Legislative Assembly

has this to say about it and he wasn’t wrong. “Another thing I would like to bring forth on behalf of the Veteran’s of this province is that the Veterans who are re- ceiving War Veteran’s Allowance, or are receiving disabled Pensions, are entitled by statute to free treatment of their disability under the Disability Allowance.” That I contend is a good thing but today he says, “this Diefenbaker government has changed the regulations so that these Veterans, who are trying to receive treatment in the rural area, have to drive all the way to Charlottetown with their prescription to get it filled at the DVA, and then drive all the way back, forty or fifty miles, with a bottle of medicine." They drive back today with this little package that costs only a little bit and I am not sure how much the insulin costs, five or ten dollars. “Until this administration took over, the Veteran could take his prescription to the nearest drugstore, get his drugs and then carry on his treatment, but under these new rules and regulations of this Government we got at Ottawa, this Veteran must now get into Charlottetown and if it is Friday, the same thing is going to apply to these patients, the diabetic ones, if it is Friday, Saturday or Sunday he can’t get it at all because the DVA is closed; so is the Department of Health. So as sick as he is and as ill as he is he stands there with his prescription at the door waiting until Monday morning until nine o’clock." (Applause)

Some Member: There you are, there you are.

Keith S. Harrington: The Honourable Minister of Welfare, Mr. Bonnell, at that time condemned it and in a very short time the Government of that day took his advice, they took his advice and they did make it convenient for the Veterans. So I hope that the members of the Government will take my advice and make it convenient for the people of the province. (Applause) (Hear, hear). Because, and I am going to quote M. L. Bonnell again, “Because these people deserve the very best and they should be able to get their drugs as rescribed by the physician of this province, and it should be given to them as quic ly as possible from the near- est possible drugatore.” That’s his thinking on the matter and I well believe that it is still the same now as it was in those days. I think the Government of the day could still make some arrangement with the people who dispense these drugs so 3h“ it would be much more convenient for the people who are required to take this

rug.

With that, Mr. Speaker, I move the adjournment of the Debate. (Applause).

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