NDP fails to have senior public health spokesperson make presentation on new Public Health Act, but Lyme Disease advocate does come

Last night at the Legislative Committee hearings into Bill 21, the NDP's new Public Health Act, I witnessed something rarely seen: there was not one person from the province's public health sector present to speak to the proposed bill.

I was shocked. In almost all cases when a new act comes before a legislative committee there is at least one presenter (and usually several) from groups or organizations who are proponents or supporters of the legislation. They attend hearings to help explain the purpose and often some of the technical aspects of what is being proposed. This is important to me as an MLA because I place a good deal of weight on stakeholder feedback.

Further, the total absence of senior officials and other individuals from the larger public health community was shocking when you consider the significance of the proposed legislation. This isn't just some routine housekeeping bill.

For me this is just another demonstration of the sheer arrogance of the Doer government and its contempt for democracy. It is the responsibility of the NDP govenrment, and more specifically the Minister responsible for this bill, to ensure there is at least one presented who is knowledgeable on public health issues and public health administration who is ready to speak at committee on the merits of the bill and prepared to answer questions from MLAs.

The absence of a knowledgeable senior public health spokesperson at the committee last night spoke volumes. Do people in public health care in Manitoba think this bill is unimportant? I doubt it. The more logical explanation is that the NDP are trying to rush this bill quickly through committee while few people are looking. And it is exactly that NDP arrogance that often gets us into trouble.

Of note, one of the people who did come out to present on the Public Health Act was Elizabeth Wood, a strong advocate for better testing and knowledge about Lyme disease in Manitoba. She has been advocating for this for many years. At last, an effort is underway to better understand the distribution of ticks carrying the bacteria causing Lyme disease in our province, and to improve the diagnosis and treatment of this condition here.

Lyme disease is fairly easy to treat when detected and diagnosed early on. It can be very difficult to treat if it is not diagnosed are treated early. It will be good to have much better information , better diagnosis and treatment for Lyme disease infections in Manitoba.