Seniors fight US contract

By Dan Hilborn
Published Aug. 24, 2004


Alice West is worried about her privacy. The Burnaby resident and co-chair of the seniors' group Women Elders in Action (WE*ACT) is among the more than 500 individuals and groups that have sent submissions to B.C. Privacy Commissioner's ongoing review of the potential impact of the USA Patriot Act.

West, a former labour activist, is particularly worried that the B.C. Liberal government is not going out of its way to protect the most vulnerable groups in society. And her argument is simply that she hasn't seen any reason to trust them.

"I find, particularly in this last while, that this province is not looking after its seniors and children as well as it used to," West said. "They'll pay lip service and talk to us, but then they'll go off and do what they want. And usually, it's something seniors don't want.

"It's frustrating because all my life, I've been trying to do the right thing."

WE*ACT, which has chapters in Nelson, Terrace, Penticton and Vancouver Island, is concerned that the U.S.A. Patriot Act - formally called the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001 - could allow the American government and agencies such as the CIA and FBI, to peek into the medical records of British Columbians.

"Our provincial government has said they'll try to ensure that this will not happen. But when they say they'll try, it doesn't mean they have a handle on it. If they're going to privatize, wouldn't it be better to keep the information inside of Canada?" she asked. "I really do not like having my private information sold to a company. It's too nebulous and there's a lot of unknowns."

The three-page WE-ACT brief submitted to the privacy commissioner earlier this month, offers a similar point of view.

"Unfortunately, we lack the confidence that this province can protect our information once it is under the control of American corporations subject to overrule by the USA Patriot Act," said the submission. "It is impossible for the provincial government (or any of us really) to imagine all the eventual negative ramifications of exposure under the USA Patriot Act from the release of hitherto protected information.

"But decisions must be made based on the potential for abuse. To do otherwise is hopelessly naive and possibly negligent, given the finality of contractual choices, the complexities of systems, the capricious nature of political decisions, the permeability of databases and the sophistication of those that wish to manipulate them."

"The question WE*ACT members are asking themselves is, 'Why should our collective fate be dependent on the promise of good intentions by American institutions with unsavory track records, when it's the responsibility of our own government to fail-safe our well-being?'"

David Loukidelis called for a review of the Patriot Act's effect on B.C. in May, when public concerns were first raised about the possible sale of the B.C. Medical Service Plan billing and administrative functions to the U.S. firm Maximus.

While he originally intended to have the report finished by mid-August, the overwhelming number of submissions has pushed that date back to next month.