The CBC is coy about the controversy surrounding Prairie Giant – The Tommy Douglas Story. (Speaking of The Greatest Eugenicist, can anyone tell me if it mentioned these writings?)

The movie, which ran in two parts on CBC in March, got some good reviews but it also came under fire for alleged historical inaccuracies.

“Alleged inaccuracies” include a hard-drinkin’ Premier Gardiner giving a speech to striking coal miners in a year he wasn’t premier – or so “historians say”. The report goes out of its way to downplay the school division rejection.

Some school board trustees in Prince Albert think schools in the region shouldn’t show the recent made-for-TV movie about former premier and medicare founder Tommy Douglas.
Members of the Saskatchewan Rivers school board recently held a brief debate in response to a letter from Saskatchewan Party leader Brad Wall objecting to the way former Liberal premier Jimmy Gardiner was portrayed in the two-part movie Prairie Giant: The Tommy Douglas Story.
Some trustees were opposed to having the movie shown in schools, while at least one other raised concerns about censorship, director of education Bill Cooke said Thursday.
However, no action was taken and the letter was simply received and filed, Cooke said.
“Let’s face it, this is a letter from a politician,” he said. “We’re supposed to be above that.”

Compare the CBC report with this less “invested” one;

A majority of trustees in the Saskatchewan Rivers School Division are advising against schools showing the movie Prairie Giant: The Tommy Douglas Story, saying it is based on fiction and not fact.
The CBC drama was broadcast in March as a two-part, four-hour miniseries chronicling the life of the former Saskatchewan premier who changed the face of health care in Canada.
But Saskatchewan Party Leader Brad Wall recently wrote a letter to the school division, saying he objected to its portrayal of former Saskatchewan premier James Gardiner.
“The film does not accurately portray a very significant period of time in our province’s rich history,” said Wall. “The historical inaccuracies of the film have been cited by no less authorities than former premier Allan Blakeney, who stated that Gardiner was inappropriately depicted as a ‘simple-minded demon.’”
Saskatchewan Rivers trustee Barry Hollick said he supported the letter from Wall and suggested the rest of the board do the same.
“I view this film as political propaganda and I’d hope we wouldn’t use it in our schools,” said Hollick.
Trustee Rodney Thompson said he didn’t think the board should interfere with freedom of speech.

More here on how Gardiner was portrayed;

A blacker figure could scarcely be imagined. Mean, arrogant and selfish, the CBC’s Gardiner was the very antithesis of the saintly Tommy. In dramatic terms, the lifelong Liberal’s rendering provided a great nemesis for Douglas, an implacable foe for the CCF leader to prevail over.
It was wonderful television, but abysmal history.
David Smith, the Saskatchewan political scientist who co-authored the only Gardiner biography ever written, calls his subject’s treatment at the hands of the CBC “scandalous.”
“It’s not right to portray him like that. You might disagree with how he went about it, but Saskatchewan was very important to him.”
On almost every score, scriptwriter Bruce Smith got Gardiner wrong. Significant historical events were either twisted beyond recognition or worse, drawn out of thin air.

“My friends, watch out for the little fellow with an idea.” *

More at Cjunk.

Developments in this story from two weeks ago, via Mutt-Man;

Two weeks ago, we reported on the plight of Rev. Harry Lehotsky of Winnipeg who was suffering from abdominal pain and was told he had to wait five months for a barium x-ray and seven months for an appointment with a gastroenterologist (See ‘Health Care: Paying to be on a waiting list’).
According to the article in today’s Winnipeg Free Press (link available for a limited time), “…the minister was insistent they [the tests] be moved up”. The diagnosis? “…the ulcer doctors had been treating isn’t an ulcer at all. It’s pancreatic cancer. It has spread to his liver, spleen and lymph nodes. And it’s inoperable.” Doctors have given Rev. Lehotsky six weeks to nine months to live.

