Friends of Medicare was appalled to hear that the Alberta Government is delaying the long-awaited cancer centre planned for Calgary. The government first promised funding to increase capacity for cancer care in 2005, and last year the government promised a world-class cancer facility would be open in Calgary by 2020. Now they are refusing to commit to a timeline for its completion.

"This is getting ludicrous," said Sandra Azocar, Executive Director of Friends of Medicare. "Not only have Albertans been told for nearly a decade that this facility would be built, but even in the government recent Speech from the Throne, they promised to meet the health care needs of our growing communities with high quality services. Unfortunately, further delaying the new cancer centre in Calgary is a move in the opposite direction."

The government is attributing the delay to the low price of oil.

"Access to health care should never depend on the price of oil," continued Azocar. "Albertans are being treated like they're playing the stock market for their health care. If the government is truly committed to providing high-quality health care to Albertans, they must immediately reverse this decision and begin building Calgary's new cancer centre."