Sask. Premier Moe says increase in health transfer money top priority at premiers' meetings
CBC
Next week, 13 Canadian premiers will gather in Victoria, B.C., for their annual meetings, and Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe says the top priority is for the federal government to increase its health transfer payments.
"All 13 premiers have a unanimous ask, for the federal Liberal government to begin to correct a wrong of successive governments in underfunding our health transfer," Moe said Tuesday.
The Council of the Federation conference will take place July 11 and 12 in Victoria, hosted by B.C. Premier John Horgan.
Last week, Horgan announced he would be stepping down after an NDP leadership convention this fall.
While Moe and Horgan fall on different sides of the political spectrum, they are aligned on the request for more money from Ottawa for health care.
At a Western Premiers Conference in Regina in May, Horgan called the matter "pressing and urgent."
Premiers from across Canada have been lobbying the federal government to increase its share of health transfer to 35 per cent, or $28 billion annually, from 22 per cent.
"Is it just about the money? Yes, because it translates to services for people," Horgan said on May 27.
"We need to get on this as quickly as possible."
On Tuesday, Moe reiterated the need for more money.
"The 35 per cent essentially is what we're asking for the federal government to fund health care, which does correlate back to where the entire health care agreement began a number of decades ago."
Earlier this year, the federal government pledged $2 billion to address surgical wait times across Canada.
Moe also said the premiers want to meet with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
"For the prime minister to come and meet with the Council of Federation at our first minister's meeting solely focused on health care. He has said he will do that, but he seems reluctant to set a date for that meeting to actually occur."