British Columbia Premier John Horgan says he’s considering taking the same approach as a Victoria couple who placed a newspaper ad to find a family doctor in his attempt to pressure the federal government to increase health funding.
Horgan says the advertisement worked for Janet and Michael Mort, who now have a family doctor after months of searching, leading him to possibly employ the same tactic after previous failed attempts to secure more federal health dollars.
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However, Janet Mort says she’s not happy she and her husband had to resort to public actions to get health care and she’s offended by Horgan’s “tongue-in-cheek response.”
Mort, who’s an Order of B.C. recipient for her work in public education, says she’s written a letter to Horgan asking for a meeting to discuss repairing health care in B.C., with or without federal help.
Mort says several doctors contacted her following the placement of the ad in the Victoria Times-Colonist and her 82-year-old husband now has an appointment Thursday with his new family doctor.
Horgan says Canada’s premiers lobbied the federal government for increased health funding last month during meetings in Victoria.
About a million people in B.C. don’t have a family doctor.
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Shirley Bond, leader of the Official Opposition BC Liberals, condemned Horgan’s Wednesday comments as “flippant.”
“The premier’s flippant comment is very disrespectful to the British Columbians who feel very concerned about getting the health care they need,” she said at the legislature.
In a tweet, she added that “action is long overdue,” and the ad is indicative of “the state of our health care system” under Horgan’s watch.
With files from Global News’ Richard Zussman