"People are waiting too long for basic cancer treatment and MRIs and the Liberal government found money for the (Dalton) McGuinty sex change program instead," Polievere told the Ottawa Sun.
Ontario Health Minister George Smitherman announced on Thursday the resumption of the province's inclusion of sex reassignment procedures under its health plan. In 2006, the Ontario Human Rights Commission ordered Ontario to resume paying the cost of the sex change operations of three residents.
Smitherman estimated the annual outlay of $200,000 would cover only between eight to 10 Ontarians seeking sex change.
According to the Ottawa Sun, a sex change surgery would cost about $17,000 based on the billing of the Centre Metropolitan de Chirurgie Plastique.
Poilievre stressed, quoted by the Ottawa Sun, "If people want this medically unnecessary treatment they have the right to go out and pay for it themselves. You shouldn't have to force taxpayers to cover it."
