MS dominates premiers’ confab

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JOHN WOODS / THE CANADIAN PRESS New Brunswick Premier Shawn Graham (from left), B.C. Premier Gordon Campbell, Nova Scotia Premier Darrell Dexter, Quebec Premier Jean Charest and Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty view copy of Magna Carta at the Manitoba Legislative Building.

Canada's economy, immigration and spiralling health-care costs dominated the first day of meetings Thursday of Canada's provincial leaders, but it was a controversial treatment for multiple sclerosis that stole the spotlight.

It started with Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall's decision a week ago to fund clinical trials of the treatment -- despite two new studies from Europe that raise doubts about the new procedure.

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WAYNE.GLOWACKI@FREEPRESS.MB.CA MS patients and their supporters demonstrate outside premiers� meeting Thursday. (CNS)

Known as "liberation therapy," the treatment is based on work by Italian surgeon Dr. Paolo Zamboni, who argues that a narrowing or blockage of veins in the neck that drain blood from the brain may cause MS symptoms.

Prince Edward Island Premier Robert Ghiz has said he was open to adding the treatment to the list of insured provincial health services there, but Nova Scotia Premier Darrell Dexter has rejected calls for changes in the near future.

Right now, the provinces, including Manitoba, do not recognize the treatment, so patients travel to Europe or the United States at their own expense.

About two dozen people with multiple sclerosis and their families held a small protest Thursday outside the Hotel Fort Garry to get the provinces onside.

Steve Dyck said his wife Edith had the 45-minute treatment in Poland a month ago at a cost of $15,000. "The walker has been parked ever since," Dyck said.

Dave Riches said his wife will travel to Albany, N.Y., in January at a cost of $5,000. "We should be doing this here," Riches said. "Even if we have to pay for it."

They say funding the procedure would reduce the cost of the province's Pharmacare program, since those with MS would need less medication.

A spokesman for the Manitoba government said the province will fund a study into the treatment if local experts recommend it.

"All the provinces want to see improvements," Manitoba Premier Greg Selinger added. "It's simply a question of doing this in a way that we can ensure that we are not providing a treatment that in any way will be negative for people."

The economy

Premiers are split on the need for more federal economic stimulus cash. Larger provinces believe it's time to tackle big budget deficits, but Manitoba, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia say Ottawa's taps should not shut off completely when the Conservative government's economic action plan expires March 31.

Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall said Ottawa's deadline needs to be made more flexible to deal with infrastructure projects delayed because of heavy spring rains across the Prairies. "We need a long-term infrastructure plan that's constant."

Health care

Quebec Premier Jean Charest said the provinces must act now to ensure a continuation of federal health-care transfer payments before the current agreement with Ottawa expires in 2014.

He said federal Finance Minister Jim Flaherty wants to limit increases in health-care funding to the rate of economic growth, but the provinces need more.

"Health care increases on an annual basis are on the range of five or six per cent," Charest said. "That's not optional, by the way. The population is growing older."

Manitoba Premier Greg Selinger said the premiers discussed how the provinces could save money by forming alliances to purchase medication.

Greenhouse gases

At a news conference, Climate Action Network Canada said that in the absence of any leadership from the Harper government on climate change, the premiers should take a more robust role in reducing greenhouse gases.

Dale Marshall of the Suzuki Foundation singled out Alberta and Saskatchewan as the culprits in higher emissions. The Alberta government went on the offensive to defend its oilsands project in a colour ad in Wednesday's Free Press, contending environmentalists are unfairly targeting the oil province.

Manitoba Wildlands director Gaile Whelan Enns said Manitoba does not have an envious record on environmental protection, despite all the talk.

She said emissions are up each year, and efforts to deal with the toxic bloom of algae that appears on Lake Winnipeg each summer have shown little progress.

Census

The premiers will talk about Ottawa's decision to scrap the mandatory long-form questionnaire today. "The one thing we know about the census is that everybody has a variety of positions on this," Selinger said. "There's no automatic unanimity coming out of this meeting."

Pension reform

At a noon-hour rally, Manitoba Federation of Labour president Kevin Rebeck said unions want Ottawa and the provinces to act faster on public pension reform by increasing benefits to retired workers through premium increases of a few cents an hour.

Ottawa and most provinces are looking at such a plan, with discussions to continue in the fall.

"We're halfway there, but we need to bring it home," Rebeck said.

He added that the longer reform is delayed, the more dire the problem becomes as many people can't afford to retire.

-- With files from the wire services

bruce.owen@freepress.mb.ca

THE FINAL TAB: How much is the meeting costing us?

THE final bill will come in at about $550,000, a provincial spokesman said. Almost half of that, $250,000, is picked up by the Council of the Federation, the organization that represents the 10 premiers and three territorial leaders.

The spokesman said $100,000 is picked up by private sponsors. The rest is covered by the Manitoba government. The council meets once a year, with Manitoba hosting the event every 10 years.

And this is how they move...

Premiers and media here from across the country are being shuttled around the city in Winnipeg's New Flyer Industries' new Xcelsior bus. It was unveiled two years ago at the American Public Transit Association's expo in San Diego, Calif., and is being field-tested as a transit bus. It is made with lightweight materials and an emission-control engine and runs more quietly than conventional buses.

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition August 6, 2010 A12