Quebec reaches $900 million health agreement with Ottawa

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, left, attends a bilateral meeting with Quebec Premier Francois Legault in Montreal, Friday March 15, 2024. (Christinne Muschi, The Canadian Press)

Quebec has become the last province to reach an agreement in principle with the federal government on health-care funding.

Premier Francois Legault's office says the proposed infusion of $900 million in annual health funding comes with no conditions.

Legault had been pushing back on conditions that the federal government wanted to impose in exchange for the transfers.

The premier's office says health care is a provincial responsibility and that Quebec will be free to decide how it spends the new money.

The funding is part of a plan announced by the federal government a little more than a year ago to transfer an additional $196 billion to the provinces and territories for health care over 10 years.

To receive the money earmarked for 2023-2024, Quebec will have to sign the agreement before the end of the month.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published on March 19, 2024.