Jamile Ghaddar: The HHS restructuring is part of a bigger province-wide move to centralize services within the 14 LHINs. While at a superficial level it may appear as a reasonable policy, at a deeper level such moves for regionalized centralization are resulting in the closure of smaller hospitals, or parts thereof, and an overall reduction of services in smaller and rural communities.

Across the province, this has resulted in the closure of hospital emergency rooms and labour and delivery wards, cutting back on lab, physiotherapy and mental health services, and the transfer of patients from hospital beds to unregulated, for-profit long-term care facilities.

The MLPC stands firmly on the side of health care as a right for all Canadians and we oppose the closure of the adult emergency room at McMaster University.

The creation and strengthening of a vital, innovative healthcare system is essential for the health of Canadian society. We oppose the rhetoric of fiscal imbalances and increased cost of care to push the agenda of governments to increase corporate profits off of human suffering and illness.

Canadians, time and again, have stood for a publicly funded and administered health-care system. This demand for a health system that is responsive to their needs and created in their own interest must be realized.

Gordon Guyatt: Administrative leaders at Hamilton Health Sciences perceived a necessity for eliminating adult medicine from the McMaster site, leaving an exclusively pediatric emergency room. That perception reflects the stresses in the health care system, stresses that resulted from Liberal and Conservative governments' excessive focus on corporate tax cuts, and neglect of areas such as health care.

As a physician working for 25 years at McMaster, and the only riding candidate to speak publicly on the hospital closing issue, I am delighted that the NDP will redress that imbalance. Shortages of doctors have created unacceptable wait times; people in our riding cannot find a family doctor. We will substantially increase enrolment in medical and nursing schools, and forgive loans for young doctors who choose family medicine.

Every commission that has looked at Canadian health care in the last decade has recommended national home care and pharmacare programs, a recommendation that Liberals and Conservatives have ignored. The NDP will make these programs a reality. They will begin relatively modestly, and grow as resources become available to ensure that every Canadian can afford the medications they need, and get the health care aid they need in their home.

Arlene MacFarlane-VanderBeek: When I speak with voters about the state of health care in our riding, the same questions arise: Will there be a hospital bed when I need one? Can I afford long-term care? Will my loved ones be treated quickly and fairly?

They, and I, understand the primary responsibility for health care in this community rests with the Ontario Ministry of Health, but we also understand the importance partnerships and cooperation play among all levels of government.

Even so, the concerns I'm hearing reflect a growing lack of confidence many Canadians have in our national health-care system, an attitude reinforced by the Conservatives' laissez-faire approach, and their shocking behaviour action during the recent listeria outbreak.

Canadians deserve better. Liberals will cooperate with the provinces to improve Canada's health-care system. We will create a Doctors and Nurses Fund, increasing the capacity to train and graduate health-care professionals, and we'll offer incentives to encourage doctors to commit to five years as family physicians in small communities. This will ensure Canadians receive better care and shortened waiting times. We also will introduce a new catastrophic drug coverage plan so no family suffers financially when the cost of an illness becomes too high.

Peter Ormond: The Green Party is very concerned about the LHIN decision since it is so out of touch with the needs of the community. Basically, the current health system has to be re-designed. When elected, the Green Party will:

• Provide more money to hire staff, especially front-line doctors and nurses. We would reopen many closed beds and keep current facilities available.

• Immediately conduct a feasibility study into establishing, in cooperation with the provinces, a National PharmaCare Program so that no Canadian will spend more than three per cent of their after-tax dollars on prescribed medications and treatments.

• Control escalating health-care costs by focusing on prevention. This would include removing chemicals that pose a significant risk to you and your family's health. We would help the over one million Canadians with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity.

• Encourage programs that focus on healthy lifestyles. Promote fitness, sport and active living.

• Aggressively fight the obesity epidemic and its related problems like diabetes.

• Protect our health care system from NAFTA trade challenges

• Take a holistic approach to health by supporting mental, physical and social needs through a community-based model.

• Work with impacted communities when making decisions.

• Visit GreenPartyHamilton.ca.

David Sweet: Families throughout the riding, including my own, depend on access to quality, public health care. That's why the Conservative government brought in the patient wait times guarantee. That's also why I attended the rally at Dalewood Community Centre last month to express my concern, along with so many from the community, with the closure of McMaster's adult emergency. While this is a provincial matter, I think it's important that my views are known.

I've been proud to be part of a number of federal initiatives over the past couple years in improving healthcare for people in our area and all Canadians. This includes the recent announcement by Prime Minister Stephen Harper and myself to provide federal funding towards building the Braley cardio-vascular research centre at the Hamilton General Hospital This project creates jobs and leverages Hamilton's world-class reputation as a leader in medical advancement.

Similarly I've been proud to work with St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton as an advocate of the proposed research institute in respiratory health. Again, this builds on local expertise and takes it to the international stage.

If re-elected, I will continue to be an advocate for employing innovation to improve the health care available to our citizens.