Duclos optimistic over ‘change in tone’ from provinces on health funding deal
Global News
A 'change in tone' has brought Ottawa closer to ending a standoff between premiers and the federal government over health-care funding, says Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos.
A decided “change in tone” over the last few weeks has brought Ottawa closer than ever to reaching a deal that would end a standoff between premiers and the federal government over health-care funding, says Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos.
Speaking to reporters in Ottawa Friday, Duclos said he believes an agreement could come in the weeks ahead that would see more funding flow to the provinces for health care in exchange for provinces and territories agreeing to a number of key conditions aimed at improving conditions for health workers, access to care for patients and the sharing of data.
Duclos stressed this will be a long-term deal with funding commitments aimed at strengthening Canada’s struggling health system.
“I’m very optimistic… there’s been a change of tone and a change of direction in the last few weeks,” Duclos said in French of the negotiations with the provinces.
This shift in talks happened at the beginning of the new year, Duclos said – just a few weeks after all 13 of Canada’s premiers jointly threw down the gauntlet, demanding a meeting with the prime minister to hammer out a deal to increase health funding with no strings attached.
“We have seen a shift towards a focus on what matters to Canadians, which are results – results for the patients and health-care workers. That’s what people want and that’s what I believe the premiers also want now,” Duclos said Friday.
The premiers have been calling for a $28-billion increase to the Canada Health Transfer, which they say will bring the federal contribution toward health costs to 35 per cent from 22 per cent currently.
Federal officials have disputed these figures, saying they do not represent the full scope of Ottawa’s total investment in health care, as tax points to provinces and other specific bilateral deals on mental health and home care are not being factored into the provinces’ calculations.
