More provinces reach health funding deals

MANITOBA HOLDOUT

OTTAWA • The federal government has reached health funding agreements with Quebec, Ontario and Alberta, Health Minister Jane Philpott said Friday — a significant reversal of fortunes after months of negotiations and threats of walkouts at meetings last year.

Philpott confirmed the deals, which leave Manitoba as the only remaining provincial holdout, with a wide grin and high-fives with her fellow cabinet ministers during the daily question period.

She later denied that the government used a “divide-and-conquer” strategy against the premiers and their once-united front against Ottawa’s planned reductions in annual health transfer payment increases.

“They have, in their own time, come to an agreement with us,” Philpott said.

Part of the new agreement with Alberta includes $6 million to assist the province in its fight against an escalating opioid crisis.

Quebec Premier Philippe Couillard lauded Ottawa for acknowledging his province’s “distinct” character and accepting the “principle of asymmetry,” which he said will allow Quebec to use fed- eral transfers as it sees fit.

“Since 2004 it’s been a major gain for Quebec, and this is still the case,” he said.

“I think we can say it’s even been improved. My job will always be to make sure Quebec’s distinct character is recognized and highlighted in concrete fashion.”

Asked at a news conference Friday in Houston about the deals in general and Couillard’s comments in particular, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau insisted the agreements were a “very big win” for federalism and for Canadians.

“The fact that we have provinces who have agreed that making historic investments in home care and in mental health is important for our communities, for our families and our economic productivity, for our society, is a very big win,” he said.

Canadians expect the federal government and provincial and territorial governments to work together, he added.

“Sometimes, that will be one big agreement signed by everyone,” he said. “Other times it will take specific negotiations with each of the provinces.”

The deals follow an agreement reached last month with British Columbia that included $1.4 billion in health money over a 10-year period and $10 million to combat an acute opioid problem.