(OTTAWA) The year 2023 must begin with a meeting on the financing of health care services with Justin Trudeau at the table, the premiers insisted on Friday.
“The Council of the Federation has been asking for a meeting on this subject with Justin Trudeau for two years. […] We invite him to meet with us quickly at the start of the year, ”said Prime Minister François Legault after a meeting with his counterparts which was held by videoconference.
A “true partnership” which involves an “unconditional” increase in the Canada Health Transfer “is the only solution”, he argued, criticizing his federal counterpart for not having formulated ” no concrete proposal” in this regard to the provinces and territories, which “deserve better than that”.
To the criticism that Justin Trudeau had also addressed to him concerning his decision to send checks for $400 to $600 dollars to Quebecers, François Legault opposed the argument that it was a non-recurring aid, whereas health financing problems are recurrent.
The provincial and territorial premiers are unanimous on the request to increase the federal transfer from 22% to 35%. They sang the same refrain, one after the other, during the closing press conference of their meeting.
“We can’t have a meeting about this just between us,” said Ontario Premier Doug Ford. “Discussions cannot be done through the media,” said Manitoba Premier Heather Stefanson, who is chairing the Council of the Federation this year.
Prime Minister Trudeau’s office has yet to respond to the invitation from the Council of the Federation.
The federal Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, Dominic LeBlanc, recently warned that Ottawa could conclude piecemeal agreements with the provinces and territories that show interest, so as not to give others a “right of veto” over this question.