Anyone who follows Canadian health system issues is trying to be plugged into a trial that started in the BC Supreme Court last week. It’s simplistically known as the Brian Day vs. medicare case or private vs public medicine. But as you will read in the opening statements below, it is far more than that since the medical system Canada has had for six decades could be overhauled, depending on how the judge rules.
My colleague, legal journalist/columnist Ian Mulgrew, is covering the case throughout September, the first month of what will likely be a six-month trial.
Lawyer Peter Gall (left) and Dr. Brian Day
As Ian wrote last week, the judge has declined our company’s request to record and post videos of portions of the trial. This is extremely disappointing, given the importance of the case to the Canadian health care system and patients who use it.
The monolithic, monopolistic BC health care system costs $20 billion a year, $4 billion of which covers physician compensation by the taxpayer-funded Medical Services Plan. Every individual in BC, and across Canada, needs and deserves to know what’s unfolding in that hallowed courtroom.
With that in mind, I’m posting below the 50,000-word opening statements by the plaintiff’s lead lawyer, Peter Gall. The BC government (defendants) lawyers will be giving their statements in response this week.
I will seek those from Crown lawyers and publish them in another post, providing they are supplied.
