Lewis: A Team Canada approach to health care could eliminate woes
It would be a big win were Team Canada to set its sights on decluttering health-care federalism — call it the chaos dividend.
You can save this article by registering for free here. Or sign-in if you have an account.
If you want to explain what oxymoron means, start with the phrase “co-operative federalism.” Fed-bashing has long been the go-to move for premiers in search of an enemy to blame for whatever ails their fiefdoms.
Ottawa certainly did its part, afflicted by a seemingly irresistible urge to express its piñata gene (see: the Atlantic Canada heating oil carbon tax exemption). Short months ago, it looked like an impending supermajority for the leader who declared the federation broken and promised to put Humpty-Dumpty back together again.
And then along came the new world order that changed the game overnight. Patriotism surged. We have seen the enemy, and it isn’t us. We were suddenly embarrassed by interprovincial trade barriers and resolved to get out of our own way. Now it’s Team Canada, the muted rah rahs from the