particularly those on the more challenging end of the socioeconomic spectrum — must be given due consideration.

And while the administration of health care remains a provincial responsibility, there’s no disputing the current state of health care is a national Canadian calamity, and whichever party seizes power on April 28 must contend with it immediately upon taking office.

Manitobans are confronted daily with statistics showing how little progress has been made on the provincial NDP government’s promises to improve health care; a broader look across the country will confirm that the frustrations experienced here are shared by the residents of every other province, regardless of which party is currently in charge.

Provincial decisions on health services and priorities are impacted greatly by the level of federal support made available to each region, so when candidates for federal office conduct their final rounds of door-knocking, they’d be well advised to have answers at the ready when the folks who open those doors ask what Canada’s government-in-waiting intends to do about surgical wait times, overcrowded emergency departments, understaffed nursing pools and the ongoing shortage of available family physicians.

The final stretch of the campaign would be aided greatly by the party leaders having been forced to address health-care concerns during this week’s pair of televised debates. Shifting at least some of the focus away from Trump and tariffs and onto the issue that most directly affects Canadians and Manitobans would be a prescription for a much healthier election campaign.