More cash is needed but it's not the only solution for what ails Canada's health-care system, the Romanow commission was told more than once yesterday in the first day of its public hearings on health care.

The meeting in Regina, the birthplace of medicare, launched a series of 19 hearings to be held across the country in the next several weeks by the federal Commission on the Future of Health Care in Canada. Its chairman is former Saskatchewan premier Roy Romanow.

More than eight hours of presentations featured one premier, 16 individuals and 14 groups -- and as many different agendas and ideas.

Council of Canadians chairwoman Maude Barlow, before her remarks to the commission, said she is cynical about whether it can distill what's heard at public consultations into recommendations that will appeal to provincial governments, various interest groups and the public.

She sees the commission's 18-city tour as a ruse to distract Canadians while the provinces push ahead with ever more privatization. Ms. Barlow questioned why, in addition to the public hearings, the commission is meeting with certain groups in private.

"Medicare has been set up for a fall," she said. "It's as if the federal government said, 'Let this process go on while the provinces do the dirty work.' "

Mr. Romanow defended his commission's work, saying, "I think some of the provincial ideas merit some very careful consideration and Ms. Barlow may hold a different view."

The day began with Saskatchewan Premier Lorne Calvert expressing support for the fundamental principles of the Canada Health Act and the need for more federal funding of health care.

"New resources are not going to solve it [the problems]. We have to change the way we deliver health care," he told reporters after appearing at the hearing.

While the Premier indicated he is open to discussing the current Canada Health Act, he does not want its basic principles weakened.

Another presentation, however, called for the act to be overhauled.

"The Canada Health Act is not a sacred text. It is simply an 11-page law long overdue for review and modernization," said Walter Robinson, federal director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, a Regina-based, non-partisan citizens group with 61,000 members across the country.

The federation wants the act's five principles -- accessibility, universality, portability, comprehensiveness and public funding -- to be replaced with six new ones that include public governance, universality, quality, accountability, choice and sustainability.

The group's view of health-care reform proposes individual accountability, which includes co-payments for use of services and planning for the needs of older Canadians through medical savings accounts or health-care allowances. It would like to see private and public money teaming up to build hospitals or provide services.

The Saskatchewan Federation of Labour took the opposite position, vehemently arguing against any form of further privatization and for reducing what already exists.

"We reject individual funding of our system by user fees," said Steve Fowley, a federation spokesman.

Other groups speaking included the Saskatchewan Federation of Indian Nations, and organizations representing the disabled, French and Acadian communities, retired teachers and business.

Mr. Romanow said the diverse views of the day were exactly what he wants.

"I think what's important about this day is there has been a wide range of very large issues presented with alternating and competing points of view. That's exactly what I want on the first day . . . get it on the table and let the debate grow."