Conclusion

From 1958 to 1966, Canadians debated the pros and cons of federal funding of medical services insurance. Saskatchewan’s experience demonstrated the social division that could occur if the situation polarized to the point of confrontation. Clearly, a national plan would need to use the principles developed in the Prairie province but avoid the conflict between doctors and the state. Fortunately, the Hall Commission’s public hearings allowed many individuals and groups to present their differing perspectives, and the media contributed to the discussion by covering these events and providing a forum for debate. Throughout the process, interest groups used their ties to Members of Parliament to lobby on behalf of their viewpoint. Canada’s national political parties held annual conferences to determine their health care policies and then presented their platforms to the public in federal elections held in 1962, 1963, 1965 and 1968. Medicare was a prominent issue in 1963 and 1965, but the failure to elect a majority government indicated that, although many Canadians supported federal involvement in the health care system, many others were ambivalent or opposed. What would occur when the system went into effect in 1968?