More about Rev. Lehotsky Dust My Broom

Over the border in Manitoba;

After his “occasional upper abdominal discomfort” evolved into continuous pain, Rev. Lehotsky went to an Urgent Care facility on Easter Sunday. After six hours, the doctor reported that he “wasn’t sure what was causing the pain” and Rev. Lehotsky would have to be referred for further tests, a barium X-ray and an appointment with a gastroenterologist. Shortly afterward, Rev. Lehotsky was shocked to learn that the wait for the x-ray would be five months and the first appointment with a gastroenterologist would be in seven months.

In Saskatchewan, there are health care professionals who are openly advising patients to contact a SaskParty opposition MLA in the hope that public attention will speed their progress through the system – so much so, it has been reported that there is now a waiting list for families trying to have their cases heard in the legislature.

On second thought, they might start giving out Shirley Douglas’ number. She has a habit of materializing at the side of Jack Layton whenever he drops into Saskatchewan to hold NDP campaign seances.

Leader Post(pdf) – NDP offended by Gormley show;

The provincial government is taking offence to comments made on a
popular radio talk show Tuesday about Premier Lorne Calvert’s handling of the province’s health-care system.

The topic – failures of the Saskatchewan health care system, highlighted last week by the story of the Hansen family in trying to find help for their 18 month old, who was finally diagnosed with leukemia after an emergency trip to an Edmonton children’s hospital.
But for Clay Serby, defending the practice of medical rationing goes beyond the treasured “fundamental principles of equality and free access” – this has evolved into a threat to government!

Deputy Premier Clay Serby said members of the broadcasting profession should review John Gormley’s Tuesday show, which Serby said enticed people to consider acts of civil disobedience.
“I have never seen, in my view, a piece of work that has created so much anxiety for people as what I’ve seen the last two days being reported by Mr. Gormley,” Serby said.

Yes there were anxious calls. Waiting for weeks to see a specialist while your health deteriorates and finances crumble can do that to a person.

During the show, Gormley played a clip from Calvert from Monday’s question period, when he stated, “It is one thing to criticize the system and it is appropriate, and it is appropriate when there is flaws that we discover those flaws and do the repair but you know, if you are going to be credible, you need to stand up and provide some alternative.”
After the clip, Gormley said, “You know what my alternative is, Lorne Calvert? Get the hell out of my way … Act like you are in charge and fix things. And if you can’t, get the hell out of the way, there are those who can.”

Gormley is bang on in this.
The NDP forfeited any right to cry foul over health care failures. This is the party that climbs aboard the Mediscare Express during every election, chasing the privatization bogeyman into seniors homes to frighten the elderly into believing the “scary fascists” will turn them into the streets to die.

“I’m of concern that yesterday’s broadcast and this morning’s has solicited a response from Saskatchewan people that is hugely troublesome, that you have an individual who phones in and says that had his presence been closer to this place, he may in fact be in jail today,” Serby said.
“Where then Mr. Gormley says that what he would like to see is he would like to see the health minister’s head on a platter … This kind of action, civil disobedience, that is perpetuated by a radio host is in my view over the line.”

Clay Serby was treated for cancer in 2004. Unlike others in the province, I think one can safely assume he wasn’t told he had a three month wait for an appointment with an oncologist.

Serby has not filed a complaint to a professional body yet about the
show, but he has asked to meet with the owners of the radio station to see if they condone the host’s conduct.

Don’t go anywhere just yet, folks. With all the gauntlet throwing going on, this story appears ripe to go national.
(Reports coming in from question period at the Leg this afternoon are that the session was a meltdown over the Gormley show. Hansard and video feed)

The Paige Hansen story isn’t going away. The radio airwaves have been burning with angry callers and others relating similar health system horror stories. CKOM broke the story, and has been following it closely ever since. The Saskatoon health authority is launching a review – an internal review.
From Question Period yesterday. (PDF) (The whole exchange is quite a read)

Babies come and go. But fundamental principles endure.
That of course, doesn’t mean that under the Calvert NDP, the system hasn’t done everything in its power to streamline – the Saskatchewan Surgical Care Network has a website that allows tracking of surgical wait times. They also feature a phone number you can call to find out where you are on the waiting list: 1-866-622-0222.
*RRRIIIINNNG*

“Due to the high volume of calls, it may take us a few days to get back to you.”

