q I t pe ¥ rm, @ the raci Watch next week’s issue for a startling exposure What is the tieup befween Social | Credit, ts and ultra-Right in Canada? Socreds aim to sabotage medicare charges Douglas . The partial health scheme introduced by the Socreds in Victoria was branded as an attempt to forestall a national medicare plan by New Demo- cratic leader Tommy Douglas at a public meeting in Burnaby last weekend. Almost at the same time, the Canadian Medical Association’s general council, meeting in Toronto, declared war against any universal government-sponsored medicare scheme such as is proposed by the Hall Royal Commission. ot A 7 ae FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 5;-1965 VOL, 26, NO. 5 10¢ VICTORIA — The Legislature’s Corridors were alive with activ- ity here Tuesday afternoon as about 100 B.C, Peace Council. delegates and supporters met with MLA’s to urge that B,C. be kept nuclear free and to ask the Legislature to take a standon disarmament and peace, The 100-strong lobby which Came from Vancouver and Island Centre, marched through Victoria Streets to the Legislative build- ings Carrying large banners which read: “Keep B.C, nuclear- free,” “Rid Canada of nuclear arms.” The parade and lobby was much larger than last year. Headed by Canadian Peace ongress chairman Dr, James Endicott and B.C. Peace Council Chairman Laud Gardner, the del- gates met with Bert Price, Soc- Ted House whip, the NDP caucus, two members of the Liberal cau- Cus and with many MLA’s, The NDP caucus told the large delegation that they will introduce & peace resolution during the Present session, Later in the afternoon NDP MLA Leo Nim- Sick, Cranbrook, spoke for a few Minutes in the House expressing his support for the objectives of the lobby, A brief was submitted to the Legislative assembly by the B.C. Se Council which stated that € government of B.C. has the Tesponsibility and power to Strengthen Canada’s positionasa leader for peace in the world,” It said that the security of our Country and the world would be- Come greater if Canada were to Keep B.C. nuclear free. MLAs urged by lobby rid itself of nuclear warheads and declare itself a “nuclear-free” zone, The brief concluded by urging that the voice of the government of B.C. be heard in Ottawa ina call for action to rid Canada of nuclear arms, It said such a step would be a momentous one and would open the way to world disarmament, legates marching Photo shows some of the 100 peace de! ¢ ’ esund the Parliament buildings in Victoria urging that Speaking of the plan brought down in the B,C, Legislature, the NDP leader told the meeting in Brentwood Park School that“this has been played up as the first step to complete medicare, but it?s only part of a relentless battle insurance companies are waging against national medi- care,” Douglas also urged that the Canada pension plan and the na- tional labor code be passed be- fore the next session of Parlia- ment prorogues,“ They may never be implemented if they are not passed this year,” he warned, Emboldened by provincial schemes introduced in Ontario,. Alberta and now B,C,, which severely limit health services and emasculate the Hall Com- mission proposals on medicare, the Canadian Medical Associa- tion general council said after a two-day session that it disagrees with major aspects of the Royal Commission report, The CMA declareditself firmly. against any universal govern- ment-supported scheme and against any insurance plan which would cover the full cost of medi- cal care, It demanded that part of the medical bills should be paid for by the public who are “self-supporting,” Here is seen the thinking that lies behind the legislation intro- duced in B,C,: that government support for medical care should be -mainly directed toward those groups not “self-supporting.” In other words, the doctors want to limit any plan so that the govern- ment would pay the doctor’s bills - or part of the bills only for pa- tients who couldn’t pay the doc- tor’s bills in any case, The CMA also reversed its stand on doctor’s fees, In 1960 the association conceded they might have to accept fees set by negotiation, Now they insist on setting their own fees, In this too, they have obviously been en- couraged by the Ontario, Alber- ta and B,C, governments in stiffening their opposition to any measure of public health serv- ices, It is reported that there are strong divisions in the medical, profession on these important —Don Ryan photos B.C. be kept nuclear free. The delegates who met with MLAs came from many parts of B.C. NDP LEADER TOMMY DOUGLAS, who last week called for a national all- embracing health plan. He also urged adoption of the pension plan and labor code at the present session of Parliament. He warned that tremen- dous pressure is being put on the gov- ernment to drop both issues. issues, and that some doctors, mindful of the Saskatchewan ex- perience, are prepared to co- Operate with a comprehensive medicare plan, The reactionaries in the CMA have been further encouraged by “a statement of Prime Minister Pearson’s parliamentary secre- tary and Coast-Capijano MP, Jack Davis, Davis told a theeting of his constituency association last week that medicare is largely a provincial matter and that Ot- tawa’s role is one of co-opera— tion with the provinces, Davis’ stand came under sharp criticism this week from B,C, Communist Party organizational secretary Charles Caron, who was candidate for his party inthe Coast-Capilano riding in the last federal election, Caron charged that the stand taken by Davis sabotages a na- tional medicare plan, “If Davis is expressing the opinion of the Liberal government this is indeed serious, His stand goes directly against the proposals of the Hall Royal Commission, which con- demned partial or limited plans.” Caron said the “public should protest the stand taken by Davis and demand that instead of.back- ing Bennett in emasculating medicare he should be fighting for early action in Ottawa for a comprehensive health scheme,”