The Game Isn’t Going My Way, So I’ll Change the Rules

Our inaugural Tool is none other than Ontario’s own Minister of Health and Long-Term Care, The Honourable George Smitherman.

In accordance with one of the few election promises the Liberals haven’t yet broken (nor kept, for that matter), that of improved Health Care, Minister Smitherman spent nine months negotiating a new deal for doctors with the OMA. It was a deal filled with wonderful ideas and sweeping changes, spectacular incentives and new ways of thinking. Yea, He saw the deal and saw that it was good. And the OMA said that verily, it was a good deal and shall be presented to the doctors of Ontario forthwith.

Yet, Ontario’s doctors weren’t as sure of the inherent goodness of the deal. In fact, many of them failed to see said goodness in its entirety and didn’t really like what they did see. Since every collective agreement must be approved by the union or organization membership it affects, the doctors took some time to read over the documents involved and then cast their votes.

They voted against it by about a 6-4 margin. Not exactly an overwhelming majority, but a far stronger number than the 50% + 1 that the separatists want in Québec.

Boy, that must stick in Georgie’s craw. In fact, it apparently bothered him so much that he called in the leadership of OMA. Great, they thought, we’re going to go back to the negotiating table and smooth things out. We’ll get this right.

But such was not George’s plan. Instead, he presented them with a tiny information packet and press release regarding a slightly modified version of the agreement that he’s worked out in the spare time he’s had since the Docs told him to stuff the original. Magnanimous gentleman that he is, he gave them a choice between taking it voluntarily or taking it because he said so, backed up by his pal Dalton and the rest of the Ontario Liberal muscle at Queen’s Park. Almost simultaneously, the same release went out to the press.

Way to go George! I haven’t seen such a Conservative maneuver since Mike Harris surrendered the reins of provincial power a couple of years back. Why didn’t we see it coming? Wow, that’ll sure bring those doctors into line. Now let’s get those P3 hospitals back on the board.

You Tool.