Passing the Yukon’s Health Authority Act is a “monumental step” toward transforming the health-care system in partnership with Yukon First Nations and Yukoners across the territory, according to Health and Social Services Minister Tracy-Anne McPhee.
“This is the most important progressive health authority legislation probably in, most certainly in the country, and probably in the world, because we built it with partners. We built it with the idea of reconciliation. It propels the Yukon out of the past and into the future, and we’re looking forward to that,” McPhee told reporters.
McPhee sponsored Bill 38, the proposed health authority act. The proposition became law in the Yukon legislature on April 29 following a 10 to eight vote. The Yukon Party MLAs voted against the governing Yukon Liberal Party and the Yukon NDP members.
If and when implemented, the health authority will eventually manage Yukon hospitals and deliver health and social services. Most of the rest of Canada employs health authorities overseeing either whole provinces or smaller regions.
READ MORE: Proposed legislation lays path for new Yukon health authority
McPhee indicated that she’s “extremely proud” of the changes that were made to the bill through the legislative process.
“I believe that leadership is we should be listening, and when we have the opportunity to make something better, then we should do it,” she said, referring to amendments prompted by the French-speaking community and unions.
“I’m, like, really incredibly proud of the partners and the work that we’ve done together,” McPhee said.
“Their absence is felt here today.”
Late last week, some First Nations leaders expressed disappointment in the lack of consensus and in the Yukon Party for effectively delaying the process for the bill to become law by a day because some people couldn’t be in the legislature to witness the historic moment the bill passed this week due to meetings in Ottawa.
READ MORE: First Nations leaders let down by Yukon Party delaying health authority act
An April 29 press release from the Yukon Liberal Caucus referred to Yukon Party Leader Currie Dixon’s concerns and criticisms about the bill as “tired complaints.”
“Despite (the Yukon Party’s) best efforts, Bill 38 passed,” reads the release.
Yukon NDP Leader Kate White positioned her party’s support leading up to the vote.
“We must be brave and challenge the current structures and systems, and this means doing things differently and listening to Indigenous and racialized Yukoners. Addressing systemic racism within the health authority will require changes at every level and the commitment of everyone involved,” she told the house.
“We believe that this is an important first step, but it’s just that — it’s a first step. We know that transformation will take time. But we look forward to the time when we can look back, and the current system we have is a distant memory.”
While Dixon said he had his doubts at one point about what might happen with the bill, he knew his party’s vote on the bill was symbolic.
“This particular bill has been an interesting one. It is a substantial bill and one that contemplates sweeping changes to our health-care system,” Dixon told the legislative assembly.
Ahead of the vote, Dixon outlined his support for and opposition to the legislation.
“There are a lot of things in this bill that I support. I know that one aspect of the bill is to attempt to reduce or eliminate racism in our health-care system, and I don’t think that there’s a Yukoner out there that would disagree with that goal,” he said.
“The bill also significantly increases the participation of First Nations leadership in overseeing and directing the health authority. We’ve been told that improving health outcomes for First Nations is an important driver behind the bill.”
Dixon said he generally agrees with the move to better integrate health services in the Yukon.
“There is a compelling argument that by improving the linkages between different delivery arms in fields like long-term care or community nursing, with the operations of our hospitals and acute care, that we can find efficiencies. To the extent that this bill upholds that as a goal, I think it is a reasonable goal,” he said.
“However, there are a lot of outstanding questions about the bill, and there are legitimate concerns about some aspects of it.”
Dixon wonders how it will improve health outcomes and which metrics are used.
“Making sweeping administrative changes do not address the underlying problems and issues that have plagued our current health-care system,” he said. Dixon cited local economist Keith Halliday’s recent “persuasive” column in the News.
“Put the fires out first before we begin to renovate,” Dixon said.
He believes his outstanding questions won’t be answered until implementation.
“Bill 38 has been one of the most complex and chaotic progressions through the legislative assembly that I’ve ever seen personally, and as far as I can tell, in the modern history of the legislative assembly,” he said.
Dixon noted the bill has seen “stops, starts and pauses.” It has seen “rarely used provisions of the standing orders leaned on.” It has seen amendments proposed by all three political parties with seats in the legislature, including changes coming from the bill’s sponsor. It has heard concerns from the francophone community and unions. And more.
“To summarize, the progress of this bill through the legislature has been unprecedentedly chaotic,” he said.
Dixon said three things factored into his vote: the content of the bill and how it has changed through the legislative process; the level of consultation; and the Yukon Party’s faith in the current government, in particular, the “deeply flawed record of the current minister who is now tasked with implementing this massive and complex change to our health-care system.”
“I believe that I should express these concerns with a vote against the government and on this bill,” he said, shortly before the bill became law.
A Yukon government-branded question-and-answer document dated March 27 about the health system transformation process states it’s “unknown at this time” if any of this is threatened by a potential change in government since the current government can’t speak to the positions of the opposition parties.
Next steps involve getting an interim board and CEO into place, which McPhee indicated could happen within a year from now.
READ MORE: Pillai hints new legislation will ‘transform’ Yukon’s health-care system
Contact Dana Hatherly at dana.hatherly@yukon-news.com