Inside the courtroom
- Details
- Published on Thursday, 15 September 2016 16:00
- Written by editor
Yesterday, we gave our opening statements in B.C. Supreme Court.
In the opening, Alison Latimer, one of our
fantastic lawyers, explained that the laws Brian Day’s plaintiffs are
trying to strike down are the foundation of Canadian public
health care. Without them, she argued, many of us could not
afford care and we would wait longer for treatment.
For the first time, the court heard about Tom and
Glyn, the two patients who are intervening in the Cambie Surgeries
lawsuit with us. Both are living with chronic health conditions and
they represent those... with the most to lose in this case, Alison
told the court.
Glyn and Tom rely on a strong, accessible
public health care system and could not afford to pay out of pocket
for the care they need, nor would they qualify for private health
insurance because of their pre-existing conditions.
Alison also talked about the broad membership of
the BC Health Coalition who rely on, and support, public health care -
bringing the voices of people like you into the court
room.
Now that we've given our opening, our arguments
to keep health care accessible to everyone are firmly on the
record.
Thanks to your support, we had a strong start yesterday, and we will be there throughout the trial to make sure the court hears about the threat this lawsuit poses to universal access to care.
In the coming months, Alison and the rest of our legal team will be presenting critical expert evidence showing how striking down our health care laws will lead to a US-style system in Canada. At the same time, we'll keep pushing for public solutions to improve health care quality and access for everyone
Please continue to spread the word about this
trial. The more people hear about what this case would mean for them
and their loved ones, the better.
We’re grateful to have you
along with us in this fight.
With hope,
Adam, on behalf of the BCHC team
P.S. We need to cover the cost of bringing expert evidence before the court. Can you chip in $10 now?
P.P.S. You can keep up-to-date with the trial on our website: www.savemedicare.ca and our facebook page: Save Canada's Public Health CarePhoto (clockwise from left): Dr Vanessa Brcic (Canadian Doctors for Medicare), Edith MacHattie (BCHC co-chair), Alison Latimer, Adam Lynes-Ford (BCHC Staff), Tom (Patient Intervenor)
British Columbia Health Coalition · 3102 Main St, 302,
Vancouver, Unceded Coast Salish Territories, BC V5T 3G7, Canada
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