But there were public-policy considerations, too. But such existential questions quickly became moot. Anecdotal and public-opinion evidence suggested Canadians were starting to worry that publicly funded medicare was breaking down. Psychologically, it was important to put the money back in. Over the summer, Allan Rock, the Health Minister, delivered a range of options to the cabinet and, in greater detail, to the cabinet's influential social-policy committee.
Sources say the cabinet divided into factions.
Herb Gray, the Deputy Prime Minister and regional fife for southern Ontario, was the most vocal proponent of a high-profile program run by the feds. Stephane Dion, the Intergovernmental Affairs Minister, had seen the backlash in Quebec against last year's centre-run Millennium Scholarship Foundation. He pushed for as much provincial freedom as possible. Finally Mr. Martin and Mr. Chretien decided the provinces, not Ottawa, had their hands on most of the policy levers that could make a real difference where it mattered. They started to put pressure on the provinces for a series of health-related commitments.