Duclos to sit down with Ontario to negotiate bilateral health deal Thursday
Ontario will be the first province to sit down directly with the federal government to work on a one-on-one agreement for new health-care dollars.
Federal Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos said the plan is to meet Thursday with Premier Doug Ford and Ontario Health Minister Sylvia Jones.
The meeting would come two days after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau put an offer on the table to transfer $196 billion in health care money to the provinces and territories over the next 10 years.
The proposal features $46 billion in new money the provinces weren't expecting in existing health transfer forecasts. It includes an immediate $2 billion top-up to this year's Canada Health Transfer and would accelerate the pace that the transfer increases over the next five years.
There is also $25 billion for one-on-one agreements with each province to address specific areas including family medicine, health worker shortages and surgical backlogs, mental health and health data collection.
The offer is well shy of the province's demands for the federal government to increase its share of health spending to 35 per cent from 22 per cent. The provinces say it will increase the federal share to about 24 per cent for now.
Following the meeting Tuesday, Ford said he would push for more cash but would never turn down new money, and he appears ready to work on a deal.
On Wednesday, he seemed eager to get to work to finalize the deal, which for his province could amount to at least $74 billion in transfers from Ottawa for health care between now and 2033, including about $16 billion in previously uncommitted dollars.
"I'm confident we'll get the t's crossed, the i's dotted," he said. "We're grateful for the offer. We're grateful for sitting down with the prime minister but we want sustainability."
Neither Trudeau nor Duclos will specifically say it's their final offer but they are showing no signs of willingness to negotiate on the dollar amounts.
"The offer was announced yesterday and now we need to see what it will do for people over the next few years," Duclos said in French in an interview Wednesday with The Canadian Press.
Negotiations would focus on the priority areas to which each province wants to devote new cash, and how premiers will meet the federal demands of accountability for how the money is spent.
Duclos hopes to conclude talks with Ontario in a few weeks.
"Lots of the preparatory work has been done on this (and) we can build on that to proceed relatively quickly," he said.
To receive much of the money, the provinces must agree to overhaul their health data collection, including harmonizing digital patient records with other provinces and making them more easily shared and accessible between various health professionals.
Ford said last month he was fine with the data upgrade requests from Ottawa. His announcement helped turn the tide on negotiations between Ottawa and the provinces for new health money, which had fallen apart last fall.
The federal government's biggest concern, beyond improving the health-care system, is showing Canadians how the money is spent and how it helps people.
The $25 billion for priority areas will only be transferred to provinces that lay out a detailed plan for how the money will be spent and how progress will be measured.
Duclos said there will be some specific indicators provinces will have to report publicly on in each area for which they receive money. He said those indicators have been developed by experts and the provinces are already well aware of most of them, including how many more Canadians get access to a family doctor, how quickly surgical backlogs are reduced, or how many young people are connected to appropriate mental health services and how promptly.
The Canada Health Transfer, which was $45 billion this fiscal year, has few strings attached beyond abiding by the principles of the Canada Health Act.
The government topped up that transfer by $2 billion last July, and proposes to add an additional $2 billion before the end of March. The money goes to provinces' general revenues and is therefore difficult to track in terms of use.
Duclos said he and Mental Health Minister Carolyn Bennett will send a letter to each province with more details of the offer and their expectations.
The letters will seek feedback from the provinces about whether they intend to accept the offer.
Duclos said it will largely be up to the public to hold provinces accountable for meeting goals of the proposed health-care spending.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 8, 2023.
-- With files from Allison Jones in Toronto
IN DEPTH
Budget 2024 prioritizes housing while taxing highest earners, deficit projected at $39.8B
In an effort to level the playing field for young people, in the 2024 federal budget, the government is targeting Canada's highest earners with new taxes in order to help offset billions in new spending to enhance the country's housing supply and social supports.
'One of the greatest': Former prime minister Brian Mulroney commemorated at state funeral
Prominent Canadians, political leaders, and family members remembered former prime minister and Progressive Conservative titan Brian Mulroney as an ambitious and compassionate nation-builder at his state funeral on Saturday.
'Democracy requires constant vigilance' Trudeau testifies at inquiry into foreign election interference in Canada
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau testified Wednesday before the national public inquiry into foreign interference in Canada's electoral processes, following a day of testimony from top cabinet ministers about allegations of meddling in the 2019 and 2021 federal elections. Recap all the prime minister had to say.
As Poilievre sides with Smith on trans restrictions, former Conservative candidate says he's 'playing with fire'
Siding with Alberta Premier Danielle Smith on her proposed restrictions on transgender youth, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre confirmed Wednesday that he is against trans and non-binary minors using puberty blockers.
Supports for passengers, farmers, artists: 7 bills from MPs and Senators to watch in 2024
When parliamentarians return to Ottawa in a few weeks to kick off the 2024 sitting, there are a few bills from MPs and senators that will be worth keeping an eye on, from a 'gutted' proposal to offer a carbon tax break to farmers, to an initiative aimed at improving Canada's DNA data bank.