18 month old Paige Hansen is currently in a hospital in Edmonton. Her family finally decided Thursday to seek help elsewhere (doing so without “permission” from SaskHealth, and therefore at their own expense) after waiting three weeks for diagnosis of her pain in Saskatoon. The child was “screaming every waking minute”, and had stopped walking 6 days earlier. In the meantime, they were advised to give her children’s Tylenol.
According to a family member being interviewed, the care they received in Edmonton began immediately, testing was done during the first night there. This morning they have a preliminary diagnosis of leukemia.
You can listen live as the story is discussed this morning on John Gormley Live. (The show repeats in the evening for those who missed it – check the link for programming details).

There’s more than one way to shorten a waiting list.
Leader Post;

The family of a 57-year-old Meath Park woman says it will take at least three months before their mother gets to see a Saskatchewan oncologist who can tell her if her cancer is treatable or fatal.
And while Health Minister Len Taylor says three months is too long to wait, he offered little Wednesday to indicate wait times to see cancer specialists in this province will soon be getting shorter.
Emily Morley has already waited a month to see an oncologist since receiving her biopsy results that identified her secondary cancer, but were inconclusive in determining the primary source. Until that primary source is identified, her treatment cannot begin.
And even though the cancer is now in Morley’s lungs, liver, pancreas and spine, the Saskatoon Cancer Clinic has advised her it will still take at least three months to see an oncologist.

This after several weeks of diagnostic wait times piling up. However, the Health Minister has assured the family that as soon as they find some oncologists, those lists will shorten!
You’d think that having the “cradle of medicare” for the Best Health Care System In The World[tm] located next door to a country routinely cited as among the worst would result in having to beat doctors back over the border with a stick.
A family member is currently being interviewed on John Gormley Live. Now that publicity has hit the fan, they’ve found her an appointment on the 27th.

Which tier is this?

[A]fter two weeks of suffering with flu-like symptoms, Ravary needed to see her family doctor. But as she soon found out, she picked the wrong day to drop in for a check-up. That day, Ravary contacted her doctor’s office and was told to visit a nearby community health centre, where he occasionally works.
When she arrived at the centre, she was greeted by a French-speaking receptionist who promptly informed her that the health clinic was exclusively for “French people.”
“I said to her, ‘that’s discrimination,'” said Ravary, who was then told to visit her family doctor during his regular office hours, or visit another walk-in clinic. “I didn’t get past the reception at the front.”
[…]
The clinic was established 15 years ago specifically to treat the nearly 10,000 Francophones in the small Ontario community, although everyone in the greater community helps fund it.
It turns out the Ontario provincial government agrees with the clinic’s exclusive policy.
George Smitherman, Ontario’s Health Minister, said in Toronto Tuesday, “We have something called Community Health Centres and they are designed to be community governed, targeting specific populations.”

It’s the story of a place called Mouseland. Mouseland was a place where all the little mice lived and played, were born and died. And they lived much the same as you and I do. […] Presently there came along one little mouse who had an idea. My friends, watch out for the little fellow with an idea. And he said to the other mice, “Look fellows, why do we keep on electing a government made up of cats? Why don’t we elect a government made up of mice?” “Oh,” they said, “he’s a Bolshevik. Lock him up!” So they put him in jail. But I want to remind you: that you can lock up a mouse or a man but you can’t lock up an idea. – Tommy Douglas, 1944

Brad Wall, 2006;

