Dentistry and elections

[Guest slysniper]

Well, seems like every is getting political, so why not us, future dentists. I would like to conduct a poll. Answer the following question while considering the fact that you are (or will be) a dental student and a future dentist soon.

 

Which party would you vote for and why?

[Guest slysniper]

I guess I ll go first myself. The tory package looks good, considering the fact their post-secondary package on scholarships and books. Also, they want to reduce taxes for small businesses, which means more money for us in the future. But, I have ethical issues with tories. I feel like they will turn Canada into the States. Harper's attitudes reminds me of Bush, like anti-gay, a bit religious and so forth.

 

So, what would be be, money or ethics. I think I ll pick ethics and I would vote for Green or NDP (I do believe that Liberals haev to go though).

[Guest johnwoo19]

I don't think that based on an ethical standpoint Green/NDP are much better than the Conservatives.

[Guest qw1222]

I want to vote NDP, but the way NDP do things, they probably make dentistry covered by health care. How the hell are we suppose to charge whatever we want then? lol.

 

No seriously, I am voting NDP, dont want right leaning political party with such social reforms ideas as the Conservatives. As for the liberals, lets just say we need a change...

[Guest Audio]

I'm going to vote NDP. There is no doubt in my mind that they are more sincere than the Liberals and definitely more sincere than the Conservatives.

 

Do you guys really want to go to war all the time following the US? I sure don't.

 

And we as dentists will make enough money. I don't care if I make $160,000 instead of $165,000. But i do care if everything becomes private and the poor people of our nation can't pay for health care. Imagine what will happen. We'll become the US where everything will be cut throat. Crime will go up! Drug use will go up! We need to spend more money on the kids in this country so they don't become criminals. The Tory answer is to cut taxes for the rich people.

[Guest marbledust]

I don't think that based on an ethical standpoint Green/NDP are much better than the Conservatives.

 

What do you base this statement on?

[Guest psingh00]

It it ever happened, do you guys really think that adding dentistry under public health care would be a good thing?

 

The healthcare system is already majorly flawed.. adding another field of services would only cause more problems.

 

Furthermore, it would be bad news for denists too. At the most obvious level, this would entail a salary cut (and not just ~$5000 like someone mentioned... just look at Canadian GPs vs American GPs).

[Guest slysniper]

I agree with psingh00. There are major problems with public health care and adding dentistry to it would make matters worse: it would cause shortage of dentists (most would wanna go south to make more money, like most docs) and there would be a drop in dental services, cuz now most dentists try yo give the best service, so the patient would not go somewhere else. Besides, I dont think current dentists would not allow such thing to happen, lets face it they make good money and they could have a strong influence on decision making in ottawa (I know it sounds unethical, but lets face it this is how things work around the world, more money, more power, which is something I really hate).

[Guest johnwoo19]

What do you base this statement on?

 

This is just what I think:

Layton is quite the hypocrite for saying that he would never use private health care. The Green party will undoubtedly threaten our autonomy in terms of their extremist nature in forcing the need to utilize public transportation and promoting other 'environment-friendly' actions.

 

I don't think our country can afford a socialist party like NDP running the show. Restrictions on the public's access to health care and blockades on health professionals' freedom to practice will ultimately kill Canadian health care.

 

It's a tough choice, but I'm leaning towards Conservative.

[Guest Tonick]

No matter what party comes into power, Dentistry will always remain private. Furthermore, I think any party would be beneficial for future dentists. Consider these scenarios:

 

Conservatives -> tax cuts for the wealthy

 

NDP-> more strength to unions -> more benefits for public sector workers (including dental)

 

Liberals -> things are fine now

 

Greens -> Will probably stop drinking water fluoridation

-> increase in cavities on the population level

[Guest Audio]

Has the NDP said that they plan on making dental public?

 

Also, I doubt the government has enough money to actually attempt to cover dental!

 

So saying you don't support the NDP because they'll make dental public is just wrong. Taxes will not go up with the NDP in power and even if they do, it'll be a small amount.

 

Also, it seems like some thing the Cons coming in will reduce taxes. It won't. In fact, the Liberal tax cuts are better for the average person. And we're talking about a few hundred dollars here and there!

 

But the domestic issues don't concern me as much as the Tory's desire to become the US's biatch! Do you guys really want to become the next target for terrorists? I mean, by their logic, if we start cooperating with the US, we'll become a legit target.

[Guest psingh00]

"with the NDP in power and even if they do, it'll be a small amount."

 

Small amounts add up. How do you think it came to be that, for many of us, half our income is spent on taxes?

[Guest predentalguy]

I think I will be voting conservative this time around. In my opinion i think the best outcome for canada is a minority for the conservatives. The NDP are too fiscally irresponsible and i simply cant trust them with canadas money. Although they are more socially aware than the liberals or conservatives.. ethically there is no difference between the conservatives or NDP. Its just social concepts that the NDP are more intuned with.

 

I think this election is about bringing a new face to government since the liberals have proven themselves to be unreliable.

