Enter Dr. Philpott, dean of the Queen’s University medical school. Just like that, campaigning PCs can deflect criticisms by saying they have a plan for primary care with a clear goal and an expert in charge

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Appointing former federal health minister Jane Philpott to fix Ontario’s primary-care shortage was a brilliant political coup by the Doug Ford government. While it’s unlikely to benefit Ontarians any time soon, the move is just the tonic the PCs required.

With an election widely expected next spring, the Ford government is vulnerable on health care, not because it has done nothing, but because it hasn’t done enough. It is expanding doctor numbers, hospitals and long-term care beds, just not fast enough to meet increasing demand.

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An Angus Reid Institute poll earlier this month showed that 60 per cent of Ontarians identified health care as their top issue and 80 per cent thought the government was doing a poor job on health. That’s a sign that action is required — or at least the appearance of action.

Enter Dr. Philpott, dean of the Queen’s University medical school and author of a bestselling book on how to fix health care. Her mandate is to connect every Ontarian to primary care within five years.

Just like that, campaigning PCs can deflect criticisms over health care by saying they have a plan for primary care with a clear goal and an expert in charge. To make it even sweeter, the........

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