The Christian Health Association of Alberta (CHAA) affirms the Government's stand to provide leadership and support in the delivery of quality health services in order to maintain and improve the health of Albertans, as stated in the preamble to Bill 11. We also applaud the establishment of the Premier's Advisory Council on Health and its mandate to provide strategic advice on the preservation and future enhancement of quality health services for Albertans and on the continuing sustainability of the publicly funded and publicly administered health system.

The question that we bring forward is: How is the common good best served? The CHAA implores that dialogue begin immediately around the issues that Bill 11 has evoked in the public arena. What are the real health needs of Albertans and what kind of health system do we want to BUILD TOGETHER, as citizens in this democratic society? What changes in the system need to occur to truly make it sustainable? What is the basic package of services that needs to be available for all, regardless of ability to pay? Given the sizeable public expenditure on health, and the special health needs of an aging population, is the common good best served by reinvesting operational surpluses in the health system to ensure future sustainability of the publicly funded system?

The CHAA calls upon the Government to set aside Bill 11 immediately until full dialogue has occurred around the fundamental issues that this Bill has evoked. The Bill has caused much confusion and polarization among the people of Alberta. For instance, the debate between not-for-profit versus for-profit creates a polarity that hampers the quality of dialogue needed around the health care reform agenda. We applaud the Premier's commitment to engage in this debate nationally and believe it should precede the simple strategy that is outlined in Bill 11.

We believe that Bill 11, with the proposed amendments, is premature and that it is imperative that it be set aside until the broader dialogue around sustainability and the common good has occurred.

We recommend that the Premier's Advisory Council on Health begin this dialogue immediately. As faith-based providers of health care services within the Province, the voluntary health sector is well positioned to assist the Premier's Council in framing the reference points for this dialogue through active membership on this Council.

The strengths that we bring to this dialogue are embedded in our mission and values-based history and have been well recognized publicly by the communities we serve. Historically, our core values have formed and will continue to form the basis for the operation of our health facilities. These values include: excellence, sound business practices, responsible stewardship, respect for human dignity, concern for the common good, responsiveness to the needs of the community, innovation and creativity, compassion for all whom we serve, special regard for the poor and most vulnerable and an employer/employee relationship which calls for fairness and mutual accountability.

May this dialogue begin immediately.

The CHAA is the collective voice for Christian/Voluntary health care institutions and owner groups... providing high standards of holistic and compassionate care... shared vision and common goals.