 

I think with a minority conservative government they wont be able to do anything drastic (like go to war ahha) but they still will be able to maintain a fiscally responsible government.

 

Cheers!

[Guest wishywish82]

Ok my opinion on this is look at Stephen Harper 10 yrs ago, he was pretty radical and did said some stuff people didn't agree with. He's evolved into a pretty good politican now. Imagine a dent school keeping you out b/c you did @#%$ first yr, but got 4.0's every year after.

 

Paul Martin on the other hand is on the downslide, the corruption and scandles are recent, and seem to be on going.

[Guest Audio]

Harper is a US puppet. Is that what you really want? He's funded by the US Christian Racist Right. He'll be best buddies with George Bush. The US's best interests become ours. We'll go to war when they say. We'll do what they say.

 

Is becoming a target for terrorists really worth a .05% tax cut?

[Guest predentalguy]

Audio i think you got it all wrong. Harper is a politician.. he works in the interests of his party and getting himserlf re elected. If Harper is elected as prime minister I would be very surprised if he does not try to speak to mainstream votes.

 

Mainstream canadians were agaisnt the war back then and will be in the future..

 

I think you are right he will try to rebuild the tarnished relationship between canada and the US. But I would be VERY surprised if he does anything extreme like go to war since he needs canadian mainstream votes.

 

He will be out to prove that he isnt some extremist who follows the US on every move to get those mainstream votes.

[Guest marbledust]

Wow. It's good to see so many in this thread more concerned with their potential incomes than with with might be better for the country*.

 

 

*I admit that I don't know what is best for the country. But I am making my decision based on more than how I think it will affect my future income.

[Guest johnwoo19]

Let's hear your view on things marbledust.

[Guest Audio]

I think you have it the other way around. Were you sleeping when Harper was pressuring the Liberals to go to Iraq with the US?

 

And don't you think Harper is speaking to the mainstream now and will go back to his old, right-wing racist ways?

 

This guy is a racist. How many of you are immigrants or have parents that are immigrants? This guys doesn't think you should have been allowed into this country!

 

He's going to take away power from the courts and make this a USA North.

 

He thinks solving the gun violence problem in Toronto means racial profiling and locking up these "thugs" (read as black people in his view) for the longest time possible. He wants to cut social programs that will keep kids off the street in these bad areas.

 

And you guys want all this for what? 2% off of sales tax? Give me a break.

 

If you take the tax cut that the Tories want to give to their rich friends and invest it, that's 4 years of tuition paid for EVERY SINGLE STUDENT IN CANADA. Why can't they do something like that. What would benefit you, 2% off sales tax and maybe 100 or 200 off your income tax or tuition paid for 4 years?

 

I'm going to vote NDP because I'm not a racist, right-wing pig:)

[Guest marbledust]

Let's hear your view on things marbledust.

 

Well, like I said in my post above: I am not sure what is best for the country right now. BUT, I am making my decision based on more than how it is going to affect my personal income.

[Guest predentalguy]

Like i said Audio, Harper and the conservative government will not do anything drastic in there term if elected since 1) they will have a minority 2) they have to appear as if they are mainstream.

 

Secondly, my parents immigrated to this country 30 years ago, and they have seen all sorts of agendas pulled off. My parents are mainstream canadians. Harper needs to accomodate those votes otherwise we ll be heading into another election. So no he wont have room to be a "racist" as you put it. (by the way its amazing how you can so easily just label someone as racist!... that is a big accusation)

 

Third HE IS NOT taking power away from the courts, get ur facts straight. He is simply leaving things the way they are. MArtin is the one who is proposing an ammendment to the constitution by removal of the non-withstanding clause and giving more power to the courts. I think our court system has the right amount of power as it is, no need to change it.

 

 

LASTLy, and dont get me wrong, as a student i think if you make tuition fees free you will remove the hard work I put into paying off my tuition. If everything is free you remove the competitive atmosphere. Why do you think harvard is one of the top universities in the world? you know what the tuition is there?? dont complain! we have it better than so many people across this globe, we need to work harder and channel our efforts more efficiently. Sure it would be neat to have less tuition, but clearly that will come with a cost to other services.. so lets be realistic as well

 

 

Marbledust:

 

I think as long as you make an informed decision, and not basing your choice on one issue you ll be on the right track

 

 

Cheers

[Guest opnbsp]

I personally like the Liberal platform. I like their stand on healthcare and increasing med school admissions. I think they're attacking the issues from the core, rather than other parties which wanna decrease wait-times by puting forth legislations. I understand the liberals have in the past been layed back on healthcare and may have brought us to where we are, but I believe this was a wake-up call and we all deserve a second chance. Besides they've already make the mistake, it's morally harder and less frequent to make the same mistakes twice than to bring in a new government that may make the mistake for the first time.

 

Also, increasing med school enrollment increases our chances to be in dentistry. Those of us who really want to be in the profession and have worked towards it our entire life won't be blocked out by med students who go into dents because they didn't make it into medicine. I think it would have a possitive influence on healthcare in general.