Independent Nechako Lakes MLA John Rustad introduced a petition in the legislature asking the BC government to repeal Bill 36, which was passed in November last year amid widespread controversy..Also known as the Health Professions and Occupations Act, Bill 36 will further consolidate the various healthcare-related colleges under a more collective framework, fundamentally changing how colleges function..Calling it “groundbreaking legislation,” the province says Bill 36 will streamline the process to regulate new health professions, provide stronger oversight, and provide more consistent discipline across the professions..BC currently has 15 health colleges providing a regulatory framework for 25 health professionals. The act will whittle the number of colleges down to six..The merging of colleges, which is nothing new in BC, is not where the backlash stems from, but rather changes to how the colleges are governed and regulated..Under the act, the board members who hear and make decisions regarding professional misconduct will be appointed by the province, as will the superintendent tasked with overseeing the colleges..Concerns of more smoothly imposed vaccination requirements under the act have also been vocalized by some advocacy groups. An exchange between BC Health Minister Adrian Dix and and opposition member Shirley Bond on the matter of vaccination mandates in the context of Bill 36 can be viewed here.."What I'm hearing from doctors and nurses, in particular, is that they aren't comfortable losing the ability to govern their own professions,” said Rustad in a statement..“Amongst other changes, Bill 36 removes independent, elected positions and shifts oversight of health professions to government appointees.”.The independent MLA’s petition amassed nearly 11,000 signatures..Rustad argues Bill 36 was written with little consultation from healthcare workers, further noting it was done so "behind closed doors."."There was a chilling effect. Now, they're just ramming it through — it’s unfair to many of our healthcare heroes,” he said..Rustad was previously with the BC Liberals until he was booted from the party’s caucus last year due to social media posts he made in relation to anthropogenic climate change.."Following a pattern of behaviour that was not supportive of our caucus team and the principles of mutual respect and trust, I have removed MLA John Rustad from the BC Liberal Caucus effective immediately,” said party leader Kevin Falcon at the time..A month after his axing, Rustad told the Western Standard he'd not been provided a substantive answer as to why he was tossed..Branching out from the emotionally charged topic of climate change, Rustad's action in response to Bill 36 has proven to be a unifying endeavour. The act has been met with vicious criticism across BC's political spectrum.."Bill 36 just takes control of healthcare away from frontline health practitioner and gives it to our minister of Health," says Dr. Kindy, a general practitioner in Campbell River.."Muzzling healthcare workers is not the answer to our crisis nor is it making patients safer.".READ MORE: Former BC Liberal MLA warns of 'environmental elitism'
