Manitoba lone health-care holdout

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This article was published 10/03/2017 (3181 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

OTTAWA — Manitoba stands alone, the only province or territory that hasn’t signed a new health-care funding deal with the federal government.

Ontario, Quebec and Alberta have reached funding ageements, Health Minister Jane Philpott announced Friday.

“Today is a fantastic day for us,” Philpott told reporters.

Ontario will receive $4.2 billion, Quebec $2.5 billion and Alberta $1.3 billion in targeted funding for home care and mental health over the next decade.

In total, all provinces and territories — except Manitoba — will share $10.5 billion over the next 10 years for the programs.

“I suspect we’ll be hearing soon from Manitoba,” Philpott said. “No doubt the people of Manitoba are keen to have additional resources for these particular areas.”

A spokeswoman for Premier Brian Pallister said Friday the province had no comment on the development.

Philpott said the provinces will develop plans for how the money will be spent, including setting national standards and indicators by which Canadians can judge the results of the investment. All provinces except Quebec have their money divided; approximately 55 per cent will go toward home care and 45 per cent to mental health. Quebec’s deal allows it to decide how to split the money, but Philpott said Quebec’s priorities — like Ottawa’s — are also home care and mental health.

If Manitoba signs, it should receive about $400 million: $220 million for home care and $180 million for mental health.

Premier Brian Pallister was adamant last fall Prime Minister Justin Trudeau needed to call a first ministers meeting to develop a new health-care accord to replace the 2004 deal that expires at the end of this month following a two-year extension. He tied Manitoba’s support for Trudeau’s climate change strategy to his demand. Trudeau did not bite.

Instead, Ottawa offered a meeting with finance and health ministers in December that ended with federal Finance Minister Bill Morneau pulling the plug early when negotiations reached an impasse. Ottawa offered 3.5 per cent in annual health transfer increases and $11 billion over a decade for home care and mental health. The provinces wanted five per cent in annual increases and the targeted $11 billion.

It took less than 72 hours for the provinces’ unified front to develop cracks; New Brunswick signed a deal Dec. 22, followed by Nova Scotia and Newfoundland the next day.

That upset Manitoba officials, who felt the “all for one” approach would force Ottawa to reconsider. Health Minister Kelvin Goertzen said it was “shameful” the federal government was dividing the provinces in order to conquer them.

Philpott disputed that claim Friday.

“You know this is not about divide-and-conquer,” she said. “This is about offering what is a fantastic new transformative offer for Canadians that we put on the table in December. It took some time for several provinces to reflect on this, and on reflection, as they’ve sort of looked at this and realized that in fact this will be extremely helpful, they have, in their own time, come to an agreement with us.”

Nunavut, Yukon, the Northwest Territories, Saskatchewan and Prince Edward Island signed by the end of January. British Columbia followed Feb. 17.

Manitoba officials say there were no negotiations with Ottawa since the December meeting and March 1, when Pallister wrote to Trudeau. He indicated while he still wanted a united approach and a first ministers meeting, he had to be practical, and outlined the conditions for Manitoba to sign on.

“In these unfortunate circumstances, mindful of my own responsibilities — I am reluctantly prepared to undertake a bilateral dialogue based on constructively addressing our unique challenges in areas of mutual concern,” he wrote.

Among the premier’s asks are $60 million over 10 years to help combat kidney disease, noting the incidence here is highest in the country. The province wants Ottawa’s commitment to help address the disparity in care between indigenous and non-indigenous communities, and an end to a 14-year dispute over funding for medical transport from First Nations. Manitoba says it’s owed $34 million in unpaid bills that have piled up since 2003.

Under the 2004 health-care accord, Ottawa increased annual health transfers to the provinces and territories by six per cent each year for a decade. In 2011, Stephen Harper’s Conservative government extended it by two years, but said after that, health transfers would increase at three per cent per year. The provinces have continued to argue that it effectively cut health care.

It is not a cut, because transfers will continue to grow. But they’ll grow at half the earlier rate. Provincial governments pay about 80 per cent of health-care costs. Ottawa rejected their proposal for a five per cent annual increase in transfers in an effort to get the provincial share down to 75 per cent.

mia.rabson@freepress.mb.ca