Article content

Health care isn’t a giant issue in this election campaign — not yet anyway. But it may once again hit the heights when the dire risks of UCP health promises sink in.

Jason Kenney’s party would freeze spending. Any fresh funding for the front lines would come from cash saved through cuts to administration, or unexpected improvements to the fiscal picture.

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or Braid: UCP health care policy invites return to PC-era chaos Back to video

That’s not going to work. In fact, it guarantees a return to the chaos of the Progressive Conservative years, and maybe worse, because there would be no panic spending spikes to save the day.

This seems to be slipping under voter radar because health care is no longer a hair-pulling crisis.

It ranks fourth in importance to voters, tied at 24 per cent with government spending, according to a recent Angus Reid Institute survey.

The big issues, unsurprisingly, are energy and pipelines (49 per cent), and jobs, unemployment and the economy, all at 41 per cent.

Health care was a much bigger deal in elections past. Now it isn’t top of mind. Why?

The NDP calmed down the system, made significant improvements and provided stability for health planners, professionals and workers.

The giant, complex structure now costs $22 billion a year. It’s expensive and far from perfect, as the NDP will admit. Some wait times are growing.

But health care access and delivery are far more level and reliable than they were in 2015.

That was essential after a decade of erratic funding and political interference from PC ministers who couldn’t keep their hands off.