Paul Martin has been accussed of hypocrisy for pushing public health care in Canada

Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin has been accussed of hypocrisy for pushing public health care in Canada while his own family doctor runs a several private medical clinics.

"Prime Minister Martin's longtime family physician, Dr. Sheldon Elman, has offices in a downtown Montreal medical clinic, Medisys," the statement said.

"Medisys is a medical clinic accessible to all members of the public. It provides services regularly to anyone with medical need.

"While Medisys also provides executive health-care services to individuals, Prime Minister Martin does not have an executive health-care plan."

The opposition jumped on the story in the House of Commons, accusing Martin of having double standards.

Conservative Leader Stephen Harper said the prime minister is queue-jumping by using a doctor who operates a chain of private, for-profit MRI clinics.

Tories say it's hypocrisy because Martin demonizes them for saying there's a role for private delivery of health.

Health Minister Pierre Pettigrew defended Martin.

"The prime minister has never paid for an MRI," he told the Commons. "He has always paid with his health card for the medical treatment that he needed like everyone else."