REGINA — The Saskatchewan NDP is pushing to eliminate hospital parking fees for cancer patients, introducing a private member’s bill Thursday that the government has already signalled it will not support.
Rural and Remote Health critic Jared Clarke introduced the bill to eliminate parking fees for cancer patients at all Saskatchewan Health Authority facilities.
The bill has received first reading, but it faces a dim future against the Sask. Party majority.
It is also the latest in a series of private members’ bills and attempted emergency motions by the NDP over the past couple of weeks since the spring sitting resumed. On Wednesday, the NDP also introduced The Saskatchewan Medical Care Insurance (Banning Private Fees) Amendment Act, aimed at extra billing and access fees.
The NDP has criticized the Sask. Party government on the parking fee issue for a number of months, with the party holding news conferences alongside cancer patient Dennis Ogrodnick, who has been advocating for the change.
At the legislature Thursday, Clarke pointed out that parking is free at casinos, but not at hospitals for cancer patients.
“We have casinos, government-run casinos where people can go and gamble and have free parking, and cancer patients in this province are being charged to park to get their treatment,” said Clarke, who said the money was going to “parking companies for profit.”
But Minister of Rural and Remote Health Lori Carr said the money from parking fees “actually goes back into helping maintain the parking lots throughout the province, especially in those tertiary centres that we have.”
As well, Carr said the government is trying to put budget funds “into the frontline care that happens for those patients.”
“And so specifically when we talk about cancer patients in our Patients First plan, we’re adding diagnostic imaging throughout the province, which goes into that frontline care to help detect early detection of cancer.”
As for Clarke’s bill, Carr indicated the government will not be supporting it.
“The policy’s probably going to stay as it is,” she said.
That response drew an outraged reaction from Clarke.
“I can’t believe that the Minister just came out here and said that they’re not willing to change this,” said Clarke. “I mean, what will it take for this government to show some goddamn compassion to cancer patients in this province.”
Clarke added the government doesn’t need to introduce new legislation to make the change. "It would be a simple policy change and they could actually show some compassion to cancer patients, but I think what this bill does is it sends a message to Saskatchewan people that there is a choice — you don’t have to settle for this cruel, mean spirited government when it comes to parking.”
