Doctors Arbibration

Feb 9, 2002

Physician Arbitration

CKNW reported that Finance Minster Gary Collins is fuming over the award granted to physicians by arbitrator Allan McEachern (former Chief Justice of the BC Supreme Court).

On June 18, 2001, Health Minister Collin Hansen proudly announced "A chair of Mr. McEachern's integrity and stature ensures doctors' issues will be resolved as quickly and fairly as possible. I want doctors to know that the process of mediation - and, if necessary, binding arbitration - has the full support of the provincial government. It is a good process that will help us resolve our issues without further disruptions to services."

This is the second time in two days that the Finance Minister dumped on the Minster of Health Services. On Thursday, the Finance Minister blindsided the Health Minister with a 50% increase in the MSP premium tax. Now the Finance Minister is questioning the wisdom of the widely respected former Chief Justice.

The late Hon. Emmett M. Hall not only authored the original Royal Commission Report to establish Medicare in Canada, but he also authored a second Royal Commission Report in 1980 titled "Canada's National-Provincial Health Program for the 1980's". In that report, Emmett Hall said (page 27):

"The real point is the right of physicians to be adequately compensated for their service: no more, no less."

"I reject totally the idea that physicians must accept what any given Province may decide unilaterally to pay. I reject too, as I did in the report of the Royal Commission, the concept of extra-billing."

Hon. Emmett Hall went on to say (page 28):

"My conclusion and recommendation is that when negotiations fail and an impasse occurs, the issues in dispute must be sent to binding arbitration, to an arbitration board consisting of three persons, with an independent chairperson to be named by the chief justice of the relevant Province and one nominee from the profession and one from the Government."

When Health Minister Colin Hansen endorsed former Chief Justice Allan McEachern as the arbitrator in the dispute with BC's physicians he was reaffirming the recommendation of Hon. Emmett Hall. Now is not the time for Finance Minister Gary Collins to reject this long standing recommendation for bringing stability to Canada's and BC's health system.