Alberta Health and Wellness Minster Gary Mar provoked a predictably negative reaction when he mused publicly about instituting user fees for health care. The Ministers comments came just prior to a national meeting of health ministers on September 24, 2001.

"User fees are in direct violation of the basic principles of Medicare," said Alberta Federation of Labour President Les Steel. "The whole purpose of public health care is to ensure that everyone gets the treatment they need without regard to their ability to pay. User fees will discourage many Albertans from seeking treatment because of costs – this is just wrong."

The Alberta government has run into trouble with Ottawa several times in the past over user fees – each time abandoning the idea. The most serious case was (then) Premier Lougheed’s imposition of user fees that resulted in the loss of hundreds of millions of dollars in federal transfer fees before Alberta finally capitulated.

"This government is determined to pursue American style health care," accused Steel. "Clearly all of their friends who are so keen to set up private hospitals want to be able to extract even more money from sick Albertans."

Steel is convinced that the Minister’s suggestion that many Albertans are seeking unnecessary medical treatment is absurd.

"Studies show that unnecessary doctor’s visits comprise a totally insignificant portion of health care costs," said Steel.

Steel says that he expects the vast majority of Albertans will rally to oppose any attempt to impose user fees. "As far as I’m concerned," said Steel, "even health care premiums are an illegitimate form of user fee – but at least they are the same for everyone – unlike user fees which actually punish people for getting sick."