Health transfers | Trudeau will submit a “flexible” agreement to the provinces

(Ottawa) Prime Minister Justin Trudeau intends to submit to his provincial counterparts a 10-year agreement that will make it possible to inject new federal health funds. This agreement will be “flexible” and will respect the fields of jurisdiction of the provinces, he assured Monday.

But a few hours before a working meeting that should last barely two hours, the provinces had still not obtained the details of the Trudeau government’s offer, to the chagrin of many prime ministers.

The latter held a working dinner in anticipation of this summit meeting that they had been calling for for weeks. This meeting aimed to reaffirm the common front of the provinces on this issue.

“I am happy that after two years, one, to have a meeting with Mr. Trudeau, and two, to have a proposal. Now let’s see the amount. We asked that it be an unconditional proposal. We will find out tomorrow, ”said the Premier of Quebec, François Legault, during a short press scrum, before meeting his provincial counterparts.

Mr. Legault was pleased to have “always a beautiful common front” of the provinces against the federal government. He made a point of affirming that he did not need directives from Ottawa to identify health priorities in Quebec.

Everything indicates that the agreement that the Trudeau government wishes to conclude will be for 10 years. At the same time, Ottawa intends to sign bilateral agreements with each of the provinces to take their needs into account. Some provinces could thus use this money for their respective health care priorities, such as mental health, primary care or even tackling the surgical waiting list more quickly.

“I’m really looking forward to sitting down with Premiers to talk about our health systems across the country and what the federal government can do to ensure that Canadians are going to have better outcomes from health care services. across the country,” Trudeau said Monday.

“We’re going to be there with more money. But I think it’s also important to talk about data and results. Obviously, this will be done in a flexible manner while respecting provincial jurisdictions. It’s going to be a working meeting, ”he added.

For months, the provinces have united to demand a substantial increase in health transfers of $28 billion per year. According to provincial calculations, this would allow Ottawa to pay 35% of health care costs in the country, compared to 22% today.

The Trudeau government has already made it known that it does not intend to accede to this request, going so far as to point out that the provinces have sufficient immediate financial capacity in the short term to invest more in the health system if they wish.

The federal government also contests the calculation method and maintains that it already pays 35% of the costs if we take into account the tax points transferred to the provinces in the 1970s.

“Very excited to meet”

Speaking on behalf of all of her provincial colleagues as Chair of the Council of the Federation, Manitoba Premier Heather Stefanson said it is “difficult” to get to a meeting without having had the details of the federal offer beforehand.

“I am very much looking forward to the first ministers’ meeting. I believe this is one of the most important discussions the country needs to have for years and generations to come,” she said.

She said she does not expect to sign a formal agreement on Tuesday, as Justin Trudeau had already hinted two weeks ago.

The premier of Newfoundland and Labrador, Andrew Furey, for his part affirmed that Canadians did not attach any importance to the negotiating games between Ottawa and the provinces. Their priority, he argued, is to have access to better health care.

“Whether it’s the government or the provinces footing the bill, patients and Canadians demand that we work together. We have to focus on collaboration,” he said.