Cheers and jeers for the Charter for Physicians
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One of the compelling reasons for a Charter for Physicians, as articulated by Dan MacCarthy,1 is that physicians, and for that matter patients, need protection from intrusive government policies that ignore advice from physicians and others in the underfunded health care system. I am affronted that Nuala Kenny and her colleagues describe the charter as "morally indefensible"2 while failing to acknowledge a very serious conflict of interest: Kenny does not acknowledge being Deputy Minister of Health of Nova Scotia.

## References

1.  1. MacCarthy D. Why physicians need a charter. CMAJ 1999;161(4):400-1.
    
    [FREE Full Text](http://www.cmaj.ca/lookup/ijlink/YTozOntzOjQ6InBhdGgiO3M6MTQ6Ii9sb29rdXAvaWpsaW5rIjtzOjU6InF1ZXJ5IjthOjQ6e3M6ODoibGlua1R5cGUiO3M6NDoiRlVMTCI7czoxMToiam91cm5hbENvZGUiO3M6NDoiY21haiI7czo1OiJyZXNpZCI7czo5OiIxNjEvNC80MDAiO3M6NDoiYXRvbSI7czoyNDoiL2NtYWovMTYxLzExLzEzOTYuMi5hdG9tIjt9czo4OiJmcmFnbWVudCI7czowOiIiO30=) 

2.  2. Kenny N, Weijer C, Baylis F. Voting ourselves rights: a critique of the Canadian Medical Association Charter for Physicians. CMAJ 1999;161(4):399-400.
    
    [FREE Full Text](http://www.cmaj.ca/lookup/ijlink/YTozOntzOjQ6InBhdGgiO3M6MTQ6Ii9sb29rdXAvaWpsaW5rIjtzOjU6InF1ZXJ5IjthOjQ6e3M6ODoibGlua1R5cGUiO3M6NDoiRlVMTCI7czoxMToiam91cm5hbENvZGUiO3M6NDoiY21haiI7czo1OiJyZXNpZCI7czo5OiIxNjEvNC8zOTkiO3M6NDoiYXRvbSI7czoyNDoiL2NtYWovMTYxLzExLzEzOTYuMi5hdG9tIjt9czo4OiJmcmFnbWVudCI7czowOiIiO30=)