'A step in the right direction': Manitoba premier optimistic heading into Trudeau health-care meeting
As Canada's 13 premiers get ready to sit down with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Tuesday to discuss a new health-care funding deal, Manitoba Premier Heather Stefanson said she is hopeful a deal can be made.
The meeting, taking place in Ottawa, Ont., is set to focus on long-term funding deals that will see billions of additional dollars put into health-care systems across the country.
"I know as premiers, we are looking forward to seeing that proposal for the first time tomorrow," said Stefanson.
Both sides are optimistic a deal will emerge, but questions remain around how much more money Ottawa is willing to put on the table, and how much accountability the provinces are willing to put up in return.
This year, Canada is expected to transfer almost $88 billion to the provinces for various needs, including the Canada Health Transfer (CHT), which totals $45.2 billion.
Collectively in their 2022-23 budgets, the provinces are forecast to spend $203.7 billion on health care. Ottawa's transfer accounts for 22 per cent of that, something the provinces want to see increased to 35 per cent, which would mean $26 billion more this year alone.
Stefanson, like Trudeau, said it's clear a deal won't be finished this week.
"We don't have a lot of time for our meeting tomorrow, so I think it will be difficult to get really into the weeds of what that proposal looks like for our jurisdictions, but I think tomorrow is a step in the right direction to be able to sit down and have that conversation," she said.
Despite not being ready to sign an agreement on Tuesday, Stefanson said she'd like a deal as soon as possible.
"Obviously, we've been going through this for two to three years now," she said. "We know there is a federal budget coming up, and we want to ensure that those dollars are within that federal budget. I think we want something sooner rather than later."
Manitoba's premier noted she hasn't seen the federal government's proposal yet, adding it would have been nice to get a copy ahead of the meeting.
"I am concerned we haven't seen a proposal yet, and we are sitting down tomorrow to have those discussions," said Stefanson. "If we had it ahead of time, we could have had probably a more fulsome discussion."
The timing of the first ministers' meeting comes as many challenges put a strain on the health-care system.
"We know that there are many areas we are all facing across the country. Health human resources is a very significant challenge, surgical and diagnostic backlogs, mental health, addictions challenges, and the list goes on," said Stefanson.
Stefanson hopes the deal that is signed will be a long-term one.
"My concern with some of the bilateral agreements is, you come to a certain point, and there's that fiscal cliff at the end after that agreement ends, so I think what Canadians are looking for is that long-term, predictable funding model to continue in the country and to make sure it's sustainable in the future."
- With files from CTV’s Vassy Kapelos, Mike Le Couteur and The Canadian Press
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Orca calf that was trapped in B.C. lagoon for weeks swims free
An orca whale calf that has been stranded in a B.C. lagoon for weeks after her pregnant mother died swam out on her own early Friday morning.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
Trump's lawyers try to discredit testimony of prosecution's first witness in hush money trial
Donald Trump's defence team attacked the credibility Friday of the prosecution's first witness in his hush money case, seeking to discredit testimony detailing a scheme between Trump and a tabloid to bury negative stories to protect the Republican's 2016 presidential campaign.
U.S. flight attendant indicted in attempt to record teen girl in airplane bathroom
An American Airlines flight attendant was indicted Thursday after authorities said he tried to secretly record video of a 14-year-old girl using an airplane bathroom last September.
Powerful tornado tears across Nebraska, weather service warns of 'catastrophic' damage
Devastating tornadoes tore across parts of eastern Nebraska and northeast Texas Friday as a multi-day severe thunderstorm event ramped up in the central United States.