Read the letter from Stephen Duckett’s wife defending her husband

[CHIMO]

I write as an academic researcher with a PhD in health policy, but also as Stephen Duckett’s life partner.

I want to comment here on how vulnerable public healthcare systems are to privatization, and to tell your readers what they have lost in the government’s ill-considered pressure on the Alberta Health Services board to sack Stephen. I know some may see this as a “stand by your man” piece, but I share Stephen’s passion for health reform and am at last able to express my own views without compromising him in his AHS role.

To opposition politicians: you should know that Stephen has been a life-long campaigner for equity and social justice in Australia and a leader in the “defend and extend (Australian) Medicare” campaign for many years. Alberta will not find a more passionate defender of publicly funded healthcare.

For the nearly 40 years I lived in Australia, I treasured my Canadian citizenship. The Canada I left was diverse, tolerant, civilized. Stephen accepted the Alberta Health Services CEO position in part to enable me to be closer to my sister and her family, but I have returned to a country in which the political culture has been “dumbed down.” U.S.-style personal vilification has replaced reasoned political discussion. Ill-informed scalp-hunting now passes for investigative journalism.
http://www.edmontonjournal.com/opinion/letters/Read+letter+from+Stephen+Duckett+wife+defending+husband/3913423/story.html

Please read the whole letter.