EDMONTON — Alta Premier Ralph Klein in TV debate denies secret health privatization plan

Alberta Premier Ralph Klein denied Monday his government is quietly scheming to privatize the health-care system and is waiting until after the election is over to implement it.

"I've heard this accusation so many times. I can tell you we do not -- do not -- have a secret privatization plan,'' said Klein, responding to accusations from his Liberal and NDP opponents in the lone televised leaders' debate of the Alberta election campaign.

Voters go to the polls Nov. 22.

Klein said his vision is to have the "best health-care system in Canada'' and said it's up to Albertans to tell him how they want it done, adding his governing Progressive Conservatives have put an extra $700 million into the system to alleviate wait lists for minor procedures.

Klein said he doesn't know if a privatized health system is the way to go but said "the person who has a hip problem really doesn't care whether he gets it in a public hospital or in a private clinic as long as its publicly paid for.''

NDP Leader Brian Mason accused Klein of experimenting with health privatization and private clinics even though statistics show publicly delivered health would be more cost effective.

Liberal Leader Kevin Taft said the Tories have squandered time and money and have not come up with a coherent vision.

"The problem is the credibility of your government on this issue is shot,'' said Taft.

Klein's reluctance to discuss health reforms has been a key issue in the two-week-old campaign.

He has talked about introducing radical reforms to the health system, including delisting some services, charging extra fees and moving further into the private delivery of health care.

Klein has said he will talk to Albertans about the changes after the election but doesn't want to hijack the debate by talking about them now.

The private health accusations are deja vu for Klein.

In the spring, he pulled back on a plan to roll out some of the proposals after they became an issue in the federal election campaign.

Prime Minister Paul Martin accused Klein and Conservative Party Leader Stephen Harper of secretly scheming to unveil privatization plans after the federal vote should Harper's party prevail.

Some critics say the issue cost Harper a shot at forming the government.

Health spending has been a hot topic for Albertans.

Last month the results of a household survey found one in one five of 258,256 respondents urged the province to spend more to reduce hospital waiting times.

The Liberals have already put forward their $200-million health platform. It would roll all government tobacco revenue into a special fund to promote healthy lifestyles, hire more doctors and nurses and make midwives a core part of the health-care system.

The Liberals would also establish a pharmacare program to help Albertans pay for the rising cost of prescription drugs and hire a special auditor to reduce waste and find efficiencies in the hospital system.

The NDP says Alberta needs to spend $500 million a year more on health care to reduce waiting lists.

Mason has promised to hire 2,000 more health-care workers, most of them nurses. His plan also includes specialized surgical centres, a central waiting list registry, more hospital beds and operating rooms, better ambulance service and incentives for doctors to move to rural communities.

Randy Thorsteinson, the leader of the right-wing Alberta Alliance Party, was not invited to the debate as his party did not have an elected member in the legislature.

But in a release, he said his party would cut waiting lists by 75 per cent within three years by using models proven successful in Sweden and Japan.