NDP calls on Trudeau to put off Harper health cuts for one year

OTTAWA — Ahead of tomorrow’s meeting between Minister Philpott and her provincial counterparts, New Democrats are again calling on the Prime Minister to sit down with the premiers to discuss health care funding and put off the planned cuts to health transfers for one year as premiers requested. With the current Health Accord expiring soon, premiers have expressed their dissatisfaction with the fact that the Liberals are going ahead with Harper’s planned cuts to health transfers.

“After promising to negotiate with provinces on health care funding, the Liberal government is moving ahead with the same cuts as the previous government,” said NDP Health critic Don Davies (Vancouver – Kingsway). “Instead of honouring their commitment to ‘collaborative federal leadership', they are adopting the same unilateral approach as Stephen Harper‎. This is no way to build a stronger health care system for Canadians.”

Premiers have made multiple attempts to discuss the future of health care funding with the Prime Minister in recent months, starting with a request in July that went unanswered for months. The Prime Minister even skipped the premiers’ meeting this summer to avoid discussing a number of issues, including health care funding.

“Given the Prime Minister’s unilateral action on carbon pricing, no wonder the provinces are nervous,” added NDP Family, Children and Social Development critic Brigitte Sansoucy (Saint-Hyacinthe – Bagot). “If he is unable to sit down with the premiers in the near future, he should at least respect their request to hold off on the cuts to health transfers for another year,” she added.