PREMIERS RENEW CALLS FOR OTTAWA TO INCREASE HEALTHCARE
Mar 04, 2021
By Bob Komsic
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In a virtual news conference, Doug Ford and seven of provincial his colleagues again called on the Trudeau government to increase its share of funding for provincial and territorial healthcare in the upcoming budget.
(Toronto Star)
The Canada Health Transfer is Ottawa’s main contribution.
Currently, provinces spend about $188-billion on health care with Ottawa picking up $42-billion — or approximately 22%.
The premiers want to see a permanent increase in the federal share to 35%; which works out to another $28-billion, along with minimum annual increases of at least 5%.
”It’s time for the prime minister to step up and work with the provinces and become a true funding partner,” said Ford.
The health transfer was the focus of a first ministers’ meeting last December.
”It’s going to be important that the federal government steps up and increases its share,” said Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
”We are going to do that and I look forward to conversations over the coming months about how we can increase it.”