As the new decade began, the by the province’s medical association, the Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce was opposition Liberal Party and some members of the business community, ISSUES OF THE DAY: on a roll. Membership had been steadily including the provincial chamber. • Oppose the Medicare plan rising since 1952, reaching 120 in 1960, and integration with the Canadian Chamber of • Deficit spending at the Commerce was proceeding smoothly. In early 1960, the Saskatchewan College of provincial and federal level Physicians and Surgeons urged the • Taxation However, the provincial chamber was chamber to oppose the compulsory Medicare plan in the form of a resolution to • Improved consultation by the fixated on one overarching issue: Medicare. the provincial government. provincial government The CCF government had pioneered the continent’s first hospital insurance plan on • Labour unrest Accordingly, at a meeting on Feb. 17, 1960, Jan. 1, 1947, which entitled every citizen in the executive committee of the • Inflation the province to free hospital care (although Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce • Slowdown in the oil and gas a small premium was charged annually). issued the following submission to the industry and royalty rates and provincial government: taxes Then, in a radio speech on Dec. 18, 1959, Premier T.C. Douglas announced his • Advocated against the Trade “The Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce government’s long-awaited plan for AGM, 1975 Practices Act does not believe it is in the best interest of comprehensive health insurance. The • Provincial government the people to initiate compulsory health proposed Medical Care Insurance Act purchase or expropriation of insurance or state medicine, both from an would provide universal coverage for the potash industry economic and efficient medical service medical treatment costs, including doctors’ point of view, largely on the ground that • Increasing amount of fees - another first in North America. The such government sponsored medical plans government spending on aid government would also establish a Medical have in other countries been extremely programs and subsidies Advisory Committee to make costly and with very few exceptions have recommendations to the province on the at the same time led to a deterioration of implementation of the proposed legislation. the quality of services and overcrowding of facilities.’’ While the Hospital Insurance Act was widely accepted by physicians, the Medical Care In any event, the Medicare debate would be Insurance Act was met with stiff resistance settled -- at least temporarily -- by the re- 21 Saskatchewan Medicare Strike, 1960 election of the CCF government on June 8, chamber “had been taken in,’’ according to Saskatchewan and hence premier of 1960, with a slightly larger majority, the confidential minutes of the meeting. the province. although its percentage of the popular vote slipped five per cent. Premier Douglas himself would not be On Nov. 17, 1961, secretary-manager around the provincial scene much longer. In Purdy wrote to Premier Lloyd to protest Since Medicare was the central issue of the July, 1961, he was elected the first leader of against the proposed act, on the basis campaign, Premier Douglas said the the federal New Democratic Party (NDP), that it “violates the basic principle of formed from the merger of the CCF and election was, in effect, a plebiscite on the sound government’’ by delegating “the organized labour. While Douglas was gone, government’s Medicare plan. responsibility for establishing and the issue of Medicare was back on the front administering a plan of medical care burner again. The Medical Advisory insurance for the residents of Nevertheless, the executive committee met Committee had submitted its interim report Saskatchewan.’’ with members of the Douglas cabinet on in September, 1961, calling for doctors to be Dec. 5, 1960, to discuss its Medicare paid on a fee-for-service basis and patients In addition, Purdy argued that “certain submission and resolutions adopted by the charged a small deterrent fee. In October, inequities’’ and “technical difficulties” would provincial chamber at its annual meeting in the Saskatchewan Medical Care Insurance result due to the duplication of services and Prince Albert Sept. 23-24, 1960. Act was introduced, without the deterrent benefits offered by private insurance fees and without the approval of the companies. Education Minister Woodrow Lloyd took College of Physicians and Surgeons. exception to the chamber’s submission on At its annual meeting in Tisdale on May 9- Medicare and Attorney-General Robert In November, 1961, Woodrow Lloyd was 11, 1962, the chamber passed a resolution (Bob) Walker even suggested that the elected leader of the CCF party in calling for the repeal of the Saskatchewan 22 Medical Care Insurance Act, which was set of universality was retained. A major health May 19, 1965, Purdy reported that he had to be implemented July 1, 1962, noting that and political crisis had been averted. sent a letter to Prime Minister Lester the government had failed to reach