Local referendum rejects private health care

May 31, 2023

In the culmination of a province-wide campaign, members of the Kingston Health Coalitiion (KHC) organised a citizen’s referendum last week on provincial healthcare initiatives aimed at encouraging private delivery of care

"10,394 residents voted at 17 voting stations and other advance polls that were staffed by 119 volunteers. Dozens more local residents helped during the six-week long campaign. The combined results were 10 256 votes no to privatization, 138 votes yes, and 10 spoiled ballots. Over 98% of people said no to privatization to for-profit clinics and hospitals," said a KHC release.

Of those, 1205 were in South Frontenac, where in person polls were located at the Sydenham and Verona Foodland stores.

The local breakdown was: Sydenham, 119, Hartington 48, Harrowsmith 94, Inverary 110, Verona 57, Battersea 70, Perth Road 64. The total online South Frontenac vote of 562 plus 643 in person votes made for a South Frontenac total of 1,205.

“The local results show that our community is united in opposition to the government plans to move work out of our public non-profit hospitals into for-profit corporate clinics,” said Joan Jardin, co-chair of the Kingston Health Coalition when announcing the results.

“Our community understands that there is space in the public system to improve care for patients. There are many innovative ideas, great staff and wonderful communities and volunteers that can be mobilized to support non-profit care. The real problems start with a lack of government will Further privatization will only make the problems worse”.