P.E.I.'s interim Green leader says 'broken' health system a top concern for 2024

Karla Bernard has been the interim leader of P.E.I.'s Green Party for less than half of 2023, but she might feel like she's put in a full year's worth of work. 

The party's provincial council selected her for the role in July after former leader Peter Bevan-Baker announced the previous month that he would be stepping down. 

The Greens had lost six of their eight seats in the April 3 provincial election, leaving only Bernard and Bevan-Baker as sitting MLAs. 

"It's a lot more work than it was before and I also feel a lot of weight on my shoulders because there's not eight people to share that with. There's two of us," Bernard told CBC News: Compass host Louise Martin during a year-end interview on Wednesday. 

"Sometimes it can feel like you're up against a really strong blue wall, and you try to break through and it's a lot more challenging than it was before." 

Bernard discussed those challenges and others the party faced this year, along with its priorities heading into 2024. 

Bernard said there's no timeline yet for the selection process for a new provincial Green Party leader, but she hasn't ruled out throwing her hat in the ring for the permanent position. 

"I'm keeping an open mind. I'd also be happy to support a strong candidate who comes forward," she said. "I haven't closed the door on it, but I recognize jumping into something like that, it's pretty big." 

Premier Dennis King and departing Health P.E.I. CEO Dr. Michael Gardam have both said the foundation has been laid for improved health care down the road. 

Bernard said there should be more of an urgency to repair the system now. 

"I think that our health-care system is broken, and to consider it any other way right now is a bit insulting for Islanders. People have been waiting to see a specialist for years and their health [is] really being impacted," she said. 

"Government, rather than being proactive, is being reactive… and in many cases, they can't even react because people just don't have that access to primary care." 

Something that could be done in the shorter term, she said, is to increase medical residency seats at schools like Dalhousie University in Halifax to increase new doctors' odds of staying in this province. 

Bernard said UPEI's new medical school, now under construction, will see its young doctors go to other provinces like Newfoundland and Labrador when it eventually begins training students.