an Pearson, Finance Minister Walter Gordon agreement with the College of Physicians By 1963, the chamber and the provincial and Mines Minister W.M. (Bill) Benidickson and Surgeons. cabinet were back on speaking terms, with on behalf of chamber president, Dr. A.W. Premier Lloyd requesting the chamber’s Thomson of Watrous. “While the Saskatchewan Chamber of participation in a hearing in Ottawa with Commerce is not opposed to an acceptable Prime Minister Diefenbaker and the Minister medical care program, it continues to of Transport in June, and another thanking oppose the recent enactment of this the chamber for its “resolution on the “The Saskatchewan legislation and its amendments,’’ the Saskatchewan-Nelson River Development resolution stated. survey and continued support” of the Chamber of Commerce is government’s position. concerned about recent Chamber president H.B. Cowan of Prince reports that the request of By 1964, however, change was in the wind Albert remarked that, despite their the Saskatchewan and the bruising battle over Medicare had disagreements, the meeting with the government for tax taken its toll on the popularity of the Lloyd provincial cabinet on Dec. 18, 1961, was concessions to firms government. The resurgent Liberals, under “one of the most friendly we have had with engaged in solution mining former CCF MP and Moose Jaw hardware cabinet for some time.’’ of potash have been rejected store owner Ross Thatcher, had been by your government.’’ steadily gaining strength during the That friendly feeling wouldn’t last long, polarizing Medicare debate and defeated Chamber President Dr. A.W Thomson however. The chamber and the provincial the CCF in the 1964 election. cabinet would find themselves at loggerheads again when the July 1, 1962 At the annual meeting in Saskatoon on implementation date for Medicare arrived May 7, 1964, the chamber had its own Woodrow S. Lloyd Photo courtesy of Biggar Museum and Gallery with a full-blown doctors’ strike. change of leadership, as J.R. Davidson of The chamber voiced its support for the Regina succeeded W. W. Aikenhead of provincial government’s efforts to obtain Duelling citizens’ groups, Keep Our Doctors Melfort as president. But the chamber tax concessions for solution mining equal to and Citizens for Medical Care, verbally had other problems besides Medicare to conventional or underground potash fought each other over the divisive issue of deal with. mining , “so as to create an equitable Medicare, while the provincial government competitive position for those companies and the province’s doctors struggled to find Potash mining had begun in the province in now and in the future,’’ the letter said. a solution to the impasse. 1962 after International Minerals and Chemical (IMC) started production at its At the annual meeting in Prince Albert After three week of intense negotiations, the underground mine at Esterhazy, while May 8-10, 1966, Dr. Thomson noted the two sides reached an agreement. Concerns Kalium Chemicals started producing potash Saskatchewan chamber was entering its about threats to doctors’ control over their at its solution mine at Belle Plaine in 1964. third decade and “commented on the practices were resolved, while the concept At the executive committee meeting on effectiveness of our organization.’’ Dr. 23 Thomson told delegates that the meeting in society and on the campus’’ as the At the annual meeting in Yorkton on May with the provincial cabinet on Oct. 15, 1965, second major issue, director Allan Tubby of 4-6, 1969, chamber president Dr. R.W. Irwin saw the majority of the chamber’s Saskatoon objected. He felt that this subject of Swift Current outlined the activities of the resolutions accepted “to the point that was receiving far too much publicity, which chamber over the past year, including where we had few unimplemented was making matters worse. representations to provincial and federal recommendations left.’’ governments, promotion of economic But the fourth-ranked issue, the so-called education in elementary and secondary “The president also referred to the Premier’s “The Indian-Metis Problem – A cultural schools and “our support of the Indian- statement concerning the value of the island,” would play a much more prominent Metis program.’’ Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce role in the chamber’s future policy-making. presentations and their value in framing C.W. Cameron, now chairman of the Indian- legislation.’’ In fact, Premier Thatcher had asked the Metis Task Force subcommittee on chamber to appoint a representative to a industrial employment, reported on the committee studying “the Indian-Metis “many problems relating to the training and Dr. Thomson also reported on the problem in Saskatchewan” and suggested employment of Indian and Metis people.’’ integration agreement between the that the “Saskatchewan chamber would Some of the problems Cameron cited provincial chamber and the Canadian be requested to promote employment include the adoption of Indian and Metis Chamber of Commerce, which took effect in of Indian and Metis people at some children by non-native families, the attitude 1952.