Trudeau moving ahead with Harper’s massive health care cuts

OTTAWA — Today New Democrats criticized the Liberal government for moving ahead with Stephen Harper’s planned cuts to provincial health transfers. Recently, Quebec’s Health Minister sounded the alarm that the Liberals are planning to slash annual health transfer increases by half next year – taking $1.1 billion out of the health care system in the first year alone.

“After promising Canadians that they would invest billions more in health care, the Liberals are instead going ahead with Conservative cuts to health transfers,” said NDP Health Critic Don Davies (Vancouver – Kingsway). “And Minister Philpott is using the same talking points as the Conservatives, claiming a “historic investment” when in fact it’s a historic cut.”

The PBO recently warned that provinces are already stretched beyond their means and will be unable to meet growing health care costs without increased support from the federal government. There has also been no sign of the Liberals’ promise of $3 billion for home care and no word on their promise to increase prescription drug coverage.

“This is a missed opportunity for action, and Canadian families will pay the price when healthcare services are not available,” added said NDP Health Critic Don Davies (Vancouver – Kingsway).