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The following article was first
published in the November 1962 issue of the NLMA newsletter.
It is said that doctors inevitably distrust
politicians. Just as inevitably however they have to deal with them.
Members of the profession therefore learned
with the closest interest that in the provincial election which
ushered out 1962's political year, all their colleagues standing for
office had been elected, giving the Newfoundland House of Assembly
no less than three medical members, the largest number in its
history.
While not strangers to the House, M.D.'s
have certainly not been frequent representatives. The illustrious
Dr. Carson who was the first M.D. to be elected in 1837, became
appropriately Speaker of the House but since that time and up to the
last election, only eight other doctors have been elected while it
is 35 years since two M.D.'s occupied seats at the same time.
It seems most opportune now when medical
voices need more than ever to be heard in places of authority that
there should suddenly be this quite dramatic revival of interest. In
this issue our Public Relations Chairman calls for doctors to be
more active in public speaking. From the House of Assembly we have
certainly had a most effective lead. It is noteworthy that the new
members have already made their own particular impact since in their
first bid in provincial politics they were not only elected but each
gained a seat for his respective party.
But even doctors in the House are — let
us say out loud the awful word — politicians. They are party men
with loyalties to the organizations which sponsored them while their
first inescapable responsibilities are to their constituents who
elected them to office. For all this, there is no doubt that because
of their presence in the House at a time when health services are
under the constant scrutiny of government and public, their medical
knowledge and their experience of medical politics will be
invaluable and their opinions constantly sought. None, fortunately,
are newcomers to the conference table. All have been most active in
their respective callings.
To complement their work in the House it is
important that the Executive of the Newfoundland Medical Association
shou1d be continually aware that it is still the elected
representative of the medical profession. Its duty remains to keep
our medical members in the House informed of the decisions and
wishes of the profession on medical matters so that these views may
be presented with accuracy and forcefulness in the House of
Assembly. Apart from their formal appearances in the House, members
enjoy the day-to-day contacts within political circles, which, if
history's lesson is to be learned, are of far greater significance
in divining government's thoughts and purposes and in pursuing the
important art of getting things done.
We sincerely wish our medical members well
on both sides of the House and will closely follow their fortunes.
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