Mervyn, It's not anymore about what you or I feel the Canadian medical professional should earn. That ship sailed when the government realized that there's little money in the kitty.
The best that can happen for them is that future increases will not be as generous as in the past. The worst, that current levels will be slashed. Your theory about doctors fleeing to other jurisdictions is untrue. In the past several years those who have determined that money is their prime consideration have already left Canada. The ones remaining have decided for themselves that their practice or research or quality of family life or whatever, is best served by remaining in Canada. In fact it is known that many who left have since returned. You don't have to worry about doctors' second incomes coming from pharmaceutical and drug companies. If you have been in the financial sector in Canada long enough, you would have seen how the Ontario Securities Commission banned mutual fund companies from plying financial professionals with all sorts of 'incentives' and payments. There is no reason to see why the CMA under regulatory pressure can't do the same for physicians. The bottom line Mervyn is that the Government cannot let us walk away from a heart bypass costing $150,000 or cancer surgery costing even more with zero dollars from our pockets. Unless they start making sensible cuts to the system that will still allow us to enjoy that medical freedom. Roland. Toronto. A medical professional in Canada earns less than his counterpart in the US or the UK. Medical professionals are highly mobile. If you want them to remain in Canada, they have to receive decent wages and/or research facilities. Secondly, I want to be treated by a professional who earns a decent wage and not by someone who needs a second income from the drug manufactures in order to make ends meet. Thirdly, I believe everyone who earns $300,000 to $400,000 a year richly deserves that income. The people who make that kind of money had to overcome a lot of barriers to reach there. In the case of medical professionals, the barriers are usually in the form of training and examinations. 01Mervyn