PM sought to scrap health act: Copps
Prime Minister Paul Martin wanted to scrap the Canada Health Act when he was a deficit-fighting finance minister, says Sheila Copps in a politically explosive new memoir.The former deputy prime minister and Chr?tien loyalist, who was soundly defeated by Martin for the Liberal leadership, says she insisted on last-minute changes to the 1995 federal budget that prevented Martin's initiative.
The document included Martin's plan "to end the out-dated Canada Health Act and replace it with something more flexible after discussions with the provinces," says Copps in her not-yet released book, Worth Fighting For.
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Scrapping the health act was meant as a federal "carrot" dangled by Martin to ease the pain of drastic cuts to health and social service transfers, Copps writes in a three-page excerpt.
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Copps said she was flabbergasted that the former finance minister was set to breach the federal sanctity of medicare."When I saw the reference to the Canada Health Act and the proposal to abolish it, I knew this was political dynamite.
"For a Liberal government to be doing this was a betrayal of our basic principles. I went to Martin with my concerns but he shrugged them off, saying it was too late, because the budget had already gone to print."
In fact, the budget presses had not yet rolled.
Backed by Chr?tien, Martin's leadership nemesis, Copps says she forced the former finance minister to do a last-minute rewrite of the budget which was sent to her home fax machine at midnight on the day before its release.
"The offending words had been removed, but it was clear the fight for the Canada Health Act had only just begun."
Speaking on behalf of Paul Martin, Scott Reid says this is "simply incorrect". He would.
But now I have to try and decide whether I can believe Paul Martin or must actually credit the idea that Sheila Copps saved Canadian health care. Couldn't I have an easier project to work on? Like world peace?
If Copps is right, she won't be the only one to know about this. It'll be interesting to see if anyone steps forward to confirm her version of events. Meanwhile:
Her book, to be released Monday, includes many other surprises, said publisher Douglas Gibson of Douglas Gibson Books, McClelland & Stewart.
Expect a feedy frenzy in the press for the next few days. Silly season is truly upon us.
To help with your decision (re. who to believe), consider the fact that saving the Canada Health Act does not necessarily correspond to saving public health care. For that to be the case, we'd have to have a government that was committed to enforcing it. Under Chretien and Martin, that hasn't been the case.
My wife Erin, something of a Copps fan, got a chance to speak with her a little while at Book Expo. She came away with a definite sense that Ms. Copps wasn't quite finished with politics. This should definitely be fun.
According to news reports that I read, Sheila maintains that Jean Chretien (the well-known crook, getaway car driver and - yes! - former prime minister of Canada) was party to changing the speech in question. All the denials from "Martin's People" or "government spokespersons" are meaningless until someone has the cojones to ask Chretien for his side of the story.
The world has truly turned upside down. I can't stand Sheila Copps but I believe her over Paulie. Martin's credibility with me is rapidly sinking to the same level as King George the Witless.
Also note David Dodge, now of the Bank of Canada, hasn't said anything yet. Copps said he faxed the changes to her at midnight. He could be in a pickle...
Sorry, but I wouldn't believe Copps on this one unless there was irrefutable confirmation, like an eyewitness -- she has such a history of self-aggrandisment and self-promotion, she is just not a credible reporter of events.
Now, I would not be surprised if there was something referencing the health act in that budget, which she may have interpreted as jeporadizing the act in some way -- but never mind Sheila, it would have been Chretien himself who would never have allowed a wholesale dismantling of the health act -- he would never have risked a political firestorm.
And regardless of what might have been in a budget 10 years ago, dismantling the health act is not an idea that Martin has pursued since.
Interesting version of events from Susan Delacourt in the today's Star. It certainly doesn't support Copps' story.