Why even at the NDP convention last fall the Premier updated the Mouseland fable originated by Tommy Douglas.
You know that fable about Mouseland where the cats were governed all the creature the gophers who tilled the land the beavers who worked in forestry and pigeons who reported the news� until the mice led by Tommymouse changed the government. It is a clever fable. And it was delivered by a great orator
Well, Lorne Calvert updated the fable last fall. He talked about Bradcat who was a nice enough cat who tried to look like a mouse.
There have been other updates also pretty clever by journalists when they were out of things to write about. So we have read about Roy Mouse and Elwincat and the list goes on.
Well I think that fable needs a final chapter. But who should do that? The Final Chapter in the Mouseland Fable:
But after 60 years �other animals began to realize something about mice.
They�re not exactly the most productive species in the animal kingdom.
In fact, they don�t really produce anything accept droppings.
What they are good at is wrecking stuff that others have produced.
They chew holes in things.
They just generally leave a mess wherever they go.
And these particular mice were the worst.
One time, they got into the potatoes.
Now, the crazy thing about that is,�
Mice don�t even like potatoes.
But they had this one mouse named Eldon Mouse,�
Eldon mouse talked the other mice into it. He told them they weren�t really potatoes�”just cheese with peelings..�
And by the time they got done chewing through the potatoes,�
The potatoes were completely ruined,�
And the other animals were left to clean up the mess.
And here�s the other thing about mice. Even though they had promised a way for creatures to be healthy – a lot of mice in one place isn�t always good for health.
And a lot of the other animals were getting sick.
But when they went to the mice for help,�
The mice wouldn�t actually do anything to help.
The mice would just tell them how lucky they were they didn�t have to pay to see a doctor bird.
Except that there weren�t any doctor birds.
The mice hadn�t bothered to get any.
They were too busy chewing on potatoes.
So every day, the mice would force all the sick animals to stand in line and wait to see a doctor bird,�
But nobody ever got to see a doctor bird. So they just stood in line.
One day, all the animals were standing in line, grumbling about the mice,�
When one little gopher named Yogi looked up at his dad and said,�
�Dad, why don�t we just get rid of the mice?�
His dad looked down at him sadly and said,�
�We can�t get rid of the mice. The mice run things. The mice have always run things. That�s why they call it Mouseland.�
And all the other animals heard this and just nodded sadly in agreement.
Except for one old gray horse named Milt.
He�d been around longer than the rest of the animals,…
And he said, �That�s not quite true.
�The mice don�t have to run things.� �In fact� he said �when given a clear choice between cats and mice�.who would choose a mouse�they wreck things?�
And at that moment, all the other animals looked up and down the line,�
And they realized something.
There were more of them than there were mice.
They were all different animals, but they had a lot of things in common.
They didn�t like the mice wrecking all their food.
They didn�t like their babies moving to that place that had never been run by the mice.
They didn�t like standing in line when they were sick.
Most of all, they were just tired of the mice.
They began to realize that a lot of mice in one place for a long time is not a government but an infestation:
How will we deal with this infestation? We gotta get us some cats!! They said. Clear minded, compassionate cats with a plan and a vision for mouseland
And the animals chose the cats who cleaned up the mess left behind by the mice.
One day soon after that great change�a cat that liked details and going on about stuff and reading a lot ..named Wayne Cat discovered an old history book about Mouseland. He dusted it off and was shocked but what he found.
Why Mouseland wasn�t even the actual name of this place after all. This place was called Sask Cat chewan.

(Updated with notes from speech as delivered)
SaskParty now has the Mouseland 2006 audio available on their website, Look for the link at the left of the main page.

Actually, that was just the cash he dumped on behalf of Saskatchewan taxpayers over Christmas;

Court documents obtained by the CBC say the Saskatchewan government loaned another $15,000,000 over the Christmas to keep the Meadow Lake Pulp mill open. This loan happened while the mill was filing court documents seeking protection from its creditors.
The document shows that since 1990 taxpayers have lost $804 million. The current value of the mill is described as “nil.”

David MacLean of the Taxpayers Federation is making .pdf’s of the court documents.