On selective listening

The Tyee reports on the B.C. government's "conversation" on health care, where the public regional events have just come to an end. But as anticipated all along, while the talk from actual B.C. residents appears to have been largely in favour of strengthening public health care, there are indications that the Campbell government is looking to claim that it heard something else entirely:

"What we are hearing from those who participated in the Conversation regional events is a strong consensus in favor of protecting publicly funded health care in B.C." Leslie Dickout, a BC Health Coalition campaigner, told The Tyee...

"I was quite impressed with the Conversation on Health itself," said Leahy. "People could say what they liked, and of all the 35 people who spoke, there was not one voice for private health care. We all believe the system is sustainable if managed right."...

"I was amazed at how much preparation people had done," said Ducharme, who is the regional chair for the Thompson North Okanagan region of the BC Nurses Union, and who will join Dickout, Leahy and Murray in speaking at today's Health Coalition press conference.

In the audience of more than 100 people, she said, "I only noted two advocates for private enterprise medicine. They were very vocal, but they certainly were in the minority."

Ducharme said she is worried the government "won't listen to what we had to say. It's not a conversation if the other side isn't listening." She visited the Conversation on Health web page and didn't see the mood in the room reflected in the summaries posted...

"We have heard a lot of messages from the Conversations, including one theme that says we shouldn't increase privatization," Minister Abbott told The Tyee. "But I haven't formed any conclusions yet, although I do think that prevention and primary care may well be areas where we'll want to see innovation."

It remains to be seen what kind of legislation Abbott winds up pushing following the consultations. But when the government's perception of the meetings seems to be at odds with what the actual attendees actually heard, there's all the more reason to think that the B.C. Libs had no intention of actually listening no matter how many B.C. residents spoke up for an improved health care system. Which leaves only the question of how supporters of public health care can send a message which even Campbell and company won't be able to ignore.