EDITORIAL Salvaging Medicare Bill 16, the Medical Services Plan Act, which outlaws the threatened extra-billing by B.C. doctors, is now before the Legislature. Introduced Mar. 31, it has been assured support in principle by both parties. And whatever we may think of this provincial government — a government which is mainly responsible - for the crisis in health care in this province — a ban on extra-billing will undoubtedly receive overwhelming public support. It will get that support not because most people didn’t think the doctors were entitled to a fair fee schedule, but because it reaffirms the basis principle on which medicare rests: universal accessibility. We must register serious concern over the provisions enshrining the doctors’ right to opt out — provisions which Justice Em- mett Hall recommended be eliminated — but the legislation will nevertheless be welcomed by all those who have fought to maintain the medicare system. The B.C. Medical Association should also consider that public support — and its own stated belief in medicare — before moving to challenge the bill in the courts or to opt out. The BCMA leadership has sought to justify extra-billing, either by the specious argument that it ‘‘will save medicare’? — supposedly by keeping government health costs down — or by the cynical argument , that most people are spending propor- ' tionately less: oftheir income on health care. To a certain reactionary, hard-line group, which has recently come to dominate the BCMA leadership, that lat- ter argument is basic: they expect working people to accept a reduced income in or-. der to keep doctors’ incomes up. But even if the legislation is passed, the crisis — of which the doctors’ dispute was only the most immediate and dramatic part — won’t be over. Hospitals all over the province are be-: ing compelled to close down acute care beds because of lack of funds. Emergency patients are being diverted to other hospitals for the same reason. Construc- tion plans have been curtailed. Everywhere the crisis demonstrates a lack of funding by the provincial govern- ment. The Mar. 9 budget provided for only minor increases. in health expenditures while millions were earmarked to facilitate the sellout of resources to multinational corporations. Worse — and this is as immediate a | threat as was that of extra-billing — health minister Neilson has indicated that there will be increases in medical in- surance premiums and hospital per diem Charges. He has claimed that the provin- cial government’s share must be kept to ‘only 15 percent of costs. Yet we are one of only three provinces — significantly the three wealthiest pro- | vinces, B.C., Alberta and Ontario — which even charges insurance premiums. The Social Credit government must not be allowed to get away with increasing premiums or hospital charges as the price of a ban on extra-billing. It should make its committment to medicare as firm as its posturing over Bill 16 suggested — and take steps to abolish medical insurance premiums and hospital charges and provide adequate financing. Justice Hall, in his report last September, outlined the basic steps that governments should: take to preserve medicare: ban extra-billing and abolish premiums. With Bill 16, Victoria has taken the first step. Now its should take the other. Get off sinking U.S. ship The Reagan administration’s offen- sive military soe — and its moves to - e implement them — are alarming the world. Canadians, who have been drag- ged aboard the sinking ship of U.S. im- perialism, have every reason to holler and fight until the Trudeau government is compelled to desert that rotting hulk. The ordinary people of this country made that known in cities across the land, and right under Reagan’s nose on Parliament Hill, when the U.S. president visited Ottawa on March 10. Being one of those countries with re- sources and strategic positions the USA covets, Canada has received some par- ticularly insolent slaps in the face, from the Reagan right-wingers, to make it clear which way the relationship works. (Most of us are aware of Reagan’s scrap- ping of the east coast fish treaty, labored over for years to give fishermen of both countries fair access while instituting conservation. We know of the wrecking of the Law of the Sea agreement which was finally reaching fruition after much work. We know of Washington’s dump- ing of $4-million into the Garrison Pro- ject, condemned by Canada as a danger- PACIFIC TRIBUNE— APRIL 3, 1981—Page 4 ous polluter of Canadian waterways.) But by far the most sudden death fu- ture for Canada and its people lurks in Reagan’s drive to rule the world at any cost, despite Soviet categorical assurance that it will not allow military domination of itself or the socialist community. The reason for Washington’s appa- rent insanity is not hard to find. The multi-national corporations which dominate Reagan are a part of the USA’s largest single business (in terms of profit) — the arms business. They include Gen- eral Dynamics (with $4.1-billion in war orders), Rockwell International, Boeing, United Technologies, General Electric, McDonnell Douglas, etc. A U.S. Senate committee notes that 164 out of 169 military suppliers made profits between 50% and 200%, three made more than © 500%, and one made 2,000%. No won- der they love arms escalation. Such facts are a sound basis for de- _manding that Canada break with the war administration of Reagan, and re-claim Canada’s resources from the multi- nationals who feed on them in order to spew death and destruction wherever U.S. “interests” dictate. e Flashbacks 3 ? 25 years ago... 50 years ago... FARMERS FAVOR SOMETHING USSR EXCHANGE IS IN SIGHT Recent agreements to sell § The Los Angeles Examiner is wheat to the Soviét Union and snooping around trying hard 0) some eastern European coun- tries are in line with the policies of the Farmers’ Union of Alber- ta, said its president A.W. Platt. Platt said that the FUA favors trade with all nations interested in buying our farm products, on ‘satisfactory terms for payment. Although the amount of wheat sold during 1956 will not sub- stantially affect the large Cana- dian surplus, they welcome ad- ditions to the present market, and long term arrangements such as the three-year agree- ment with the Soviet Union. Platt is also in favor of ex- changes of farm delegations be- tween Canada and the USSR. “Anything which promotes in- ternational goodwill should be encouraged”, he-said. Tribune, March 26, 1956 Profiteer of the week | find something to hang #) | “‘prosperity-is-coming-back’ story on. Its front page last weeb carries a three column photo ladies’ legs with the caption) “Barometer for Prosperity”. The proportion ‘of “legs ‘to. skirt, according to Randolph Hearst’s economics, is in inversé ratio to prosperity. “When skirts grow longer an economic depre ssion is approaching. Converse ly, when’ women begin wearing shorter skirts, better times are i), sight,” it writes. If this quantum is true, the girls at the burlesque theatre owned by Tammaney’ District Attorney in New York prove we're in the midst of a bus iness boom. The Worker; March 28, 193! Everyone knows that food processors, like oll corporations, are just there to help humanity. If they make money that’s a fluke of perpetus! inflationary inevitability. So it’s nice to know that although Ogilvie Mills Ltd., Montreal had a 1980 profit of $18,539,000 It’s really a manifestation unrelated to our empty pockets. Ogilvie is in flour, past® feeds, cereal, etc. R BUNE Editor — SEAN GRIFFIN Associate Editor — FRED WILSON | Business and Circulation Manager — PAT O'CONNOR _ PACKIC Published weekly at Suite 101 — 1416 Commercial Drive, Vancouver, B.C. V5L 3X9. Phone 251-1186 Subscription Rate: Canada $12 one year; $7 for six months. All other countries, $15 one year. Second class mail registration number 1560 . ~