April 4, 2001
Ottawa, Ontario

Prime Minister Jean Chrétien and Health Minister Allan Rock today announced the launch of the Commission on the future of Health Care in Canada to be headed by Mr. Roy Romanow. The Commission will inquire into and undertake dialogue with Canadians on the future of Canada's public health care system.

"Our government's decision to create the Commission is another important step in fulfilling our pledge to ensure Canadians that our public, universal health care system works better and smarter to meet their needs," said the Prime Minister. "I am delighted that it will be chaired by Roy Romanow. I know him to be a steadfast defender of the five principles of the Canada Health Act and a creative advocate for federal, provincial and territorial cooperation to achieve public heath care modernization and renewal."

"The First Ministers agreement on funding and a Health Action Plan serve as a blueprint to meet the short and medium term challenges facing our health care system," said Minister Rock. "This Commission will allow us to better understand and plan for the long-term challenges, such as changing demographics and rising costs of technologies and treatments, so that Canadians can continue to benefit from quality services in our universally accessible system."

Appointed under Part 1 of the Inquiries Act, Mr. Romanow will report to the Prime Minister. The Commission will recommend policies and measures over the long term to ensure the sustainability of a universally accessible publicly-funded health system which offers quality services to Canadians and which strikes an appropriate balance among investments in prevention and health maintenance, and those directed to care and treatment.

Roy Romanow, former Premier of Saskatchewan, will lead the Commission as it consults with Canadians, with provincial and territorial governments and with health professionals and stakeholders.

The work of the Commission will build on the foundation already established by First Ministers in their September 2000 Agreement on health system renewal wherein all First Ministers affirmed their support for a common vision for health, a publicly-financed health system and the five principles of universality, accessibility, comprehensiveness, portability and public administration.

Mr. Romanow will be the sole Commissioner appointed by the federal government under the Inquiries Act. A secretariat will be established to support the Commissioner and reports and documents will be publicly available throughout the work of the Commission.

It is expected the Commission will commence its work on May 1, 2001 and report to the Prime Minister by November 2002.

A biographical note on Mr. Romanow is attached.

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Health Canada: Franca Gatto - (613) 957-2987

PMO Press Office: (613) 957-5555

Roy Romanow was born, raised, and educated in Saskatoon. He graduated from the University of Saskatchewan where he earned his Arts and Law Degrees. He was first elected to the Saskatchewan Legislature in 1967. Between 1971 and 1982, Roy Romanow served as Deputy Premier of Saskatchewan.

Throughout those 11 years, he also served as Saskatchewan's Attorney General, and was responsible for the introduction of a number of justice system reforms, including: the introduction of a provincial legal aid plan; the creation of the Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission; the introduction of a Saskatchewan Human Rights Code; and the creation of the Provincial Ombudsman's Office.

In 1979, Mr. Romanow was appointed Saskatchewan's first Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs. And he was one of the key players in the federal-provincial negotiations which resulted in the Constitutional Accord of November, 1981. In 1984, he co-authored a book on those negotiations, Canada Notwithstanding.

Mr. Romanow also served as a member on the Canadian Medical Association Task Force on the Allocation of Health Care Resources from 1983 to 1985.

On November 7, 1987 Mr. Romanow was acclaimed Leader of the Saskatchewan New Democratic party to succeed Allan Blakeney. On October 21, 1991 Mr. Romanow won a 55-seat majority government, and assumed the duties of Premier on November 1, 1991.

Mr. Romanow's government introduced a number of fiscal, economic and social reforms. These included an expansion of the ground-breaking Action Plan for Children, the introduction of the Building Independence strategy to help move families off social assistance, and enhancements to the provincial health care system.

Mr. Romanow retired from politics in February 2001.

In April 2001, Mr. Romanow was appointed a Senior Fellow in Public Policy at the University of Saskatchewan and the University of Regina, and is also a visiting Fellow in the School of Policy Studies at Queen's University.