The Status of Health Care in Alberta - "I can't help you, I'm eating my cookie"

[cruiser]

The Status of Health Care in Alberta - "I can't help you, I'm eating my cookie"

If you live in Alberta, you will have heard many stories (daily) about the status of health care in Alberta, in particular, the wait times in Emergency rooms.

Stories/rumours have been generated that upto 5 people have died over the last few months because they were stuck in an ER waiting room and were not able to get to see a doctor. A most recent case was a teenage boy who died of an appendix attack while while he was sitting and waiting in a waiting room.

Yesterday, the media questioned the head of Alberta Health Services, Steven Duckett. A reporter from the local CTV tv station tried to ask Mr. Duckett questions and his response was "Can't you see, I'm still eating my cookie"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5DxeCK5Ne_Q&feature=player_embedded
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See it for yourself...this is what Alberta residents have to deal with for the head of Alberta Health Services

 

[cruiser]

The media was being dicks....because they stick a mic in front of your face doesn't mean you have to talk to them. I'm "eating a cookie" was polite way of saying f*ck off. The guy had a meeting to get to and they didn't have an appointment. You may have good points cruiser but this isn't one of them.

Hunka:
The guy could've taken 30 seconds out of his "busy" schedule to say a few words and then go on his way.

He came across as being very rude and snobbish in his approach. When you are in the public eye, everything you say and do will be judged. The media don't make appointments with other officials after meetings, etc....they approach the person and the person will always take a minute or so and say something.

He made himself look very elitest. The system has serious flaws and this guy is not doing anything about it.

 

[cruiser]

How about the bigger picture....

People dying in ER waiting rooms....

What is the goverment doing about that???

 

[Ray]

They seem to possess this cavalier attitude toward the voters of Alberta & have no regard for anyone elses opinions

Yet, these are the people elected by the voters of Alberta to make decisions on their behalf. If the Albertans don't like the attitude, vote for someone else.

 

[wolverine]

dood I don't doubt the guys a prick but the media can't go around shoving mics in peoples faces. Some idiot puts a mic in your face while you are going to another meeting and you're suppose to drop everything for them? Book an appointment like everyone else.

A simple "no comment" would suffice, or not saying anything at all.

 

[Bartdude]

Not true cruiser. He said himself there was a media meeting they were all invited to in a half hour. They could have asked the questions there rather than being pricks. I don't think "30 seconds" as you put it would be ample time to discuss serious problems. Again, because you have a mic doesn't give you any special rights.

Bullshit.

Scrums and impromptu questioning are different from these "availabilities" which are basically scripted talking-points sessions heavily controlled by government PR lackeys.

Duckett is paid - a fuck of a lot - by the taxpayers. The media has the right to unscripted answers to questions pertaining to Albertans' number one concern.

 

[tontos]

He's getting paid $600.000 a f..king year huubbba. I don't know what's worse the idiots that hired him or people that actually think is behaviour is acceptable!!!!!

 

[wolverine]

This minister WILL get fired. Steady Eddie has to fire him.

Duckett is not a minister. He's just a bureaucrat, and a highly paid one at that. No doubt our taxpayer money covered his moving expenses from Australia.

And guess what happens if Duckett is fired? He'll get a cookie. A cookie in the form of a $100,000+ severance, courtesy of us taxpayers. Just imagine how many pooning sessions you and I would get out of that.

 

[cruiser]

Duckett is not a minister. He's just a bureaucrat, and a highly paid one at that. No doubt our taxpayer money covered his moving expenses from Australia.

And guess what happens if Duckett is fired? He'll get a cookie. A cookie in the form of a $100,000+ severance, courtesy of us taxpayers. Just imagine how many pooning sessions you and I would get out of that.

Interesting...
I was listening to 630CHED radio this morning and they were talking about this issue.

One caller called in and "speculated" that perhaps Duckett did this little show on purpose....Duckett knows that things are so screwed up that he can't fix them, and is at a point that he doesn't care of the ramifications...

It was an interesting thought......

 

[cruiser]

Yeah, I realized that after I wrote it but my hands were cold (the bus was late). Severance or not, the guy is a first class douche bag and he needs to get tossed. Today they tossed that Raj dude (MLA that's a doctor) for speaking out). Toss a dude that speaks OUT against the issues and keep a guy that makes arrogant cookie remarks. Sounds like Stelmach's clan to me.

If you're reading this Mr Stelmach repeat "I will be voting for the Wildrose Alliance"

I've been listening to Raj....since they turfed him, he should go join Danielle and her gang.

Raj is an ER doctor by trade, so he won't be out of work...and with what he learned with his time in government, he can carry that back to the private sector.

He's knowledgable with both sides of the fence...that's not perhaps a good thing for Ed and the boys......

 

[cruiser]

Interesting tidbit:

I happened to be flipping channels last night and came across Mark Kelly on CBC TV...during his show he had another reporter (East Indian female, actually quite cute), doing her segment and then at the end of her segment, Mark goes to ask the female reporter a question, and she replies "I can't answer you, I'm eating my cookie"....and on live air, she holds up a cookie and starts eating it.

This is another video (of Mr. Duckett), that has gone viral...and now the media is making fun of him.....

 

[mistressfreyja]

Not to make light of stupidity...though I do think Hunka has a good point.....

But, NO ONE GETS ANY COOKIES 'TIL AFTER THIS WEEKEND.

That's right. NO COOKIES. yet.

 

[wolverine]

Duckett's been sacked as of this afternoon.

 

[Bartdude]

Duckett's full of shit.

The cookie gag was the ultimate in arrogance and ignorance.

The "media availability" was also bullshit. Duckett wasn't going to be there - just some flunky from AHS.

That Aussie moron makes so much money he basically wins the lottery for doing something stupid enough to get fired.

He can put his goddam cookie aside for 10 minutes to be accountable to the public by providing information for their consumption.

Good fucking riddance.

 

[ThisEndUp]

You guys should be throwing a party! He will have one hell of a golden parachute though

860k worth

 

[Bad Santa]

Duckett's full of shit.

860k worth

That's a lot of shit for one little cookie!

 

[ThisEndUp]

That's a lot of shit for one little cookie!

thats lots of health care service

 

[Bartdude]

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