You know a politician is either in a time warp or fresh out of new ideas when the best thing she can come up with is a registry for breast implants. Perhaps Winnipeg North Centre MP Judy Wasylycia-Leis needs a quick reminder that we already have a registry and Canadians cannot afford a silicone boob-doggle. Now, one should not be too surprised by this Private Members Bill considering some of the bizarre recommendations she has made in the past -calling on CIBC not to close one of its Winnipeg branches (when have you ever heard a socialist tell the big, evil bankers not to do something that could potentially make them a profit ), but my personal favourite was her recommendation to remove the GST from feminine hygiene products.

Some would say that her intentions are good, Ms. Wasylycia-Leis would argue that women are unfairly treated by the health care system, but there is little to no evidence of that. In fact when it comes to doctor's records, they are required by law to keep certain standards on their patients and ensure that they are kept "abreast" of any complications with implants.

Aside from the obvious that Ms. Wasylycia-Leis is infringing on individual choice, freedom and has given a whole new meaning to social engineering, her argument is vacuous since it does not focus on outcomes.
It's time we stopped measuring our commitment to health care or even worse, the quality of our health care system, by the amount of money we spend. Why don't we focus on outcomes like reducing waiting lines, driving down weighted costs per patient stays and reducing the number of re-admissions of improperly discharged patients Surely these and other measures are a truer reflection of progress and accomplishment. Unfortunately, such a reasoned debate seems to be beyond the capability of those that aspire to govern us.

When it comes to health care, the facts are irrefutable. Our single-payer public system with its long waiting lines, rising incidents of labour unrest and politicians who continue to believe that more money is the answer to all our problems has led Canadians to an axiomatic conclusion: the system doesn't work.

The resultant debate on reforming our health care system has become dangerously polarized, and again why Ms. Wasylycia-Leis' proposal amounts to nothing more than a spending frenzy. The false choices that apparently confront us are a staunch defense of the status quo or a slide into an 'evil for-profit American style system.' We will refer to those who frame the debate in these terms as health care luddites. What this discussion lacks is a rational focus and an acceptance of financial, demographic, utilization and technological realities that point to the need to employ some sort of more balanced blend of public and private service providers as we struggle to build a 21st century health care system that works.

Fortunately, federal Health Minister Pierre Pettigrew also recognized that there is no need for Ms. Wasylycia-Leis' proposal, thus saving Canadian women the exposure that Janet Jackson's breast received at the Super Bowl. If Ms. Wasylycia-Leis truly wanted to make a difference in health care, then she should focus on eliminating the bureaucratic nightmare that already engulfs the system, rather than creating more.