The priority for any change in Canada’s health care system should be to secure long-term funding, not introduce new programs, said British Columbia Prime Minister John Horgan.
“Would it be great to have a national dental care plan?” Absolutely, “Horgan said in an interview on Sunday’s Rosemary Barton Live.
“But I think we need to start with the first principles, and that’s solid funding so we can change the hip joint so we can have a human resources strategy for our primary care sector,” he told the chief. CBC political correspondent Rosemary Barton.
Canada is facing a shortage of medical professionals across the country, Horgan said. “And we need to deal with this not by launching a new national program, but by focusing on stabilizing the national program,” he said. The federal liberal government is committed to a new dental care program in the recent federal budget.
WATCH BC’s prime minister calls for long-term funding for healthcare:
Disappointed provincial budget skips increase in health care funding: British Columbia’s prime minister
Rosemary Barton spoke live with the President of the Federation Council, the Prime Minister of British Columbia John Horgan, about what he said was missing from the federal budget – an increase in health transfers. In addition, the conversation explores affordable housing and the sixth wave of COVID-19. 9:51
Horgan heads the Federation Council, a group of Canadian prime ministers. Provincial leaders have consistently called for increased health transfers – money sent by the federal government to the provinces – citing increased spending over time and the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Liberal government has repeatedly said that discussions on changes in health transfer will wait until the end of the COVID-19 pandemic – but with many restrictions lifted across the country, it is unclear exactly when these talks will begin.
Asked about the transfer during a stop in Victoria on Monday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau again promised to have “significantly more money from the federal government” and cited increased transfers during the pandemic, including a recent $ 2 billion commitment to alleviate the backlog of operations. .
But the federal government has suggested that new funding for health care may come with tied threads, limiting the way provinces can spend it.
“We’ve seen in the past that just more money for health care, even from federal governments, doesn’t necessarily lead to better results or better results for Canadians,” Trudeau said.
The upcoming provincial elections are a complication
The prime ministers rejected the idea of one-off transfers, saying in a statement after the budget that they did not meet the long-term challenges facing the health system outside the context of the pandemic.
Horgan, who recently recovered from COVID-19, said prime ministers remain “optimistic” that ongoing discussions could secure a lasting deal.
Ontario Prime Minister Doug Ford, pictured here on April 6, is expected to face elections in June. (Evan Mitsui / CBC)
But one factor he said “complicates our discussions” is the upcoming provincial elections; Elections in Ontario are expected on June 2 and in Quebec on October 3.
“But we all agree on this: whether we are the ones who have elections behind us or those who have elections in the near future, we must do this for Canadians,” Horgan said.
Housing Challenges, COVID-19
Horgan noted that this year’s municipal elections are also complicating work to speed up progress on the housing crisis, which is perhaps the worst in Vancouver.
He argues that co-operation between municipalities, provincial governments and the federal government is important for pushing the agenda forward. Deputy Prime Minister Christia Freeland and Minister of Housing Ahmed Hussein have repeatedly stressed that municipalities must take steps to speed up their processes when it comes to affordable housing.
“I hope we can make real progress in terms of housing, because we have a federal partner who is now, at least after I would suggest, about a decade or maybe even two decades off the field now back in the game,” Horgan said.
Despite his own brush with COVID-19, Horgan did not express concern about rising rates in some parts of the country, noting that hospitalizations and intensive care are stable in BC
“Where we are at COVID at the moment is stable as we go. “Be careful, be kind to each other and wear a mask if you’re uncomfortable – I know I’ll do it,” Horgan said.
You can watch full episodes of Rosemary Barton live CBC Gem, the CBC streaming service.
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