Minister
Ambrose has been in office for 8 months and it makes sense to evaluate her performance
to date.
What
performance?
Fifteen
public messages, aka press releases, only one of which relates to Ministry
business, the remaining fourteen reiterated disease specific days, weeks or
months.
She has a
similar number of public appearances with Ministerial statements, most if
fairly neutral topics and neutral to right wing territory. She has grappled with only one small crisis,
namely a minor blip in drug continuity supply.
She has only released one minor funding announcement, and minor policy
announcements at best.
She
currently has the following legislation on the order table
C-2 an act
to amend the Controlled drugs and Substances Act which is the latest iteration
of the legislation to lay out the conditions necessary for supervised drug consumption
sites (previously known as the respect for communities act which died on the order
table) DrPHdealth
July 2013 , further restricts access to currently illicit drugs, and tightens
up rules for medical exemption presumably for medical marijuana users
C-17 to
amend the Food and Drugs Act which appears to tighten up some loopholes in
therapeutic devices section and provides widespread ability for the government
to utilize regulations for the management and control of substances, devices
and therapies under the act.
The
relative value of the two pieces of legislation can be taken for their
worth. The first is more likely more
anti-health than protective of health.
There were no health pieces of legislation passed during the first
session of the 41st parliament.
Hence we
are faced with the formula for longevity as a Minister of Health, do nothing,
say nothing and be seen nowhere. (see New
Minister of Health DrPHealth July 2013) By
these criteria her performance is very in line with what was anticipated on all
five predicted measures.
By any reasonable
Canadian assessment of a Minister of Health, her performance to date would be
considered a dismal failure.
Not
surprising given the régime that she is working within.
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