Everybody's got a Mike Duffy problem these days. Prince Edward Island has a Mike Duffy problem. Sideshow Steve Harper has a Mike Duffy problem. The Senate of Canada has a Mike Duffy problem. The government of Ontario has a few Mike Duffy problems. Mike Duffy has a Mike Duffy problem.
Prince Edward Island has a Senator who might not be a senator at all. Steve Harper appointed an Ottawa resident to be a Senator for a province a good distance away. The Senate has a guy who may not be entitled to sit with them and who has been collecting pension benefits, a salary and housing perks. The government of Ontario has a guy who has registered himself to vote there, has voted there, has an Ontario healthcare card and has availed himself of all manner of cardiac care, up to and including bypass surgery, on the Ontario taxpayer's dime when he's ineligible because he's resident in some other province. Mike Duffy sort of shares all of these problems in one or more ways.
Ontario health min, Deb Mathews, doesn't know what the hell to do with Duffy or fellow, non-resident healthcare consumer Pam Wallin. They don't qualify for free Ontario healthcare but that hasn't stopped them from taking it.
Mathews says she doesn't know what to do but asks if anyone knows of other cheats they call the OHIP snitch line.
Wait a second. Surely there's enough Mike Duffy to go around. Let's proclaim him Canada's first provincial dual citizen. Problem solved.
Seems to me that the rules of eligibility for OHIP are very clear: Ont. must be your primary residence AND you must spend 153 days in Ont. Otherwise you have to apply for eligibility (as in cases of students or workers who have to be out of province for extended periods).
ReplyDeleteAlso seems to me that since both Duffy (and Wallin presumably) have signed forms claiming that PEI or Sask. are their primary residences, then they have not fulfilled the first requirement of Ont. being their primary residence.
In which case, they should both be charged for fraudulent use of OHIP, as you and I would both be charged if we had done so.
Duffy says the rules are confusing. They are not. It seems to me that he has to decide where he gets his healthcare and where he resides.
ReplyDeleteIf the Island will pick up his out of province health care costs, fine. But the province should be prepared to do the same for any other Island resident.
@ Anon, you're absolutely right. Duffy either knowingly took benefits from the Ontario taxpayers to which he wasn't entitled or he knowingly took a Senate salary and perks to which he wasn't entitled.
ReplyDelete@ Owen. As you're aware, I knew Duffy personally back in the early days when he was on his game. I have no doubt, none at all, of what he would have done back then to some pol who said the "rules are confusing." His hypocrisy is awfully rank.
For Duffy to say the rules are confusing is obscenely disingenuous. He was able to capably navigate government bureaucratese for decades as a reporter on Parliament Hill yet as a member of Canada's Upper Chamber cannot fathom a one page government form? Liar liar pants on fire!
ReplyDeleteThat photo suggests to me that Harpo has yet another Mike Duffy problem, a pronounced stoutness about the tum. Better lay off the dessert at those fundraising dinners Mr PM!