Opinion
opinion Don Martin: Gusher of Liberal spending won't put out the fire in this dumpster
A Hail Mary rehash of the greatest hits from the Trudeau government’s three-week travelling pony-show, the 2024 federal budget takes aim at reversing the party’s popularity plunge in the under-40 set, writes political columnist Don Martin. But will it work before the next election?
opinion Don Martin: The doctor Trudeau dumped has a prescription for better health care
Political columnist Don Martin sat down with former federal health minister Jane Philpott, who's on a crusade to help fix Canada's broken health care system, and who declined to take any shots at the prime minister who dumped her from caucus.
opinion Don Martin: Trudeau's seeking shelter from the housing storm he helped create
While Justin Trudeau's recent housing announcements are generally drawing praise from experts, political columnist Don Martin argues there shouldn’t be any standing ovations for a prime minister who helped caused the problem in the first place.
opinion Don Martin: Poilievre has the field to himself as he races across the country to big crowds
It came to pass on Thursday evening that the confidentially predictable failure of the Official Opposition non-confidence motion went down with 204 Liberal, BQ and NDP nays to 116 Conservative yeas. But forcing Canada into a federal election campaign was never the point.
opinion Don Martin: How a beer break may have doomed the carbon tax hike
When the Liberal government chopped a planned beer excise tax hike to two per cent from 4.5 per cent and froze future increases until after the next election, says political columnist Don Martin, it almost guaranteed a similar carbon tax move in the offing.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Ontario couple among passengers on sinking tour boat in Dominican Republic
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their 'extremely dangerous' experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
Half of Canadians have negative opinion of latest Liberal budget: poll
A new poll suggests the Liberals have not won over voters with their latest budget, though there is broad support for their plan to build millions of homes.
opinion Why you should protect your investments by naming a trusted contact person
Appointing a trusted person to help with financial obligations can give you peace of mind. In his personal finance column for CTVNews.ca, Christopher Liew outlines the key benefits of naming a confidant to take over your financial responsibilities, if the need ever arises.
Teacher shortages see some Ontario high school students awarded perfect grades on midterm exams
Students at a high school in York Region have been awarded perfect marks on their midterm exams in three subjects – not because of their academic performances however, but because they had no teacher.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.
Doctors combine a pig kidney transplant and a heart device in a bid to extend woman's life
Doctors have transplanted a pig kidney into a New Jersey woman who was near death, part of a dramatic pair of surgeries that also stabilized her failing heart.
Photographer alleges he was forced to watch Megan Thee Stallion have sex and was unfairly fired
A photographer who worked for Megan Thee Stallion said in a lawsuit filed Tuesday that he was forced to watch her have sex, was unfairly fired soon after and was abused as her employee.
Ottawa injects another $36M into vaccine injury compensation fund
The federal government has added $36.4 million to a program designed to support people who have been seriously injured or killed by vaccines since the end of 2020.
An Ontario senior thought he called Geek Squad for help with his printer. Instead, he got scammed out of $25,000
An Ontario senior’s attempt to get technical help online led him into a spoofing scam where he lost $25,000. Now, he’s sharing his story to warn others.
Local Spotlight
Fergus, Ont. man feels nickel-and-dimed for $0.05 property tax bill
A property tax bill is perplexing a small townhouse community in Fergus, Ont.
Twins from Toronto were Canada's top two female finishers at this year's Boston Marathon
When identical twin sisters Kim and Michelle Krezonoski were invited to compete against some of the world’s most elite female runners at last week’s Boston Marathon, they were in disbelief.
Mystery surrounds giant custom Canucks jerseys worn by Lions Gate Bridge statues
The giant stone statues guarding the Lions Gate Bridge have been dressed in custom Vancouver Canucks jerseys as the NHL playoffs get underway.
'I'm committed': Oilers fan won't cut hair until Stanley Cup comes to Edmonton
A local Oilers fan is hoping to see his team cut through the postseason, so he can cut his hair.
'It's not my father's body!' Wrong man sent home after death on family vacation in Cuba
A family from Laval, Que. is looking for answers... and their father's body. He died on vacation in Cuba and authorities sent someone else's body back to Canada.
'Once is too many times': Education assistants facing rising violence in classrooms
A former educational assistant is calling attention to the rising violence in Alberta's classrooms.
What is capital gains tax? How is it going to affect the economy and the younger generations?
The federal government says its plan to increase taxes on capital gains is aimed at wealthy Canadians to achieve “tax fairness.”
UBC football star turning heads in lead up to NFL draft
At 6'8" and 350 pounds, there is nothing typical about UBC offensive lineman Giovanni Manu, who was born in Tonga and went to high school in Pitt Meadows.
Cat found at Pearson airport 3 days after going missing
Kevin the cat has been reunited with his family after enduring a harrowing three-day ordeal while lost at Toronto Pearson International Airport earlier this week.