Wednesday, March 13, 1968

his quotation in the Guardian of September 18, 1967: “Mr. Campbell suggested that eventually a Maritime Union would be feasible and our Premiers have already agreed

in principle to this suggestion.” That is in quotation marks, and I will table the document if you want me to. (Applause)

Hon. Alexander B. Campbell: My statement in the House last year clarifies my posi- tlon, and it is right there.

.I- Cyril Sinnott: This is later, this is September.

Hon. Alexander B. Campbell: I say that I am misquoted by the honourable member and by the newspaper report. I have made my position clear on past occasions in this House thlS year, and I will make it clear again later.

J. Cyril Sinnott: Well if the Premier wants to change his statement that he gave the Guardian it doesn’t matter to me but it is here. if you want it tabled I will and every member can have a look at it. But I will not withdraw the statement because it is written right here and all I did was read it.

The Minister of Labour and other members of the government haVe asked for the position of the Opposition on the question of Medical Care Insurance. I cannot give them a very official opinion but I can outline for them the position of the Conservative Party in Canada, and of the Conservative Party in Prince Edward Island. It is simply this: all Conservatives oppose the present federal Medicare Act as it is presently written. It is an act which will regiment the medical profession, which will degrade the practice of medicine, and which will not make medical care available to all of the people despite what it says.

The people will need wholehearted co-operation of the medical profession in order to supply Medicare to everyone, for the government cannot give what it doesn’t own. I can do not better than to read the submission of the Prince Edward Island Medical Society of P.E.I. in August 1966, which was sent to the Federal Govern- ment and to the four Island M.P.’s at that time. And, this I must say, comes re- markably close to what the Minister of Health says when he spoke on the. Draft

Address. “August 1966 -— Medical Care Insurance in Prince Edward Island, prin— ciples to be observed.

(1) The need for insurance. The Prince Edward Island Medical Society be- lieves that it is in the public interest that Medical Insurance Service be available to all Islanders. This Insurance should cover the cost of phy- sicians in home, office and hospital, and perhaps the services of para- medical personnel and therapeutic agents ordered by physicians.

(2) Personnel. There is a serious shortage of physicians in Canada, and Prince Edward Island alone requires at least twenty-five more Doctors now. Prince Edward Island has the highest per capita number of medical stud— ents of all provinces. There are now thirty of our young people in medi- cal schools, but on the average only one or two of these will return home. The reasons for their leaving the Island we believe are: academic isola- tion. lack of opportunity for continuing medical education, long hours of work and inadequate remuneration in many areas in that order.

We cannot see any solution to these problems at the present time, but we would not like to have it aggravated by our provincial government having to implement a wholly government controlled program. We be- lieve such a program can only increase these difficulties.

(3) Flexibility. We believe it is essential that alternative types of insurance for the basic minimum be made available to the public. The Minister of Health and Welfare,, that is the Minister of Health and Welfare, Federal Government, seems to have accepted this principle and has stated that multiple insurance carriers will be allowed. However section 41A and (4) sub-section 2 from the Medicare Act are ambiguous in this regard. It is equally necessary that the public be free to purchase additional types of benefits, for example; drugs, eye glasses, nursing services, etc., in other insurance programs. In brief, we believe, that a government monopoly

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