'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
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
"It's a bit of a complicated pattern; we've got a lot going on," said Jennifer Smith of the Meteorological Service of Canada in an interview with CTVNews.ca on Wednesday. "[As is] typical with weather, all of these things are related."
Boeing's financial woes continue, while families of crash victims urge U.S. to prosecute the company
Boeing said Wednesday that it lost US$355 million on falling revenue in the first quarter, another sign of the crisis gripping the aircraft manufacturer as it faces increasing scrutiny over the safety of its planes and accusations of shoddy work from a growing number of whistleblowers.
Police tangle with students in Texas and California as wave of campus protest against Gaza war grows
Police tangled with student demonstrators in Texas and California while new encampments sprouted Wednesday at Harvard and other colleges as school leaders sought ways to defuse a growing wave of pro-Palestinian protests.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.