Launch of People’s Referendum to Support Public Health Care

Jeff Green | May 03, 2023

The Kingston Health Coalition is launching a People’s Referendum about the expansion of for-profit healthcare with on April 18 at 11:30 am in on Brock Street in front of Hotel Dieu Hospital.  The Kick-off event will include a model voting station and will accept advance votes for the referendum. 

The local coalition will be informing people through discussions, flyers, and advertisements on the impact of for-profit clinics then following up with a People's Referendum.  There will be voting stations in public areas and in workplaces. The Referendum starts April 18 with the main community voting days being May 26 and 27. 

"Canadians are proud and protective of their hard-won Universal public healthcare system.  Research has repeatedly proven that a for-profit healthcare system is inferior to the public system; for-profit healthcare is more expensive, has worse outcomes, and limits access for Ontarians”, said Joan Jardin, co-chair of the Kingston Health Coalition.  

The Kingston Health Coalition (KHC) is concerned about quality control, conflict of interest, patient accessibility, control of upselling and extra billing, and the costs at for-profit centres.  Recent decisions of the provincial government have been prioritizing for-profit private clinics with extra funding rather than supporting our public hospitals and solving the staffing crisis.   Legislation has also been introduced to shield for-profit clinics and hospitals from public scrutiny.  The KHC has heard from many people who have felt pressured to have treatments not covered by the Ontario health plan, often costing thousands of dollars.  

A list of voting stations will be announced in May.

The Kingston Health Coalition is a local group affiliated with the Ontario Health Coalition to support public healthcare for all.