Smith returns from 'productive' meetings in Ottawa, discusses 'significant' health-care funding

Premier Danielle Smith says her trip to Ottawa for the federal government's health-care meeting with premiers this week was both constructive and productive.

Premier Danielle Smith says her trip to Ottawa for the federal government's health-care meeting with premiers this week was both "constructive" and "productive."

Justin Trudeau announced Tuesday the federal government will spend $196.1 billion to address Canada's troubled health-care systems over the next 10 years, pledging $46.2 billion in new funding.

This new cross-Canada offer includes both increases to the amount budgeted to flow through the Canada Health Transfer (CHT) as well as federal plans to sign bilateral deals with each province and territory that are mindful of each system's unique circumstances.

Speaking publicly on Thursday for the first time since returning to Alberta, Smith said while some premiers were disappointed with the amount of funding announced, Alberta will use it to accelerate existing health reforms.

"I think Alberta's share will be about $518 million, and I've already talked to my health minister about how he wants to deploy those dollars. We've already started on(a) very ambitious reforms strategy," she said.

"We were pleased to see that most of the funding increase was in the Canada Health Transfer– that's particularly important to Alberta because it's divvied up on a per-capita basis and it has no strings attached. That, at least, was the right balance–that most of the dollars are coming through with no strings attached."

Smith said she will meet with her first ministerial colleges next week, potentially on Monday, to see what their response will be, adding it could be anywhere from a couple of days to a couple of weeks before plans for the funding are announced.