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Legislative iAssemblyi

must not be created as this can provide only a mediocre medical service, available to all but then efficient to none.

Bill C227 seems to encourage monopolistic government control and cer- tainly does not provxde for diver51f1cation.

Administration. We believe that administration of insurance plans must be non-political. Public audit is required but not government administra- tion. Administration can be done better by the non-profit medical plans and commercial carriers. They have long years of experience in this field. Again, Section 4 is ambiguous in this respect and the Federal Deputy Minister had a meeting with CMA representatives admitted that it was the aim of the government to have, these multiple carriers operate only as post offices for passing of accounts and cheques between doctors and the government.

The role of the Federal Government. Health is a provincial responsibility and financial contributions by the Federal Government should not inter- fere with the self-determination of the Province. The new Federal Act seems to force the Provinces to make financial outlays whether or not they can afford it. More latitude in this regard would be appropriate, and each Province should be allowed to decide what is best for itself and to set up its own priorities in health care. This is probably what will happen in regard to Quebec and we should not like a different policy for Prince Edward Island.

The P.E.I. Medical Society is more than a little distressed because of the hasty action of the Federal Government in regard to Medical Care In- surance. Bill C 227, in its present form, seems unnecessarily restrictive and it leaves this Province in an impossible situation.

Our Provincial Government will, it seems, he required to collect at least one point five million dollars in taxes in order to finance such a scheme, and it will be required to pass some very restrictive legislation which will not enhance the quality of medical care in this Province.

Financing. It is our opinion that the objective in Medical Care Insurance should be to provide coverage for everyone. 50% of Islanders are pre- sently insured and the employers are paying half the premiums of group insurance. 10% of the people are insured under Provincial Social Assis- tance Plan with Blue Cross-Blue Shield, the remaining 40% can easily be insured either privately or through government subsidy at no cost to this Island if the Federal Act can be loosened to some extent. Bill C227 provides a Federal payment of half the total cost of medical services, but then it contains clauses requiring the Provincial Government to spend a similar amount before being eligible for participation. In this respect it is not a grant but a form of coercion.

It seems to us that the aim of this Province in this regard should be to obtain the Federal Grant of half the cost of medical services on the Island without regard to where the other half comes from. If Bill C227 can be changed in this regard the grant would easily insure all others on this Island with no cost to the Province. Present employer/employee plans could be continued as at present and there would be no need to collect more taxes.

Our final objections. Federal dictation now is determining our position in 1972 which in what is wholly a provincial affair, because in 1972 the federal grant is going to be discontinued and this Province will be saddled with a $4,000,000 program and dependent upon its own resources for fin- ancing it.”

I could quote the remarks from Hansard of Mr. MacDonald, Mr. Macquarrie and the Honourable Angus MacLean in support of this submission and they, as well as many other Conservative speakers, expressed support for a voluntary medical care insurance plan, which every province could support and implement. However, the

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