The Premier of Ontario, Doug Ford, seems to have broken the common front of the provinces by showing himself open to accepting the conditions imposed by Ottawa in exchange for the increase in health transfers long demanded.
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Responding to a reporter at a news conference at a pharmacy on Wednesday, Mr Ford answered a clear ‘yes’ when asked if he was ‘willing to live’ with Ottawa’s terms.
“Yes. […] I always say that regardless of the level, whether municipal, provincial or federal, there is only one payer of taxes,” he said.
Saying he was “convinced” that an agreement with Ottawa would come sooner or later, Doug Ford nevertheless stressed that he would appreciate “a little flexibility” from Ottawa.
The increase in the federal contribution, “it is absolutely critical, especially for a large province like Ontario,” he said. “We cannot continue at this rate without the support of the federal government. […].”
Called to react, the office of the federal Minister of Health, Jean-Yves Duclos, cautiously described the exit of Mr. Ford as “excellent news”, although there was “still a lot of work to do”.
So far, the provinces have stood together in refusing any condition imposed by the Trudeau government in this matter. The new position of Ontario, the largest province in the country, could mean a major change in the negotiations between the provinces and the federal government.
The Liberal government in Ottawa has said it is open to providing the provinces with the increase they are asking for under certain conditions, one of which is the sharing of detailed data on the state of health care systems.
The Conservative Prime Minister said he spoke with all the provincial premiers over the past week. A meeting between them is due to take place this month, but no date has yet been set, according to Mr Ford.
“We’re going to keep knocking on the door until the Prime Minister sits down with us.”
The office of Minister Christian Dubé had not reacted at the time of writing these lines.