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The item is an audio recording of an interview with Alexander Douglas Turnbull, recorded in Victoria in 1974.

T0270:0001: Background, education and work for Cominco at Trail, B.C. Discussion of work for Cominco. Political discussion group, Liberal Party. Development of Coalition Government. Running for election in 1948, defeat. Election of 1949 and becoming an MLA. Work to improve conditions in riding. Throne speech, Legislative Assembly of British Columbia, 1949. Discussion of British Columbia Hospital Insurance Service, problems of initiating it and administration. Role of George Pearson, Minister of Labour and Minister of Health and Welfare. Discussion of legislation.

T0270:0002: Discussion of the problem of financing hospital insurance. Reaction of the voters in Trail, B.C. to the Coalition. Affect of road construction in political campaigning. Relationship with C.C.F. Appointment as Minister of Health and Welfare, 1950 and initial approach to the problem of hospital insurance. Role of Herbert Anscomb as Minister of Finance. Problems with: payment of premiums for hospital insurance, setting up program, housing of program's operations, and overall criticisms of program. Expansion of Vancouver General Hospital and the establishment of the Faculty of Medicine at U.B.C. Attempt to put hospital insurance on sound financial basis. Hospital insurance as a political issue.

T0270:0003: The British Columbia Hospital Insurance Service, and the reaction of the medical profession to its establishment. Budgetary control of hospitals under BCHIS. Payment of premiums to BCHIS. Involvement of Byron Johnson and Herbert Anscomb with hospital insurance. Budget Speech, Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. Byron Johnson and his automobile accident. W.A.C. Bennett crossing the floor and leaving the Conservative Party. Operation of government in the Coalition period. Description of Health and Welfare Department. Increasing costs of BCHIS.

T0270:0004: Creation of Hospital Insurance Inquiry Board to investigate British Columbia Hospital Insurance Service by Legislative Assembly. Attempt to use it as a political issue. Minister's relationship with inquiry board. Directing of inquiry by Sidney Smith, MLA. Problem of morale at BCHIS during inquiry. Mannix Report, Hamilton Report. Preliminary recommendations of inquiry board. Favourable response of hospital administrators to BCHIS. Criticism of inquiry board. Political pressures against Coalition and problems between Herbert Anscomb and Byron Johnson.

T0270:0005 track 1: Mr. Turnbull discusses in detail the last year of the Coalition government of Boss Johnson in 1951-52. He focuses on the details of the British Columbia Hospital Insurance Service, which he was responsible for. He discusses the impact of the BCHIS on the electorate. He mentions why Premier Johnson called the election.
T0270:0005 track 2: In the last half of the tape Mr. Turnbull provides even greater detail on the concept and funding of the BCHIS at the time of the 1952 provincial election.

CALL NUMBER: T2601:0001 SUPPLIED TITLE OF TAPE(S): Commissioner of Sales Tax and the Hospital Insurance Service in B.C. PERIOD COVERED: 1917-1952 RECORDED: [location unknown], 1977-03-03 SUMMARY: TRACK 1: Lloyd Detwiller discusses his personal and family background, education and entry into the civil service in B.C. Early experiences in the Department of Finance. Appointment as commissioner of sales tax in 1948. The problems of implementing the sales tax in B.C. TRACK 2: Detwiller explains the problems of bringing in electronic equipment into the Department of Finance. Appointment as Commissioner of the British Columbia Hospital Insurance Service, 1949. Problems of implementing British Columbia's hospital insurance system. The centralization of the accounts of the hospital insurance system.

CALL NUMBER: T2601:0002 SUPPLIED TITLE OF TAPE(S): Hospital insurance and the decline of the Coalition in B.C. RECORDED: [location unknown], 1977-03-03 SUMMARY: TRACK 1: Lloyd Detwiller discusses the development of the British Columbia Hospital Insurance Service (BCHIS). Coalition politics and the establishment of hospital insurance in B.C. Hospital insurance and the 1952 provincial election. TRACK 2: Lloyd Detwiller discusses the effect of the government change in 1952 on his career and on BCHIS. General philosophy of government-administrated health-care systems. (End of interview)