The New Brunswick Well being Coalition says Canada’s premiers are right in asking for extra federal {dollars} in health-care switch funds, but in addition agree with Ottawa’s push for strings to be connected.
The premiers introduced a united entrance at conferences in Victoria earlier this month, demanding the federal authorities improve its share of provincial and territorial well being switch funds from 22 per cent to 35 per cent.
Bernadette Landry, co-chair of the New Brunswick Well being Coalition, says Ottawa ought to ship more cash, however not with out situations.
“I believe it is crucial that there be strings connected and that we all know precisely the place that cash goes,” says Landry, who claims federal cash despatched to New Brunswick for COVID-19 went to different information.
“The Higgs authorities used quite a lot of that cash to stability the finances,” says Landry. “That is not what the cash was for.”
Earlier this 12 months, New Brunswick posted a $35.2-million surplus which was a lot decrease than the final quarter’s three estimates of just about $488 million.
The premiers have beforehand requested federal health-care cash with no situations, arguing the federal authorities has no authority over provincial well being choices.
The New Brunswick Division of Well being did not straight reply to CTV’s request for touch upon the topic on Friday.
Paula Doucet, president of the New Brunswick Nurses Union, agrees extra federal cash ought to be despatched with targets in place.
“It needs to be accountable to health-care,” says Doucet.
Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Dominic LeBlanc stated if extra federal cash was despatched to the provinces for well being care, it will be anticipated to “drive the outcomes Canadians count on.” LeBlanc additionally argued the premiers weren’t utilizing correct numbers to mirror federal health-care contributions.
Knowledge ready by federal officers and obtained by The Canadian Press suggests Ottawa contributed 37.8 per cent of public well being spending in 2019-2020, 44.7 per cent in 2020-2021 and 39.8 per cent in 2021-2022. The Canadian Press says Ottawa’s calculation contains spending associated to COVID-19.
“We have to cease having this repetitive dialogue and blaming between governments and never have something get completed,” says Anthony Knight, CEO of the New Brunswick Medical Society.
No agency timeline for the beginning of funding negotiations has been given by Ottawa.