Native health spending ‘a drop in the bucket’

$270 million in new funds not enough: Philpott

OTTAWA • Health Minister Jane Philpott said Wednesday the Trudeau government’s funding this year for health-care facilities in Canada’s indigenous communities is “a drop in the bucket” as she tried to tamp down expectations of quick fixes for problems bedevilling First Nations, Inuit and Métis.

“In Budget 2016, we were able to get investments of $270 million to help with health facilities on First Nations,” she told members of the House of Commons indigenous affairs committee.

‘That was fantastic, but it was actually only a drop in the bucket in terms of what the need is.”

The committee has been studying the problem of suicide in indigenous youth. Suicide rates among indigenous people are as much as six times higher than those among non-indigenous.

Philpott said a “whole of government” approach was needed to address a broad range of socioeconomic problems unique to indigenous peoples. Her department will spend about $2.6 billion this year on First Nations health services and facilities.

For all that spending, residents of many indigenous communities, particularly those in remote and northern parts of the country, have much poorer health outcomes than non-indigenous Canadians — and Philpott is the first to say so.

“The programs are not what they ought to be, the facilities are in need of repair or building in the first place, but it’s the human resources where we see some of the very serious gaps,” she told the committee.

“I will tell you that every single one of those areas have come to my attention repeatedly and I can tell you we are working on them.”

The early rhetoric from the Trudeau government was all about “historic investment” and a “re-set” of Canada’s relationship with its indigenous peoples.

“I think they have created expectations of quick fixes (with) soaring words and the reality is this is going to be a slow process,” said Cathy McLeod, the former nurse who is the Conservatives’ critic on indigenous issues and a committee member.

For now, opposition MPs are pushing the government to increase spending more rapidly, particularly on health care for indigenous children.

On Nov. 1, the House of Commons unanimously adopted a motion by New Democrat Charlie Angus that asked the government immediately to spend an extra $155 million, part of which would be used to support implementation of Jordan’s Principle.

This is the idea that when an indigenous child requires health care, the care is provided first, then, federal and provincial authorities haggle over who ought to pay.

In some cases, the care is not provided until that interjurisdictional squabbling over payment is sorted out.

Jordan River Anderson, aged 5, from the Norway House Cree Nation died in hospital in Winnipeg in 2005, while Manitoba and Ottawa argued over who should pay for his care.

On Wednesday, Philpott told the committee Jordan’s Principle was being fully implemented and more than 900 children had benefited.

“The money is flowing, the work is being done, and kids are getting the care they need,” she said.

But Angus cited several cases where indigenous children were denied care in contravention of that principle.

“What does ‘immediate’ look like to those in working in front-line agencies?” he asked, referring to his successful motion.